40 YEARS OF BX

The Citroën BX is celebrating its 40th anniversary, having been first launched on 23rd September 1982. Design started in 1978 under the codename XB, the project setting out to create a modern, unconventional vehicle with an emphasis on innovation.

Citroën approached the famous Italian coachbuilder Bertone to design BX, and Marcello Gandini proposed an original shape that stood out in the automotive landscape of the time. The cockpit was also striking, with a CXinspired dashboard featuring characteristic equipment such as satellite controls on either side of the steering wheel and the back-lit tachometer.

The first vehicle of the PSA era, BX was developed with the help of CAD (computeraided design), state- of-theart technology at the time. Engines were taken from PSA group’s bank of powertrains, the first cars getting 62bhp or 72bhp from 1360cc and 90bhp from 1580cc.

Resolutely modern and packed with appealing features, BX was a major commercial success, selling more than 2,337,000 units before production finally ended in June 1994. As one of Citroën's best-selling cars, BX undoubtedly contributed to the revival of the Citroën brand in the 1980s.