2) WIDELY-USED WING MIRRORS

This bit of parts-bin trivia is quite well known: The Citroën CX and its wing mirrors. As one of the first road cars to be designed from scratch on aerodynamic lines (the initials CX are the French abbreviation for drag coefficient) the big ’70s Citroën was also one of the first cars to feature wing mirrors that weren’t just flat metal plates on stalks bolted where required, but instead built into streamlined plastic fairings. This combination of high technology, modern looks and mass availability made the mirrors fitted to the Series 2 CX a popular choice for pilfering by a wide range of other manufacturers. The Lotus Esprit was one of the most prominent users, but TVR used them on the Tamsin, the Griffith and the Chimaera. They also found their way onto the Jaguar XJ220 supercar, which was briefly the fastest and most expensive car in the world. Unfortunately the days when Lotus and Jaguar owners could save a pretty penny by getting mirrors from their local Citroën specialist are pretty much over: Citroën CXs are rarer than most of the ‘low volume’ cars which shared its mirrors and the stock of new parts has grown scarce in recent years.