Xms of the world

[robert_e_smart]

Hi Folks,

I have recently received a request from a Dutch XM magazine who are doing a feature on "XMs of the World". If you continue reading you will find out much much more!

Hi Robert,

I am one of the editors of “Ambiance Extrême” the magazine of the Citroën XM Club Nederland. We are running a series of articles called “XMs of the World”. For your reference I have enclosed a PDF copy of issue 54, pages 4 and 5 of which show an article about XMs in Austria. Now my question to you would be whether you want to cooperate on a similar article about XMs in the UK. If you prefer that I contact somebody else in the Citroën Car Club Ltd, could you please provide that person’s contact details?

If you want to cooperate on the article, we could proceed in two ways: by telephone or by e-mail, whichever you prefer. In both cases, I’d propose that we try to cover the below list of questions:

About the XM:
- How many new XMs were sold in the UK?

- How many XMs are still present in the UK?

- How was the XM received by the press and by the public?

- How is the XM currently being perceived by motorists? What kind or reactions do XM drivers get?

- What is the status of the XM in the Citroën scene?

- Are UK XM’s mainly being used as daily drivers or for cruising on sunny days?

- How difficult is it to keep XMs on the road?

About the club (probably both for the CCC in general and for the XM section in particular):
- When was the club founded, what is the history?

- How many members do you have?

- What does the club offer its members?

- Do you have any plans for the future?

- What is the relation between CCC and http://www.club-xm?

About meetings:
- What kind of activities do you organise?

- How many participants do those activities attract?

- How is the athmosphere?

- How would you describe the past ICCCR from the point of view of the UK XM community?

About photographs:
- Are there any photographs you would like to illustrate the article?

- Who are the photographers?


In advance, thank you very much for your reaction!

Best regards,
Rens Korevaar

So in an effort to send a reply to the Dutch magazine I am welcoming all contributions, opinions and snippets of information for an article. Feel free to post in this thread, send me a PM, or an E-mail to the usual address in the Citroenian. Recently we had a lot of discussion about magazine road test features on the XM when it was launched, and Matthew T kindly scanned a copy of one of the very early road tests that he bought from e-bay.

If all goes to feature on Japan will be attached. Captain Haddock should have no problem reading it

Thanks in advance.

Robert

[andmcit]

Crumbs, there's mountains of column inches to cover for these questions/themes:
two pages seem a bit mean and wholy inadequate...

[robert_e_smart]

I'm happy to dedicate a lot more column inches to the subjects than a couple of pages.

As an aside, many of our members are not from the UK and Ireland. I open this invitation to you also. I know we have had some posts from Turkey, Slovenia, Romania, Serbia and Estonia to name but a few.

[russ92xmsed]

Very interesting. I would love a copy of this once published. Might need to learn to read dutch however.

[andmcit]

I really can't see how anything of any real substance or depth describing our
relationship with the UK Xm can even hope to scratch the surface in x2 pages
and I'm wearing my hat as a graphic designer when I consider the inclusion of
photos, captions and titles/intro. Yes it would be great to go on about the Xm's
best years at the start and the probable UK sensitive poor earthing thanks to
our inclement (rubbish) climate and then highlight how only around 1100 are still
alive now etc etc and yet already I've gone on for a whole paragraph which must
account for a good portion of copy already - is this going to be in tiny point size!!?

What does the article already published and mentioned as a pdf look/read like?

[robert_e_smart]

I have no idea what it says in the Dutch text. Perhaps Japp could run his over it for us some time.

[russ92xmsed]

Good point Andrew.
If you do it, you get as much info and pics in there as possible. Two pages...never enough!...we need more!

[Rommel]

I have to agree- 5 pages or thereabouts would probably make an interesting read. A 2 page article seems merely to be a morsel, an appetiser, with no room for anything substansive.
However, perhaps it should be pointed out that nowhere in the message does it say that the article would be restricted to 2 pages, merely that the Austrian XM feature was that length. We can but hope....!

[captainhaddock]

The Dutch magazine is of great quality. The Dutch XM club spends the biggest part of their income into the magazine. Rens Korevaar is an ace in the Dutch citroen world. Didn't read the Japanese input yet. Let me know if translation is needed.

[andmcit]

I'm not trying to criticise the magazine whatsoever. I'm just anxious that a great opportunity to highlight to fellow
foreign Xm enthusiasts our collective experience with our RHD Xm's that may be identical/opposite (who knows?).
There's so much ground to cover like the DIRAVI, the emphasis on differing market specifications/trim levels, the
various pitfalls not anticipated in differing markets/climates whatever yet unheard of there etc etc.

I believe we are one of the counrties where there's a strong unique love for Xm's and especially the higher spec models
where our continental cousins seem to have more restricted options and this alone could highlight some genuinely
interesting contrasts. It's also worth considering the general as well as enthusiast owner's attitudes as this will be different
too from other markets where Citroen has/had a stronger natural reputation. There again, is a whole avenue to describe
and illustrate (with or without pickled eggs...).

If a very compelling feature is presented, it could very well survive the editor's cut, who knows. I'd forgotten too,
that Dutch is a more compact language than English even from designing literature for that market!