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Citroën AX
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The Citroën AX is a supermini built by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1986 to 1998.
The AX was launched at the 1986 Paris Motor Show to replace the Citroën Visa. The car was available from launch as a three-door hatchback with 1.0, 1.1 and 1.4-litre TU-series belt driven OHC engines. Shortly afterwards, a five-door model and a 1.4 diesel were introduced; the latter was later replaced by a 1.5-litre unit.
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Encyclopedia
The Citroën AX is a supermini built by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1986 to 1998.
The AX was launched at the 1986 Paris Motor Show to replace the Citroën Visa. The car was available from launch as a three-door hatchback with 1.0, 1.1 and 1.4-litre TU-series belt driven OHC engines. Shortly afterwards, a five-door model and a 1.4 diesel were introduced; the latter was later replaced by a 1.5-litre unit. It had fully independent long travel suspension. It was initially backed by a memorable TV advertising campaign filmed in China, starring actress Janet Mas and an elderly gentleman, whose character was simply known as Mr Wong.
The car was very economical, largely because of excellent aerodynamics for its class of car (drag coefficient of 0.31) and a very light weight of for the basic version. This was due to the extensive use of plastic panels in non-load bearing areas and varying the thicknesses of steel in the bodyshell to be the minimum needed to take required loads. This technology came from the PSA Peugeot-Citroën / Renault / French government ECO 2000 project. It also optionally used self coloured plastic bumpers. In 1989 a naturally aspirated diesel AX, using the 1360 cc all aluminium alloy TUD engine, managed a figure of , totalling over from Dover to Barcelona. This was the longest ever distance travelled on of fuel and earned it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most economical production car.
Also available was a 4x4 variant, but with limited success when compared to the rival Fiat Panda 4x4. This was not sold in the UK.
The first performance version was the limited-run AX Sport from 1987, with a 1.3 engine and twin carburettors producing , wearing iconic white steel wheels much like its brother, the Peugeot 205 Rallye. Although the Ax used twin Solex carburettors due to the fact the twin Webber carburettors from the 205 would not fit under the AX bonnet. The sport was lightly revised soon after, available in other colours and with optional GT wheels. Later, the AX 14GT, with a single-carburettor 1.4 engine also found in the Peugeot 205 XS, was introduced. From 1991, this model utilised fuel injection to coincide with the revamp of the entire range and to coincide with tougher 1992 EU emission regulations that introduced exhaust catalytic converters.
Late 1991 saw the range revised, with a heavily face lifted tailgate and interior being the most notable changes. The following year saw the introduction of the most powerful AX variant, the GTi. The GT was sold alongside the GTi for a few months, but was eventually phased out. New models were introduced such as the Forte, Spree, Elation and Dimension
The range was slimmed-down in 1996, following the introduction of the Saxo, with production of the AX ending in 1998 after a 12 year production run.
The Peugeot 106 and Citroën Saxo were both developments of the AX. They followed the '90s trend for heavier, safer, more solid feeling cars that continues today. The AX was designed for lightness, with a 'less is more' philosophy, but with more conventional styling than previous Citroëns.
AX derivatives
In 1996 the EV3 engine (air engine) was mounted into a regular Citroen AX car by MDI.
Heuliez presented an estate version called the AX Evasion at the 1988 Mondial de l'Automobile.
The Citroën AX BB Cabrio was a small roadster derived from the AX (1988). In Portugal, Citroen dealership Benjamin Barral created an unofficial convertible version, called the BB Cabrio, originally powered by the twin-carb AX GT 1.4 L engine, but later available with any type of engine that equipped the 3 door AX. Considered very handsome, due to the lack of the usual roll bar that convertible normally require, these cars are now collector's items and command a heavy premium over the normal models they are based upon. This model was not sold in the UK.
At one stage, parent firm PSA Peugeot Citroën had planned to launch a Talbot Samba replacement as a version of the AX with a different grille and a Talbot badge, but this plan was cancelled, as the entire Talbot marque was axed in the same year the AX was launched.
The Proton company of Malaysia produced a version of the Citroën AX, the Proton Tiara, from 1996 to 2000.
Aixam Mega at one time built an AX derivative called Mega Club. It was somewhat inspired by the Méhari, with a plastic bodywork and an optional convertible version, with 2 wheel drive or four wheel drive. It was discontinued in 1998. A competition version of the Mega Club with a tubeframe chassis raced in the Andros Trophy in the early 1990, but powered by Ford and Honda engines.
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