If you didn't have a Citroen?

[CitroJim]

Shame, untaxed since 2008. And thats unliecenced.. NOT SORN..

I know It got written off six weeks after I sold it to a 205 enthusiast...

Got squashed by a runaway dustcart

[citroenxm]

I remember the press title.. "The Diesel that thinks its a GTi"

And the unofficial one:

"The Diesel that gives the GTi a bloody nose"

Honestly, they did. their acceleration was unbelievable for a diesel... And their top speed was not that slow either...

Apocryphal perhaps but there's been tales of the police letting 205D owners off speeding fines because they just could not believe they could go so fast..

One, when the 205D was relatively new, concerned a 'pull' on the motorway for doing 103mph. The coppers let the driver off because they doubted any 1.7 normally aspirated diesel could pull that kind of speed; they thought their kit was off-calibration..

Those of us who've owned them know different....

I learent to drive in two 205D N/a ... An S1 D reg Derv and a 1992 K reg Derv..

After I passed, in the D reg, which was mums at the time, I passed 105mph too.... didnt get caught.

The 205 was the ONLY small car that rode like a Grown Up! The engineering in that car was second to none! One of a few if any small cars I do like...

[russ92xmsed]

That is impressive for a Diesel. No wonder PSA got a good rep for them.
205's were light though, weren't they, so that must have helped. Insurers nightmare....difficult to fix body shop wise anyway. Thin panels.

Our neighbours have a very basic 205 three door. Must try and snap it, post it up.

Oh know Jim. What a shame.

[CitroJim]

I had a couple of 405s Russ. A 1988 GRD (1.9 N/A) and a 1995 GLX TD.

I used to get a good, consistent 53mpg from the GRD. It was not that lively but lively enough but the TD was in a different league...

Utterly brilliant cars. Loved them to bits. I was after a 406 when I couldn't find one and found a Xantia instead. Xantia and 406 share the same platform like the 405 and the BX do.

[citroenxm]

Yes Russ, thats the thing, VERY light weight, and NOT too good in an accident. Then, not much was in the 80's anyway...

The weight had a lot to say for its performance, even the petrol small engines with 4 gears do a nice mpg..

[citroenxm]

The 405 was the only PSA car to recive all engines...

Mk.1 had the 1.9 N/a D, plus the 1.8 TD engine, then phase two, still had the 1.9 n.a, but also then recived the 1.9 td engine. Plus all the useual rubbish petrol 8v engines. 405 even got the Mi 16v engine. My mate had a Series 1 16v and a S2 16v 405...

[russ92xmsed]

Very good Jim, and modern cars are only now matching those sorts of mpg figures now. The 405 was always well received. Nice to look at too! Pinin Farina on a good day! You still see them about, mainly estates, but they are around.

[russ92xmsed]

We're they made in Coventry 405's?

[citroenxm]

Ohhh and.. Seek out the 205 Auto too...

The ONLY model in the range to have a "Bonnet Bulge" ... This was because the car used the XU 8v engine but with a Carb Only.. So to make room for the carb and air cleaner the centre of the bonnet was lifted.

Still with a 4 speed box.. A very nice car! Even Id love one of those!

[CitroJim]

We're they made in Coventry 405's?

Yes, they were. They were British!!!!

Made there along with the 306...

Previously Ryton made the 309 and the last car it made was the 206...