Wednesday 19th December 2012

Adieu, vieil ami...

...or 'goodbye, old friend', in real money. Shed a tear: the last big Citroen is on its way out.

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Most of the time, the passing of a big saloon doesn’t really raise an eyebrow at PH Towers. But today is different. Today is the last day the Citroen C6 will be produced. And as we all enjoy a large, wafty Citroen, we thought that was worthy of a moment to pause and reflect.

Lignage concept previewed dramatic styling

Big Citroens have never been driver’s cars, but that hasn’t stopped them from being seriously cool. The C6 was no different. Its dramatic styling had first been previewed by the Lignage concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 1999; six years later, it emerged as a production model, virtually unchanged. With its Hydractive III suspension, enormous armchairs and selection of torquey engines matched to automatic gearboxes, it was clear from the start that this was a car designed first and foremost to relax and cosset, rather than to deliver the last word in driving exhilaration. And that made it a refreshing change from the usual attempts at faux-sportiness so prevalent among the German competition.

Unsurprisingly, though, the C6 sold slowly here in the UK, with many buyers deterred by the prospect of the usual big French car problem: depreciation. As well they may have been; the only C6 for sale in the PH Classifieds has already taken a hefty hit, and is unlikely to stop there. Eventually, Citroen had to face facts, and the C6 was pulled from the UK market back in May. After struggling on for a few more months in its home market, it seems the big Cit has finally been laid to rest completely.

It seems unlikely that there’ll be a true successor. Citroen says that the DS5 is about as close as we’re going to get – but that’s half the car the C6 was, with conventional steel springs and a confused character as a result. And with the appetite for big French cars seemingly at its lowest ebb ever, even in the home market, it looks like the C6 will be the last in a long line of big, effortlessly comfortable French saloons. Quel dommage, truly.

[MagicalTrevor]

There's something about these that I really love! So quirky and a bit ugly-beautiful

[dbanes]

Cool car, but I never saw one on the road here.

[MagicalTrevor]

dbanes said:

Cool car, but I never saw one on the road here.

Seen one. Well actually my Wife spotted it and excited commented along the lines of "there's one of those rare Citroens, I quite like it".

She's a keeper

[Darren61]

I've only ever seen a handful on the roads and they actually have a great presence. It is a shame but clearly that market doesn't exist like it used to, although VW still produce the Phaeton etc so maybe we will see a re-incarnation in the not too distant future.

I'd love to just be a passenger in one to try the "famed" comfort levels!

[Garlick]

Driven a few of these and it's one of the few cars where I'd choose the diesel over the petrol as it suits the car so much better.

I'm a big fan, will definitely own one at some point.

[Dazed & Confused]

If I won the lottery I'd buy this car in a heartbeat as a daily driver.

Nothing to do with how much the car costs, but I'd then be able to buy a house with a driveway big enough to park it on!

Unfortunately, I don't think parallel parking one of those into a space a Fiat 500 has just squeezed out of is that practical.

[71tuscan]

One of the last 'honest' cars, along with the Defender, Elise, Corvette and Phantom

[r11co]

71tuscan said:

One of the last 'honest' cars, along with the Defender, Elise, Corvette and Phantom

What a superb description.

Makes even more sense when you consider all the cars that you didn't mention - all those "faux sporty", faux quality, faux exclusivity German things.

[ChasW]

Saw one of these draw up alongside the London bus I was travelling in the other day. Same colour scheme as the one in the article. I have to say it had quite a presence in a way that 5 series and E class don't anymore IMHO.

[JulesV]

Lovely cars, sad to see them come to an end.

Am i correct in thinking that all Citroens now have conventional suspension? A great shame if so, one of my earliest childhood memories was being sick in my uncle's DS.

[80's Classic]

My mate's dad has one. In fact he's had a couple. Just wafts along.

Lovely car.

[spookalilly]

I saw one of these on the M5 the other week, I almost fell out of my seat. Metallic green though? Surely classic black. Lovely.

[Chicane-UK]

They seem to look a lot nicer in the metal than in pictures. One used to live near to my old house and I always thought it looked superb parked on the drive!

[Dazed & Confused]

Darren61 said:

I'd love to just be a passenger in one to try the "famed" comfort levels!

Have you been in any of the older big Citroens, e.g. CX, XM, etc.? Even 25 years ago the ride comfort was incredible - you could hardly believe you were driving on the same road as everyone else! It's very much like that, just in a more modern surrounding, and less wallowy in corners!

It's such a shame that British company car drivers dismiss comfort (I mean if I was spending 5 hours a day in a car, why on earth would I want to be comfortable?), and insist on the most unsuitable vehicles for our roads - thereby killing off excellent, and far more suitable, cars like this.

They 'need' sport suspension with 1mm of travel on their 116d, so they can 'feel' the road. Every pot hole, bump and crumbling surface. But then they can at least bore the inevitable chiropractor with how great their car's time would be on the 'ring....

Edited by Dazed & Confused on Wednesday 19th December 11:59

[Hellbound]

I too like to think 'one day...I'll have one'.

Won't happen of course.

But then, if everyone who claimed to want to own one actually bloody bought one, it wouldn't be special.

[chrisw1991]

Sad to see it go, I've always had a thing for Citroen's they always went against the norm, although like others have said I can't remember the last time I saw one, I thought they had stopped making them a while back in fact.

[Garlick]

Just one for sale on PH: http://used.ph/WopMed

[Scrof]

JulesV said:

Lovely cars, sad to see them come to an end.

Am i correct in thinking that all Citroens now have conventional suspension? A great shame if so, one of my earliest childhood memories was being sick in my uncle's DS.

Not quite, but very nearly. The top models of C5 are still available with LHM in their veins, but they're a dying breed.

[topalwaysdown]

I saw one just last week and was thinking I hadn't seen one for quite a while, really stood out in the town centre, massive head turner for me. I love them.

Strangely coincidentally there was a DS5 about five cars back, still a bit of an out of the ordinary choice but had nowhere near the same effect as the C6!

[Amirhussain]

Always liked the C6, great looks, only seen 2 though on the road.