Citroën ZX

The Citroën ZX was born with the intention of making a car that could be inserted in all respects into the C segment of the automobile market. Indeed, it was in 1986 that the N2 project was initiated, aimed at creating a new, true C-segment car. To sift through more possibilities, the design of the car was entrusted not only to the in-house Style Center, but also to Bertone. The latter, soon proposed a very angular first prototype whose lines were discarded as a solution for this car, but would be taken up again very soon for the flagship XM. Meanwhile, at the Citroën Style Center in Vélizy, the team led by Italian Donato Coco created two models that in their lines were very reminiscent of the Fiat Tipo. But before long, the lines were evolved to result in almost definitive prototypes. This was done in collaboration with Bertone, to whom is attributed the stylistic authorship of the future “medium” Citroën. This led to 1990, when the car’s final name was made known: ZX. To prove the car’s validity to the public, even before its official presentation, a few Citroën ZX examples were entered in some rally races on African soil and in Spain. Here, where the tracks are nothing short of grueling, the ZX Rallye-Raid (that was the name given to the ZXs transformed for such competitions) was able to achieve in 1990 the first of a long series of victories. The Citroën ZX’s styling was actually rather anonymous and perhaps did not do justice to a model that probably would have deserved more, if only for being the first real Citroën able to take on the overpowering Golf, Escort and even Opel Kadett. The front end featured a smooth grille on either side of which were the two rectangular light clusters. A rather angular side line, characterized by the typical partially fairing rear wheel arches, as in the best tradition of the House. Simplicity of lines also in the tail, where the square-shaped headlights found their place. Simplicity and rationality also in the lines of the dashboard and dashboard, of immediate readability and with instrumentation and controls that in general could be described as easy to identify.