At $7,500, Is This 1991 Citroën BX An Oddly-Good Bargain?
Few small cars are quite as eclectic as today’s Nice Price or No Dice Citroën. Let’s see if this private-party import is priced to let our freak flag fly.Phantoms seem to hold high value as pop culture points of reference. Whether a superhero, a menace from long, long ago, and far, far away, or the vexing apparitions of a Dean Koontz novel, spooky specters are all over the place. We had our own yesterday, in the form of a 2006 Rolls-Royce Phantom. That uber-luxury barge had a claimed 7,800 miles under its tires and offered a severely depreciated $105,000 asking price. That still proved too scary for most, as its 71 percent No Dice loss proved the Rolls didn’t stand a ghost of a chance.Today, we’re trading yesterday’s posh for punk, and we’re going to shift our focus from Goodwood to the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of western France, where our candidate car, a 1991 Citroën BX 19 TZi was built by sub-contracter car builder, Heuliez.Citroën introduced the BX in 1982 in replacement of the GSA as the company’s mid-size market entry. The initial five-door hatchback featured a standout design by Bertone’s Marcello Gandini, most notable for its hidden grille nose and spatted rear wheels.As a cost-saving measure, that unique design was underpinned by a platform shared with the Peugeot 405, although with certain Citroën-exclusive features such as hydropneumatic self-leveling for the suspension and some funky switchgear on the dash. The BX proved very successful for Citronën, with over 2.3 million built from its 1982 introduction to its 1994 demise. The hatchbacks were built at three different PSA plants throughout the BX’s model run. The estate version, however, was exclusive to Carrosserie Heuliez.Having never been sold in the U.S. in any form whatsoever makes this BX stand out as a private import. That’s made possible by the federal government’s 25-Year rule and the fact that Texas doesn’t require anything other than a mechanical inspection for registration.The seller doesn’t say when or why this BX ended up in the Lone Star state, but they note in the ad that they possess the title and that the car has been used as their daily driver. That has resulted in 135,000 miles and, amazingly, no present issues. Being the 19 TZi means this has the top-of-the-line 1905 cc PSA inline-four, and that’s fitted with Bosch fuel injection. So equipped, the mill is good for 121 horsepower and 169 lb-ft of torque, which is routed to the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Not all that bad for a car that tips the scales at just about 2,500 pounds.Aesthetically, the little wagon appears to be in decent condition in terms of its age and gallic origins. The seller notes that the blue paint is not original and calls it 7/10 for its presentation. At least the respray extended to the door jambs, so it doesn’t look too janky. The ’90s-futuristic wheels also seem to be in good nick.The cabin is more of the same, with decent-appearing cloth upholstery and plastics. As a nod to Citroën heritage, this edition does come with a one-spoke steering wheel. Being this far along in the model run, though, it has a more mainstream dash and IP than the earlier cars. According to the ad, it comes with a fresh service, new tires, and an HVAC system that both cools and heats effectively. The asking price is $7,500.What’s your take on this oddball opportunity and that $7,500 asking? Is that a fair deal on an appreciably rare—and arguably interesting—little car? Or is that too much to—as the artist formerly known as Prince once said—“Go Crazy?”You decide!Facebook Marketplace out of New Waverly, Texas, or go here if the ad disappears.Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up via email and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.
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