The CX wins hands down for me, stunning looks, amazing ride and handling. My bugbear is when people say that a car (the Golf for example} has sold x million cars. No, they've sold 8 different cars, with the Golf name, each selling a fraction of that overall number. You can't say the Mk1 and the Mk8 are the same car, so can't add their sales together. That's my opinion, anyway.
Correct but better than toyota and their corrolla which went from RWD to FWD and saloon to hatch and changed name to auris inbetween and they still claim its the most produced car, eva
What a wonderful special. More subscribers guaranteed...The CX is a car that was way ahead of it's time. My personal favourite though is the Volvo. This swedish brick has this fascinating aura of undestroyable evelasting life.
CX is fantastic and like you said head of its time. Cant believe its from -74 i mean in mid 80s it was still like spaceship and still far ahead from others.
Absolutely, citroen of the past was always light years in front of their competition. Saying that, who can we compare it to...nobody was close enough in range of pricing. And it's good to show, how backwards the other manufacturers were by comparing directly with them. French manufacturers always seem to pull out something extraordinary every so often Renault's Espace revolutionized family cars, Citroen Berlingo following behind.
I love the hydropneumatic Citroens too, having a C5 Touring HDI 2011. But, people look for different things in a car. The CX have amazing comfort, but it's not a DIY car for most owners, for example. Some people want simple, reliable cars they can feel good by fiddeling on themselves, no fault in that. Being a Swede, i suffer to understand how Volvo could produce cars with such bad winter handling as 140, 240, 740, 760, 940, 960 though. But reliable, they are. And DIY. The fwd 400 series and on were a lot better in winter, so they solved the problem in the end at least. Golf is the biggest success story of them all, but is it really the same car after 8 generations, just because they kept the name? 😊
Absolutely no contest..You could just sit in the CX all day playing with the ball ashtray and be in design heaven, with the 2 lit dash tumblers looking back at you much like the portholes in the Jacques Tati house in ''Mon Oncle'' .......the other 2 are mere transportation.
Volvo for me. It´s good looking, practical and lasts forever. The practicality gives it a certain type of coolness. It is also reasonably easy to maintain compared to the others, spare parts is not a big issue. Is there really a more timeless car design than Volvo 240? What a classic car, 50 years later you still see them being used as daily drivers. A late 240 station wagon for me please, with some nice genuine accessories like alloys, roof rails and arm rest with cup holders.
The CX still looks great today and, unlike the horrible SUVs the Stelantis nameplace Citroen produce today, was completely in keeping with the brand values. Quirky, extraordinary engineering and advanced design. It's a real classic and the car I would choose.
Cx any day, I owned one and thought it was the best car I’ve ever owned. I’ve had Volvo, Mercedes, Renault, Triumph and Cadillac. I loved the CX😂, how quiet it was, the fuel economy and how reliable it was, not to mention the incredible ride comfort. Loved it, loved it, loved it. My only criticism would be that it was slightly underpowered and to compensate I had to play with gear shifting, (which was kind of fun though).
The CX is a thing of beauty and when I think of a classic, the ubiquitousness of the Golf and the utilitarian nature of the Volvo don't quite cut it for me. These things are always personal but I would have to have the Citroen!
I bought my first car in 2022, a 1990 Volvo 240, and still drive it today. Last Summer drove it from Brussels to Valencia and back, like a breeze. This being said, I would like to drive a CX, but the 240 is my comfy motoring pal. Great car.
A pal had a Volvo 240. The steering was surprisingly nice, being uncorrupted and rear wheel driven. It was heavy on the old jungle juice but that wouldn't matter, even nowadays, to retired old gits like myself, as I drive maybe twice weekly at most, to shop or visit a bank. Incidentally, I have a 1997, owned from new Peugeot 306 1.9 TD that has about 86,000 on the odometer and a 1000cc bike for the summer months.
Awesome vid, interesting choice of 3 models. Here in Australia in 74 you local rivals HQ Holden Kingswood n XB Ford Falcon, both great muscle cars with US design input but Australian flavour with sixes n V8 to go with. VJ Chrysler came in 73 also choice of six n V8 n who could forget do or die Leyland P76 also in 73 too with six n V8. I do remember of 3 cars Citroën, VW it was Volvo that sneak into Australian market more suited for luxury buyers then contend with locals, who could forget Volvo in later years racing in Bathurst 1000. Volvo was ahead in design inside n out, safety features. What a part of time in history to be around which such choices to choose from.
Well, my first ever car was a MK1 Golf which I still miss dearly, (and then had a MK2 and Mk3), and I geew up in a series of Volvo 240 saloons and estates, so I have much love for them both.
The Golf was called a Golf in South Africa. Only after Golf Mk II was launched did the Citi Golf get created as a budget Golf alternative. South Africa did the same with the Polo, with an older variant living on as a Vivo. The Vivo is now a top selling model due to it's very keen pricing. The Citi Golf and Vivo where/are similar in concept to what Renault did with the Dacia brand.
I had a year old CX GTi in 1983 and bought a new Volvo 245 GLT in 86. The cx was wonderful, an amazing ride, hugely impressive on long journeys and supremely comfortable. However, it appeared to be made from baking foil and longevity was not its forté. The Volvo just worked.
It's my own car. Believe me, I'm with you on the headlining. A previous owner thought it was funny - personally, I can't abide it and I look up as little as possible. The plan is to burn it as soon as it starts to sag, but it's being stubborn! Too many other jobs on too many other cars to tear it out while it's still stuck in place and I'm wary of going in there with the spray dye.
These are ALL excellent automobiles, and I would be proud to own any of them, but the Citroën CX has that “je ne sais quoi” that simply makes it absolutely unique compared to the other two, and neither of the other two could ever hope to compete with the Citroën on a long journey, or on a bumpy road. The Citroën is the real head turner here.
In South Africa there was a local only version of this car that came out in the 80s called the Citi Golf. We don't call it the Citi Golf, that was just a variant, they came out in red, yellow and blue. Which also had a song with the lyric red yellow and blue. We just call it a Golf
Why the Golf 1 was such a success is beyond me. It was such a rust bucket and faded away more quickly than my Simca. Amazing this advertisement wonder.
And don't forget the 1974 asbestos roof in the background 😊. Love this channel ❤ Congratulations to all of the team for getting to 50k subscribers, it will double by March
The Golf is not in the same league as the Citroen or Volvo. I would have the Citroen no I mean the Volvo I've changed my mind the Citroen. In the end my head ruled my heart- the Volvo.
The CX was a stunning car to drive. And if you got the estate version, it was like driving around with your own barn attached. The boot was cavernous! But what set it apart from everything else was it's stunning suspension. Potholes! What potholes? Manhole covers! What manhole covers? Sleeping policemen! Oh... Wait... Nope! I just hiccupped. What sleeping policemen? As for it being way ahead of its time in 1984. *I think it's still way ahead of it's time now!* It was so good that Even Rolls Royce used Citroens pneumatic suspension system in the 1960's.
Citroen looks like cars from 80's and early 90's. The Citroen is one of brands which created contemporary look of cars. It had to be super cool to drive car which was looking like that in 70's.
Never owned or wanted a Golf but understand the attraction of it; cheap and simple in a 3 or 5 door configuration to get from A to B. Nowadays because of the popularity it turned into a less cheap and not so simple car. Lots of modern gadgets and still in the top 10 sales in most places around the world. Owned 2 CX's, 22TRS and fortunate enough a 25GTI T2. Traded up the TRS and totaled the GTI. iI always thought that people who owned a 240 back in the day made the proper choice of car without the need to show off. Never owned one but owned 2 S60's and currently an S80. Both models are not very showy but are very comfy and with the right engine quite quick. I guess I just never bought into the German side of the stories. They did have good cars and some were even very good, but they never dinged my dong I guess. My current S80 is the equivalent to a BMW 5 series in size and luxury, It fals short in powerful engines and chassis but it performs as one expects. Who needs more?
Can you believe, near to where I live in Australia, someone put a CX Pallas on marketplace yesterday (the day this video was uploaded) for FREE and it looks in pretty good condition!
The CX for me, but I am a little biased (just a tiny bit, I swear). My parents had a GS when I was about ten years old and that infected me with the Citroën virus for life. I have owned a CX, two XMs and am on my fourth BX now (and had a lot of other cars in between) and nothing comes close to the smoothness of the hydropneumatic suspension. My parents also had a Volvo 144 later and both my brothers had several Golfs which I quite liked, but nothing spoke to me like my Citroëns.
For a long time if you had to name a volvo it would be the 240. Our friends had one and being a car loving kid i loved to swap cars with our friends. It certainly had its own sound and feel. Sounded almost more like a 5 cylinder than a 4. 2.3 i think. I really liked the blue velour seats, very comfy. The boot space of the estate was enormous. It did feel quite old fashioned compared to our BMW 5 series E34.
Growing up an elderly nieghbour had a late 1970s 240 that came out once a week to go shopping and to the post office, a few years later in the early 80s a friend of a friend had an early CX with the single spoke steering wheel and back lit rotating numbers speedo. The CX is amazing but still scarily sophistcated and complicated to most people and prob not very DIY friendly. The Volvo has a tow bar for petrol tanker it needs. The Golf wasn't anything new or revolutionary but the right car at the right time that did everything right.
My choice is a Volvo. CX looks amazing and is full of extraordinary quirks. Golf is perfect small car. Why Volvo? Rear wheel drive, very friendly, reliable. And maybe also because I had 240 GLT in UK, and drove 2 examples of 240 Turbo in Poland. I love RWD cars and 240s handle very well. CX would give me too many troubles and Golf is too small.
The Volvo was the safe choice with its build quality, The Golf would be the every mans choice well made, not too posh and generally a great car, The Cx, I hated this type of car in the 70's and 80's, but Ironically it would be my choice, just like other cars of their time the XJS to name another they were before their time, the CX is better looking, I mean just look at the headliner, it drives better, so the CX would be my choice, Did I just choose a French car?, I am in my mid 50's.
The Volvo was launched as the 244, 245 and 264 (and 242 in some markets). Only some years later did Volvo drop the last digit indicating the number of doors and used a zero instead. The early 242/244/245 cars has a single round headlamp each side in an ugly recessed plastic moulding with slats at the bottom for melted snow to drain through.
The CX stills look fresh and contemporary and very cool and is way more interesting in every way than the other two . Have never owned a golf or a Volvo but have owned six CX's ( including two prestiges ) so i'm complelty bias !! 🤣
Wow! I've owned 2 of them but never a Prestige. I was single back then and the car was already big enough for me and the occasional trips with friends. Always loved the Prestige/ Limousine. Seeing one of those early in the morning, flat on the ground, just wow!
All that history about the Golf but not a word about how VW got the water-cooled engine car. Basically a take over of NSU which in-turn lead to the K70.
In the 60's, 70's and early 80's you would have seen a number of Volvos in eastern Canada, particularly Nova Scotia. The reason being that Volvo had an assembly plant in Nova Scotia building various Volvo cars for the Canadian market, as it was cheaper (on a per unit basis) to do so than pay the import tarriffs. Twas a successful venture, until it was not.
The Volvo is the supreme automotive example of stealth. However the Golf wins hands down - the MK 1 still looks superb (and much better than the MK 2).
In some ways the 240 is the grandson of the 120 series, which became the 140 series, and in 1974 became the 240 ... In some ways the 240 is that strange creature, as a 1970s car, but very much evolved from the 140s and 120s. So the roots go back to the 1950s. To think the series ran till 1993 is pretty amazing. Even today, if I could afford a good example, I would go for a 240 of these three. I had Golf Mk 1a [with the larger rear lights. It was a 1600 Diesel van in Alpine White. To say the least it was nota good one, and put me off VW forever. No corrosion, and a pleasant car to drive, but the parts were very expensive even in the late 1980s. I characterised it as BMW prices [for parts] and BL quality. I had two 240s in between 1998 and 2012. Both great cars that were incredibly reliable. The first cost me nothing in repairs over 40K miles and the second cost me a rear silencer [£44] and I had the rear axle suspension bushes done at 120K miles for £167 for parts and labour. I never had a Citroen. Lovely cars but too complicated, so if you did not have a Citroen specialist fair nearby, then it could have got very expensive for main dealership work. This was a very enjoyable video. Thank you. Best wishes from George
I can't help thinking that VW got lucky and in the right place at thr right time, that said I'd take a chance with the ultra comfy Citroën, having nearly, nearly, bought a BX in 1993. I don't fancy the Volvos' back end moving around like that, and an ex-colleauge told me they murder tyres....
I bought a Golf new in 1977. By mid 79 it had holes in it. Now I drive a Skoda, which has the advantages of VW engineering and economy of scale coupled to Czech design flair and build quality. Of the 3 above, I would have a CX turbo. I had 2 BXs and they were pretty good but the electrics were typically French. The entire loom was one colour - yellow. Nightmare.
It's clear from the comments that classic enthusiasts are far more tolerant of the Citroens "quirks and foibles" now. When they new, they were unreliable, fast rusting and fast depreciating. Compounded by a sparse and unsatisfactory dealer network that poorly maintained and repaired them. Little wonder they were a rare sight anywhere other than France.
It's interesting how relatively modern all three look. If you were to rewind a further 50 years to 1924 everything would look ancient. Of the three, I love the Volvo for it's unbreakable simplicity. The Golf..meh. But it would have to be the Citroen, especially in estate form
Surely a comparison road test between a Volvo 240 series and a Mercedes 200 series needs to be made? I'm surprised nobody has bothered to do that on Top Gear/Grand Tour; testing them to destruction to see which lasts the longest etc... My bet is on the Volvo... And, I'm guessing, it was probably also made with less development budget than the Mercedes...
It's basic design was based on the 1974 car. It was just a little refresh with different bumpers and headlights. From the side it looks the same as those old volvos with the huge bumpers
Was still lower after rising up. I always thought it was dodgy them sitting that low when parked if someone bumped it they will just ride over the bumper and cause a huge amount of unnecessary damage.
@@bobjohnson1587speaking of moose... I'd much rather steer clear of one in a Cx than in the Volvo... After all, the Citroën Xantia did pass the moose test at higher speeds than a Ferrari or Porsche. Still held record not too long ago. 20 years on, it still ranks very high. A Cx with its DIRAVI steering would ensure total control. So there's that. There's footage online : Cx tested, facing Fiat Croma, Audi 100, Merc w124... Cx is BY FAR the safest, fastest of them all.
No wonder that the Golf GL has survived belonging to VW. I had 2 Mk. 1 Golf’s; a 1976 3 door 1588c LS, and a78 GL. The Mk 1 rusted at the top of the front inner wing like my subsequent Mk1 Sirocco’s We had the Mk 2 ; better-built and probably the best overall but like the Sirocco’s ALL subsequent VW’s lost the styling appeal of Guigiaro’s Italian Design. Unfair to compare the older Swedish Tractor as they are known in Sweden and although I looked at the CX Prestige they depreciated like the proverbial Lead Balloon and had no widespread appeal or knowledge within the U.K.. 👍🏻🏴
The Citroen family descended from a grandfather in the Netherlands who had been a greengrocer and seller of tropical fruit, and had taken the surname of Limoenman, Dutch for "lime man"; his son however changed it to Citroen
@mrmarcuscars The Cx had a very long career (17 years) and did evolve. Cosmetic, mainly. 1974 model did drive as that 1988 model. Either model is head and shoulders above the rest.
At least get the correct car. That’s not a mark 1 at all. The mark one and I had one w reg, had round speedo, no rev counter and a totally different dash and much smaller rear lights. That either a facelift or a mark 2. I was so unimpressed by by new to me 3 year old model and it appalling reliability I got rid when the dealer offered me another car, newer and more expensive as an apology. My Golf in around 7 months ownership spent almost all that time at the dealer and I was lent the service managers car! I have never owned another VW in over 40 years and never will!
Why buy an old Golf if you just want a basic car? Buy a new Corolla. Not worthy of a discussion about classic cars. 240 is one of the worst cars I've ever driven. Only car of interest is the Citroen.
Lauding the golf as a brave break with tradition for VW in the presence of any Citroen is ludicrous. The golf technology whilst new to VW is old hat to Citroens of the 40s. Popularity or sales success is almost never the yardstick of excellence so whilst you extoll the rev-counter and simplicity you miss the point of automotive design altogether. Stop evaluating cars like a salesman, all you did was display personal bias of the daft kind.
The CX wins hands down for me, stunning looks, amazing ride and handling.
My bugbear is when people say that a car (the Golf for example} has sold x million cars. No, they've sold 8 different cars, with the Golf name, each selling a fraction of that overall number. You can't say the Mk1 and the Mk8 are the same car, so can't add their sales together. That's my opinion, anyway.
Correct but better than toyota and their corrolla which went from RWD to FWD and saloon to hatch and changed name to auris inbetween and they still claim its the most produced car, eva
What a wonderful special. More subscribers guaranteed...The CX is a car that was way ahead of it's time. My personal favourite though is the Volvo. This swedish brick has this fascinating aura of undestroyable evelasting life.
Gotta love a Volvo! Thanks for watching :)
CX is fantastic and like you said head of its time. Cant believe its from -74 i mean in mid 80s it was still like spaceship and still far ahead from others.
@@bionysos41 this is a later, facelifted version, of course
@ yes i can see clearly that dash is different exterior
Would take the Citroen… 👍😊
For my money the CX is in another league to the other two. Almost feels unfair to let them compete with it!
Not that you're biased... ;)
I agree. Funny to find you here, Rich.
@@ClassicsWorldUK I'd agree and I drive a VW......because the current Citren Van is junk compred to a Transporter
Absolutely, citroen of the past was always light years in front of their competition. Saying that, who can we compare it to...nobody was close enough in range of pricing. And it's good to show, how backwards the other manufacturers were by comparing directly with them. French manufacturers always seem to pull out something extraordinary every so often
Renault's Espace revolutionized family cars, Citroen Berlingo following behind.
I love the hydropneumatic Citroens too, having a C5 Touring HDI 2011.
But, people look for different things in a car. The CX have amazing comfort, but it's not a DIY car for most owners, for example.
Some people want simple, reliable cars they can feel good by fiddeling on themselves, no fault in that.
Being a Swede, i suffer to understand how Volvo could produce cars with such bad winter handling as 140, 240, 740, 760, 940, 960 though. But reliable, they are. And DIY.
The fwd 400 series and on were a lot better in winter, so they solved the problem in the end at least.
Golf is the biggest success story of them all, but is it really the same car after 8 generations, just because they kept the name? 😊
Absolutely no contest..You could just sit in the CX all day playing with the ball ashtray and be in design heaven, with the 2 lit dash tumblers looking back at you much like the portholes in the Jacques Tati house in ''Mon Oncle'' .......the other 2 are mere transportation.
Volvo for me. It´s good looking, practical and lasts forever. The practicality gives it a certain type of coolness. It is also reasonably easy to maintain compared to the others, spare parts is not a big issue. Is there really a more timeless car design than Volvo 240?
What a classic car, 50 years later you still see them being used as daily drivers. A late 240 station wagon for me please, with some nice genuine accessories like alloys, roof rails and arm rest with cup holders.
The CX still looks great today and, unlike the horrible SUVs the Stelantis nameplace Citroen produce today, was completely in keeping with the brand values. Quirky, extraordinary engineering and advanced design. It's a real classic and the car I would choose.
Current stellantis is a tragedy all around. From Citroen to Fiat and Alfa Romeo…. 😢
Cx any day, I owned one and thought it was the best car I’ve ever owned. I’ve had Volvo, Mercedes, Renault, Triumph and Cadillac. I loved the CX😂, how quiet it was, the fuel economy and how reliable it was, not to mention the incredible ride comfort. Loved it, loved it, loved it. My only criticism would be that it was slightly underpowered and to compensate I had to play with gear shifting, (which was kind of fun though).
An ace mile muncher completely unfatiguing
The CX is a thing of beauty and when I think of a classic, the ubiquitousness of the Golf and the utilitarian nature of the Volvo don't quite cut it for me. These things are always personal but I would have to have the Citroen!
The CX still looks modern. The other two, although I like them both, could never be on the same level.
I bought my first car in 2022, a 1990 Volvo 240, and still drive it today. Last Summer drove it from Brussels to Valencia and back, like a breeze. This being said, I would like to drive a CX, but the 240 is my comfy motoring pal. Great car.
Wow that headlining!!!!!
Yahh - not original though 😂.
@@lise1255correct - and going as soon as it sags. A previous owner thought it was hilarious... I don't.
@@matterofapinion 🤣🤣🤣 oh really? - No, I agree - it's a little much too much.
My parents had a 240 Herrgårdsvagn (Estate) and a 244 GL and I would take the CX :)
A pal had a Volvo 240. The steering was surprisingly nice, being uncorrupted and rear wheel driven. It was heavy on the old jungle juice but that wouldn't matter, even nowadays, to retired old gits like myself, as I drive maybe twice weekly at most, to shop or visit a bank. Incidentally, I have a 1997, owned from new Peugeot 306 1.9 TD that has about 86,000 on the odometer and a 1000cc bike for the summer months.
Awesome vid, interesting choice of 3 models. Here in Australia in 74 you local rivals HQ Holden Kingswood n XB Ford Falcon, both great muscle cars with US design input but Australian flavour with sixes n V8 to go with. VJ Chrysler came in 73 also choice of six n V8 n who could forget do or die Leyland P76 also in 73 too with six n V8. I do remember of 3 cars Citroën, VW it was Volvo that sneak into Australian market more suited for luxury buyers then contend with locals, who could forget Volvo in later years racing in Bathurst 1000. Volvo was ahead in design inside n out, safety features. What a part of time in history to be around which such choices to choose from.
Well, my first ever car was a MK1 Golf which I still miss dearly, (and then had a MK2 and Mk3), and I geew up in a series of Volvo 240 saloons and estates, so I have much love for them both.
The Golf was called a Golf in South Africa. Only after Golf Mk II was launched did the Citi Golf get created as a budget Golf alternative. South Africa did the same with the Polo, with an older variant living on as a Vivo. The Vivo is now a top selling model due to it's very keen pricing. The Citi Golf and Vivo where/are similar in concept to what Renault did with the Dacia brand.
Luv’n these characterful old cars so much more than most of the boring fat overcomplicated new crap!!! 👍😊💥
Lovely video; for me the Volvo and also the CX, when that has metal bumpers.
I would love that older CX safari with the metal bumpers.
I had a year old CX GTi in 1983 and bought a new Volvo 245 GLT in 86. The cx was wonderful, an amazing ride, hugely impressive on long journeys and supremely comfortable. However, it appeared to be made from baking foil and longevity was not its forté. The Volvo just worked.
I had a CX Prestige back in the day.
Wonderful cars well before their time.
Great video as a 50 year old myself this year some great cars the Citroen CX Volvo 240 and a VW golf Mk 1
Having owned a CX in 1993…it gets my vote. Wonderful car. HATE the tartan roof lining. Sacrilege!
It's my own car. Believe me, I'm with you on the headlining. A previous owner thought it was funny - personally, I can't abide it and I look up as little as possible.
The plan is to burn it as soon as it starts to sag, but it's being stubborn! Too many other jobs on too many other cars to tear it out while it's still stuck in place and I'm wary of going in there with the spray dye.
@ You are a lucky man to own such a car…enjoy. 👍🏻
CX in a heartbeat ❤
Great way to celebrate 50k. Yours is quality output. Congratulations & keep up the great work, chaps.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
These are ALL excellent automobiles, and I would be proud to own any of them, but the Citroën CX has that “je ne sais quoi” that simply makes it absolutely unique compared to the other two, and neither of the other two could ever hope to compete with the Citroën on a long journey, or on a bumpy road. The Citroën is the real head turner here.
In South Africa there was a local only version of this car that came out in the 80s called the Citi Golf. We don't call it the Citi Golf, that was just a variant, they came out in red, yellow and blue. Which also had a song with the lyric red yellow and blue. We just call it a Golf
CX all day long
Great video!
Thanks!
Why the Golf 1 was such a success is beyond me. It was such a rust bucket and faded away more quickly than my Simca. Amazing this advertisement wonder.
And don't forget the 1974 asbestos roof in the background 😊. Love this channel ❤ Congratulations to all of the team for getting to 50k subscribers, it will double by March
The Golf is not in the same league as the Citroen or Volvo. I would have the Citroen no I mean the Volvo I've changed my mind the Citroen. In the end my head ruled my heart- the Volvo.
The CX was a stunning car to drive. And if you got the estate version, it was like driving around with your own barn attached. The boot was cavernous!
But what set it apart from everything else was it's stunning suspension.
Potholes! What potholes? Manhole covers! What manhole covers? Sleeping policemen! Oh... Wait... Nope! I just hiccupped. What sleeping policemen?
As for it being way ahead of its time in 1984. *I think it's still way ahead of it's time now!*
It was so good that Even Rolls Royce used Citroens pneumatic suspension system in the 1960's.
Citroen looks like cars from 80's and early 90's.
The Citroen is one of brands which created contemporary look of cars.
It had to be super cool to drive car which was looking like that in 70's.
Citroen desperately need to Bring Back the PRN era Dashboard Designs, The Modern Stuff is utterly woeful with very Suspect Power Trains.
Never owned or wanted a Golf but understand the attraction of it; cheap and simple in a 3 or 5 door configuration to get from A to B.
Nowadays because of the popularity it turned into a less cheap and not so simple car. Lots of modern gadgets and still in the top 10 sales in most places around the world.
Owned 2 CX's, 22TRS and fortunate enough a 25GTI T2. Traded up the TRS and totaled the GTI.
iI always thought that people who owned a 240 back in the day made the proper choice of car without the need to show off. Never owned one but owned 2 S60's and currently an S80.
Both models are not very showy but are very comfy and with the right engine quite quick.
I guess I just never bought into the German side of the stories. They did have good cars and some were even very good, but they never dinged my dong I guess.
My current S80 is the equivalent to a BMW 5 series in size and luxury, It fals short in powerful engines and chassis but it performs as one expects. Who needs more?
Golf is only a name...
Can you believe, near to where I live in Australia, someone put a CX Pallas on marketplace yesterday (the day this video was uploaded) for FREE and it looks in pretty good condition!
good show, makes me feel old, lol, and it is kinda like watching James, James, and James.
The CX for me, but I am a little biased (just a tiny bit, I swear). My parents had a GS when I was about ten years old and that infected me with the Citroën virus for life. I have owned a CX, two XMs and am on my fourth BX now (and had a lot of other cars in between) and nothing comes close to the smoothness of the hydropneumatic suspension. My parents also had a Volvo 144 later and both my brothers had several Golfs which I quite liked, but nothing spoke to me like my Citroëns.
For a long time if you had to name a volvo it would be the 240. Our friends had one and being a car loving kid i loved to swap cars with our friends. It certainly had its own sound and feel. Sounded almost more like a 5 cylinder than a 4. 2.3 i think. I really liked the blue velour seats, very comfy. The boot space of the estate was enormous. It did feel quite old fashioned compared to our BMW 5 series E34.
Growing up an elderly nieghbour had a late 1970s 240 that came out once a week to go shopping and to the post office, a few years later in the early 80s a friend of a friend had an early CX with the single spoke steering wheel and back lit rotating numbers speedo. The CX is amazing but still scarily sophistcated and complicated to most people and prob not very DIY friendly. The Volvo has a tow bar for petrol tanker it needs. The Golf wasn't anything new or revolutionary but the right car at the right time that did everything right.
My choice is a Volvo. CX looks amazing and is full of extraordinary quirks. Golf is perfect small car. Why Volvo? Rear wheel drive, very friendly, reliable. And maybe also because I had 240 GLT in UK, and drove 2 examples of 240 Turbo in Poland. I love RWD cars and 240s handle very well. CX would give me too many troubles and Golf is too small.
Volvo 240 is legendary and the only one still on the road in any number
I really like the CX, and I really like the Golf, but without a moment's hesitation I'd take the 240.
Volvo all day long.golf boring Citroen nice but complicated volvo nice look and reliable
CX definitely, just not in that spec. Maybe a steel bumper GTi or Prestige or even a turbo.... Let's make it a Prestige!
Limousine for proper mpg.
Which of the 3 I would take home? The Volvo, any day!
The Volvo was the safe choice with its build quality, The Golf would be the every mans choice well made, not too posh and generally a great car, The Cx, I hated this type of car in the 70's and 80's, but Ironically it would be my choice, just like other cars of their time the XJS to name another they were before their time, the CX is better looking, I mean just look at the headliner, it drives better, so the CX would be my choice, Did I just choose a French car?, I am in my mid 50's.
VW wasn't the first with that concept. Renault 5 was launched in 1972. But the design was just spot on.
The Volvo was launched as the 244, 245 and 264 (and 242 in some markets). Only some years later did Volvo drop the last digit indicating the number of doors and used a zero instead. The early 242/244/245 cars has a single round headlamp each side in an ugly recessed plastic moulding with slats at the bottom for melted snow to drain through.
Can nobody describe or say "Citroen" without saying "quirky" (doh!)
The Citroen is just the best car of the three.
Not entirely sure I did - I hate it as much as you do.
I'd take the Golf, as I like compact hatches. Was the CX formerly owned by Sir Jackie Stewart? 😁👍
A previous owner thought the headlining was funny. It's going as soon as it starts to sag, but it's being stubborn...
@@matterofapinion I think it looks great. Much better than the usual boring headliners.
@@dandare1001 as soon as it sags, a black one is going back in.
Same year i was born 50 year's ago
Happy 50th!
@@ClassicsWorldUK Thanks my birthday was in January
Depends on whether I wanted an occasional car - or one to drive daily for the next 30 years. VOLVO for the long term car.
CX obviously.
I have got a 2400 Prestige in the shed. Not a runner, it is a CX after all 😂
CX for me, Volvo second. Had far too many breakdowns in C(sh)ITI Golfs for it to even be a consideration.
The CX stills look fresh and contemporary and very cool and is way more interesting in every way than the other two . Have never owned a golf or a Volvo but have owned six CX's ( including two prestiges ) so i'm complelty bias !! 🤣
Wow! I've owned 2 of them but never a Prestige. I was single back then and the car was already big enough for me and the occasional trips with friends. Always loved the Prestige/ Limousine. Seeing one of those early in the morning, flat on the ground, just wow!
All that history about the Golf but not a word about how VW got the water-cooled engine car. Basically a take over of NSU which in-turn lead to the K70.
CX for me, but where have they all gone….
Owned a 164, mk2….but always wanted a cx
In the 60's, 70's and early 80's you would have seen a number of Volvos in eastern Canada, particularly Nova Scotia. The reason being that Volvo had an assembly plant in Nova Scotia building various Volvo cars for the Canadian market, as it was cheaper (on a per unit basis) to do so than pay the import tarriffs. Twas a successful venture, until it was not.
The Volvo is the supreme automotive example of stealth. However the Golf wins hands down - the MK 1 still looks superb (and much better than the MK 2).
In some ways the 240 is the grandson of the 120 series, which became the 140 series, and in 1974 became the 240 ...
In some ways the 240 is that strange creature, as a 1970s car, but very much evolved from the 140s and 120s. So the roots go back to the 1950s. To think the series ran till 1993 is pretty amazing.
Even today, if I could afford a good example, I would go for a 240 of these three. I had Golf Mk 1a [with the larger rear lights. It was a 1600 Diesel van in Alpine White. To say the least it was nota good one, and put me off VW forever. No corrosion, and a pleasant car to drive, but the parts were very expensive even in the late 1980s. I characterised it as BMW prices [for parts] and BL quality.
I had two 240s in between 1998 and 2012. Both great cars that were incredibly reliable. The first cost me nothing in repairs over 40K miles and the second cost me a rear silencer [£44] and I had the rear axle suspension bushes done at 120K miles for £167 for parts and labour.
I never had a Citroen. Lovely cars but too complicated, so if you did not have a Citroen specialist fair nearby, then it could have got very expensive for main dealership work.
This was a very enjoyable video. Thank you.
Best wishes from George
That golf sits much higher than original ever did. New show?
None of my 240's were that thirsty
The CX is a Series 2 and not from 1974.
The Citroën and the Volvo are both second and last generation cars displayed here, NOT from 1974 but 1986-89.
VW Golf 1974
Nize .. have 92 240 now .. love the Citroën .. but for Florida the VW world be repaired easier .
I wish you did not cut the CX startup and levelling.
That's what real choice is about👆🏻 Not same old sh@t like US cars of 1974.
I can't help thinking that VW got lucky and in the right place at thr right time, that said I'd take a chance with the ultra comfy Citroën, having nearly, nearly, bought a BX in 1993. I don't fancy the Volvos' back end moving around like that, and an ex-colleauge told me they murder tyres....
I bought a Golf new in 1977. By mid 79 it had holes in it. Now I drive a Skoda, which has the advantages of VW engineering and economy of scale coupled to Czech design flair and build quality. Of the 3 above, I would have a CX turbo. I had 2 BXs and they were pretty good but the electrics were typically French. The entire loom was one colour - yellow. Nightmare.
Cx any day. Those other 2 just don't stand a chance..
Vw and Volvo look old. Cx still lools awesome.
Astoued
1984
It's clear from the comments that classic enthusiasts are far more tolerant of the Citroens "quirks and foibles" now. When they new, they were unreliable, fast rusting and fast depreciating. Compounded by a sparse and unsatisfactory dealer network that poorly maintained and repaired them. Little wonder they were a rare sight anywhere other than France.
Pity you have chosen a second series model introduced only in 1985. A first series car would better fit your title
It's interesting how relatively modern all three look. If you were to rewind a further 50 years to 1924 everything would look ancient.
Of the three, I love the Volvo for it's unbreakable simplicity. The Golf..meh. But it would have to be the Citroen, especially in estate form
MK1 GTI 1.8 Campaign lhasa Green please!
From those three? VW, and that without hesitation. Back then, a German car was indeed a German car.
Surely a comparison road test between a Volvo 240 series and a Mercedes 200 series needs to be made? I'm surprised nobody has bothered to do that on Top Gear/Grand Tour; testing them to destruction to see which lasts the longest etc... My bet is on the Volvo... And, I'm guessing, it was probably also made with less development budget than the Mercedes...
CX alla dagar
That Volvo is not from 1974. It’s from 1988.
It's basic design was based on the 1974 car. It was just a little refresh with different bumpers and headlights. From the side it looks the same as those old volvos with the huge bumpers
The top of the CX headlights comes up to the level of the Volvo's bumper. I know it has hydro suspension but even so... 😳
Was still lower after rising up. I always thought it was dodgy them sitting that low when parked if someone bumped it they will just ride over the bumper and cause a huge amount of unnecessary damage.
@@chrishart8548 Let alone if you hit a moose! Yikes! lol
@bobjohnson1587 lots of larger cars had a tendency to be lower. Almost a good reason to have an suv they must perform better hitting a moose
@@chrishart8548 Volvos were designed for hitting mooses - or is that meese? lol
@@bobjohnson1587speaking of moose... I'd much rather steer clear of one in a Cx than in the Volvo...
After all, the Citroën Xantia did pass the moose test at higher speeds than a Ferrari or Porsche. Still held record not too long ago. 20 years on, it still ranks very high. A Cx with its DIRAVI steering would ensure total control. So there's that. There's footage online : Cx tested, facing Fiat Croma, Audi 100, Merc w124...
Cx is BY FAR the safest, fastest of them all.
Volvo come 1975
The Volvo diff drone made the mid section of this video unwatchable
No wonder that the Golf GL has survived belonging to VW. I had 2 Mk. 1 Golf’s; a 1976 3 door 1588c LS, and a78 GL. The Mk 1 rusted at the top of the front inner wing like my subsequent Mk1 Sirocco’s We had the Mk 2 ; better-built and probably the best overall but like the Sirocco’s ALL subsequent VW’s lost the styling appeal of Guigiaro’s Italian Design. Unfair to compare the older Swedish Tractor as they are known in Sweden and although I looked at the CX Prestige they depreciated like the proverbial Lead Balloon and had no widespread appeal or knowledge within the U.K.. 👍🏻🏴
As is said in video, none of these examples are close to 1974 models
Volvo wins easy :)
Citron is french for lemon 🙄🙄
The Citroen family descended from a grandfather in the Netherlands who had been a greengrocer and seller of tropical fruit, and had taken the surname of Limoenman, Dutch for "lime man"; his son however changed it to Citroen
It’s got to be an Austin Allegro for me - launched the same year 😉😊
@trevorsanders Except it's spelt Citroën🙄🙄
You could at least test cars from the same year. The Volvo and the Citroen you test are very different from the 1974 year models.
@mrmarcuscars The Cx had a very long career (17 years) and did evolve. Cosmetic, mainly. 1974 model did drive as that 1988 model. Either model is head and shoulders above the rest.
74???? Thought the citroen was mid 80's
@capanema-0 Cx was launched in September 1974. That model in the footage is a later one - 1988. Cx had a 17 year run.
seen a couple citroen gti turbo here in norway. semi rusted and shit for like 1,5k euro
these aren't all 1974 models years the CX is a phase II the 1974 volvo wasn't as round as this one
Series 1... series 2... major update was made on the aesthetic. That 1988 Cx model isn't too far off the launch model
At least get the correct car. That’s not a mark 1 at all. The mark one and I had one w reg, had round speedo, no rev counter and a totally different dash and much smaller rear lights. That either a facelift or a mark 2.
I was so unimpressed by by new to me 3 year old model and it appalling reliability I got rid when the dealer offered me another car, newer and more expensive as an apology. My Golf in around 7 months ownership spent almost all that time at the dealer and I was lent the service managers car!
I have never owned another VW in over 40 years and never will!
Definitely not a mark 2. I think it is mark 1 facelift.
Why buy an old Golf if you just want a basic car? Buy a new Corolla. Not worthy of a discussion about classic cars. 240 is one of the worst cars I've ever driven. Only car of interest is the Citroen.
Lauding the golf as a brave break with tradition for VW in the presence of any Citroen is ludicrous. The golf technology whilst new to VW is old hat to Citroens of the 40s. Popularity or sales success is almost never the yardstick of excellence so whilst you extoll the rev-counter and simplicity you miss the point of automotive design altogether. Stop evaluating cars like a salesman, all you did was display personal bias of the daft kind.