1982 was a very special car year, because it was the first time we saw these two revolutionary cars.
For Ford, the transition from Taunus to Sierra was enormous.
The same goes for Citroën, which introduced this BX as successor to the GS and GSA.
Back in the day, these two cars were quite modern,
but how do they hold up now, 30 years later?
Even after 30 years, the Citroën BX still looks advanced.
It couldn't be different really, because it was designed by the great Bertone.
Still, the introduction of the BX wasn't an easy process.
The managing board of Citroën hadn't been happy with their own designs for years, but only employed Bertone in the last stages.
That meant there was a lot of pressure on Bertone.
That's why the BX shows a lot of similarities with other Bertone-design from the time,
like Reliant and Volvo.
The BX also is a typical car of its time, a time where designers were focussing on aerodynamics.
With a Cw-value of 0,34, the BX is a very streamlined car,
whilst being a lot more modern than the GS.
On the technical aspect, Citroën was modernizing as well.
A lot of parts were made of plastic, the BX was fitted with hydropneumatic suspension,
and it consisted of 40 percent less parts than the GS. Quite the revolution...
This is a car, which I was really looking forward to drive.
It's always been a childhood hero.
I love square, sharp-edged cars, and it's quite clear the exterior fits my description.
On the inside however, the story continues.
The dashboard has been designed by Bertone as well.
And of course, those characteristic satellites next to the steering wheel,
and a speedometer in a sort of peephole.
In 1986, that was replaced by round dials and sticks attached to the steering wheel.
But this car was built before the facelift, and it's not just a BX...
This is the special Digit, the digital version.
Just look at it. It's like I'm in Knight Rider.
I've got a digital speedometer, a digital rev counter as well...
It's a really interesting feature, full on eighties.
What I really like however, is the fact that above those digital dials,
the odometer and the day counter are just analogue dials...
Back then Citroën impressed the public by stating the BX...
wouldn't spend more than two hours a year in a garage for maintenance.
In the end, That number was a little higher...
The BX was available with all kinds of engines. The engine range varied from a 1.1-litre to a 1.9-litre, petrol and diesel.
The top range consisted of the Sport, the GTi and the 4TC. That special homologation-model,
which was powered by a 2.1-litre turbocharged engine, producing 200 horsepower.
This actually is a 1.9 Sport, in a slightly different trim.
A Digit. It's got a 1.9-litre in the front, producing 102 horsepower.
That should get it to 185 km/h. 0-100 should take exactly ten seconds.
So yeah, it's quite a sporty car.
Of course, 102 horsepower isn't groundbreaking,
but it's still quick enough to go with the daily traffic flow.
If you combine that with that typical Citroën-handling, that hydropneumatic suspension with spheres
It's super comfortable, and that comfort is helped by the incredibly soft seats.
They're almost like armchairs in which you can hang. It's really relaxed and the drive is very comfortable.
I'm very fond of the steering, because it's a tad to direct and abrupt.
Changing gears is very smooth though. It's fitted with a 5-speed manual.
It really is French comfort to its fullest extent.
From 1982 to 1994, over 3.2 million BX's were built and sold.
125.000 of which were sold in the Netherlands, and that means the BX still is the best selling Citroën in the Netherlands.
Nowadays, they are pretty rare. The same goes for the Ford Sierra.
150.000 of them were sold in the Netherlands.
The Sierra also hit the right note with the eighties-audience, even though it wasn't love at first sight.
The Sierra's design wasn't loved immediately. For Ford's standards, it was quite a bold design.
Also, the Taunus was still available back then, and Ford released the Orion for traditional buyers as well.
So it did take quite the effort for the salesmen to win new customers for the Sierra, but in the end, it all worked out.
Back in the day, you had quite a big list of options to choose from as a Sierra-buyer.
There was a 3-door, a 5-door, a station wagon, 4-cylinders, a V6, turbocharged engines,
four-wheel drive, and of course the iconic RS500 Cosworth with that huge rear wing.
Which was a project from Dutchman Harm Lagaaij, but that's something for another time.
Also, in South Africa you could get a V8 in your Sierra.
We're not driving a V8 today though. It's just a injected 2.0-litre 4-cylinder producing 116 horsepower.
It's a Ghia, and together with the XR4 and later the XR4x4,
it's the most luxurious trim available. You can recognize it by the big, rectangular headlights.
Less luxurious versions were fitted with almost square headlights.
And if I look around me, and when I compare everything with the BX...
It all feels a little more robust in here. The dashboard is a tad higher.
It almost resembles boxes stacked on top of each other, but it looks good.
It's aimed at the driver, the ergonomics are way better than the BX's,
where shape goes before function...
It isn't very exciting or something, but it's very solid.
And I have to say, after 30 years, it still looks pretty good.
Even though the Sierra's design was quite revolutionary, it was a familiar sight underneath the skin.
The Sierra was a rear-wheel drive car, in a time where a lot of other manufacturers switched to front-wheel drive.
Rear drum brakes, and because of its rear-wheel drive,
many Sierra's met their faith on a sort of racing, or drifting class on a circuit or something.
And if you look back on that now, that's too bad...
Like I said before, it's a 2.0-litre injection producing 116 horsepower.
It's a tad more powerful than the BX, but it's also heavier so the performance is about the same.
Flat out it'll do 190 km/h, and it does 0-100 in ten seconds.
It does feel a little sharper though. I'm driving in fourth gear now,
and if I put my foot down, it catches up very quickly from low revs.
So when it comes to driving, it feels more like a car.
It feels more robust. Gear shifts are also smooth,
it's fitted with a five-speed manual as well. Steering is very precise, not as nervous as the BX.
The chassis is surprisingly comfortable.
You might think a BX is very comfortable, because that's a well known fact.
But this Sierra really has a smooth suspension. I might even go as far as saying that it's even more comfortable than the BX.
On long journeys that is. It's really comfortable.
So that leaves us with the question 'which one?'
Would it be the Sierra or the BX?
If I had to pick one as my daily driver, for doing a lot of kilometres, I'd choose the Sierra.
It just feels a little bit more grown up, it's a tad more comfortable...
For a car from 1986, its drive is still quite surprising. It still feels good, good enough to go with the traffic flow nowadays.
The BX might not be as refined, but if I'm honest, I really think it's such a cool car.
It's a beautiful design, even after all those years.
It really appeals to your imagination, and that's what it's all about in a classic car or a youngtimer.
You don't buy one because it's supposedly better than the other one, but because it makes your heart race.
And with the BX, my heart races just a tad faster than with the Sierra...