|
Book Review
I am pleased to say that I am currently in possession of
a 1988 Citroën CX Prestige. It sits in my garage and I
still get a thrill every time I set eyes on it, start it
up, and drive it. It is my second CX. The design and
execution of the concepts have always intrigued me and
I’m never happier than when I’m driving my CX.
Being located in the centre of Canada (Manitoba), the
opportunities to see a CX, test-drive one, and actually
purchase one were non-existent. In the late 90s I found
one for sale in New York, negotiated with the owner and
purchased the car, sight unseen. I flew down to New
York, stayed overnight, and began the long journey home
the next morning. The drive was exceedingly comfortable,
pleasant, and a real joy. Getting to know the quirks of
the controls and the many interesting features made for
a very enjoyable solo trip home.
I have some experience with Citroëns having owned three
2CVs, about a dozen IDs/DSs, and still own a GS. The CX
experience was incredible as this was a “modern” car, on
modern highways, with modern conveniences.
I am, however, far from an expert about the CX. I admire
the Dutch author, Michael Buurma’s vast knowledge as
shared so remarkably in this book. The skill of the
British collaborator who translated from the original
Dutch to English, Julian Marsh, must be mentioned in a
positive light as well. The tome is substantial – 336
pages – with many detailed photographs, tables, and
drawings divided into distinct chapters telling the
origins, introduction, variations, production, and other
particulars in a most pleasing way.
I enjoyed the layout of the book. This was the work of
Thijs van der Zanden. When there are multiple photos or
drawings on a page, these are separated by a thin white
line. I find this very attractive and serves to reduce
the space required to present the photos and increasing
the size of each photo.
The second feature I find most attractive is the use of
triangles to indicate for which item the caption text is
presented. This feature alone was significant in the
first look-through of the book.
Towards the end of the book are numerous tables
outlining production figures and a very detailed
compendium of colours and upholstery choices by model
year and variant.
First impressions: the cover of the hardcover book shows
an early CX in three-quarter front view parked on a
slight hill with snow in the background. The ground is
brown, the car is brown. It’s rather uninspiring. I
would have picked a more lively, colourful photograph
for the cover of this important offering. The pages are
of a substantial weight and a pleasing texture. The
photos are all excellent, and many could be unique to
this book. The layout is designed to draw the reader in
and certainly did in my case.
The chapters are logically presented. Given the rather
turbulent times at Citroën and PSA, it was intriguing to
read of the complex designing and creation of the “top
of the range” CX named “Project L”. The Foreword,
Introduction, Creation, and Presentation chapters take
up nearly 80 pages of the book. The Creation chapter
alone is worth the read as it presents as a top-notch
mystery novel with gripping characters and situations.
In short, it is a fascinating read, and required
multiple go-throughs to absorb, not due to its technical
sophistication, but by the telling of the sheer
determination, fortitude, and, yes, conflicting ideas of
the personnel involved with the design of the series.
As you progress through the book, each model year is
given its own chapter. Extensive details are given,
drawing the reader into learning the many changes, some
relatively small, some more significant, made to the
series over the sixteen-year run. This level of detail
is fascinating to anyone even remotely interested in the
CX in particular and Citroën in general, but is
presented in such a way as to be interesting to a casual
reader as well. For example, on page 137 in the
“Evolution - 1977” section is a typical entry: “From
March 1977, the jack stand was dark grey instead of
light grey in colour.” Fascinating stuff. (Really!)
Overall, I rate this book highly as it contains
extensive intrigue, is easy on the eyes, is technical
without being overbearing, is well-priced, and is at the
top of the field on the subject of the intriguing and
beguiling Citroën CX series. A must-read.
© 2022 Blair Anderson
|
