Citroën AX

Citroën AX
Manufacturer	Citroën
Parent company	PSA Group
Production	1986-1998
Predecessor	Citroën LNA Citroën Visa
Successor	Citroën Saxo
Class	Supermini
Body style(s)	3- and 5-door hatchback
Layout	FF layout
Engine(s)	Petrol: 1.0 L, 1.1 L, 1.4 L Diesel: 1.4L, 1.5 L
Transmission(s)	4 or 5 speed manual
Wheelbase	2280 mm (89.8 in)
Length	3525 mm (138.8 in)
Width	1555 mm (61.2 in)
Height	1355 mm (53.3 in)

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 640 kg (1411 lb) 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. In 1989 a naturally aspirated diesel AX, using the 1360 cc all aluminium alloy TUD engine, managed a figure of 2.7 L/100 km (87 mpg–U.S. / 105 mpg–imp), totalling over 1,000 miles (1,609 km) from Dover to Barcelona. This was the longest ever distance travelled on 10 imp gal (45.5 L/12.0 US gal) of fuel and earned it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the most economical production car.

Red Citroën AX

White Citroën AX

The first performance version was the limited-run AX Sport from 1987, with a 1.3 engine and twin carburetors producing 95 bhp (71 kW). Later, the AX 14GT, with a single-carburettor 85 bhp (63 kW) 1.4 engine also found in the Peugeot 205 XS, was introduced. From 1989, this model utilised fuel injection. 1991 saw the range revised, with a heavily facelifted tailgate and interior being the most notable changes. The following year saw the introduction of the most powerful AX variant, the 100 bhp (70 kW) GTi. The GT was sold along side the GTi for a short while but was eventually dropped. 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. The Peugeot 106 / 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 Xanthia concept car was a small roadster derived from the AX (1988). In Portugal, tuner Benjamin Barral created an unofficial convertible version, called the BB Cabrio, powered by the twin-carb AX GT 1.4 L engine. 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 not executed, 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. 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.

External links

• Citroën AX at Citroenet
• CITROENS: Proton Tiara
• AX links Citroën World
• CITROËN AX on the Road
• AX Owners Club Forum Website
• AX ECU Tuning