In 1980, some five
years after Robert
Opron had left Citroën for Renault, the
Bureau d'Etudes, under the direction of Jean
Giret, turned from the soon to be launched BX and concentrated
its energies on working on a replacement for
the CX.
This
task was undertaken without the knowledge or
approval of Xavier Karcher and therefore
without any formal design brief.
The basis on which
Giret's team operated was a re-dimensioned CX
and the car was fitted with a two piece
tailgate allowing a classic boot or hatchback
configuration as desired. Frontal
treatment was not dissimilar to that of the
BX.
Peugeot had made
it clear to Citroën that the CX was to be the
last "quirky" Citroën. When Art
Blakeslee discovered this model, he ordered it
to be destroyed - and PSA then imposed its
personnel in the Bureau at Vélizy.
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