Meet The Owner - Will Hollands-Smith and his Citroen BX 19TRS Mk.2

Will Hollands-Smith is a most determined young man. Owning the only roadworthy BX Mk. 1 Estate in the country was not enough to satisfy his craving for this very fine model. So, he is also the custodian of a 1986 ex-Citroen UK Mk.2 press launch/dealer demonstrator 19TRS. As he explains:

It is one of the very first batch of MK2 BXs ever imported to the UK, all registered by Citroën in Haverfordwest to get the all-important “BX” suffix for a touch of brochure vanity. Citroën UK did the same with the MK1 launch cars, only they were all registered ‘RBX’. I can safely say that I am the only person in the UK to own ‘overlapping’ Mk.1 and Mk.2 BXs (the Mk. 1 on a D and the Mk.2 on a C). They are quite a pair and make for a huge talking point, especially when displayed together at shows. People often ask me if the Mk.2’s reg is personalised due it being almost unheard of to get them on a C and the fact it contains ‘BX’!

Citroën unveiled the Mk. 2 in 1986. Unlike the Mk. 1, it featured analogue instruments. Not every British motoring magazine was enamoured of the earlier ‘Cyclops’ speedometer. The company informed the press that the new fascia was part of a bid to win more conquest sales. Other modifications included self-cancelling indicators and slight changes in that distinctive Marcello Gandini-styled bodywork. The 19TRS cost £8,688, making it quite a bargain compared with £10,169 for a Ford Sierra 1.8 Ghia or £9.281 for a Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8i SRi five-door. As for driving the BX, Will says:

In a word - sublime. As one might expect, it is significantly quicker than the 19RD Estate, but amazingly, the 1.9 petrol XU9 engine, I would say, has torque on par with the XUD diesel unit. Being a 19TRS, it is essentially a Mk .1 19GT in Mk.2 clothing, which means a Solex carb with an automatic choke. As with most auto chokes of that era, it can be a little temperamental, so it is often safer to sit idling for a couple of minutes before setting off!. Once warmed up and on the road, the controls are light and all within easy reach; a somewhat reluctant thanks to the BX’s Peugeot parents on that one. There is no accordion-style main beam switch here, just conventional stalks - shock horror! But the ride from the hydropneumatic suspension is as pothole-defying as you can imagine. However, the odd interior rattle does provide you with a small reminder of the quality of Britain’s roads.

Naturally, the TRS has an interior befitting a Citroën of distinction, Will finds the tweed-upholstered seats “as comfortable and cosy as a well-worn Barbour jacket, though when I am driving it, I am most probably wearing double denim. Being effectively a pre-production 19TRS, mine does not have the sunroof or the rear spoiler the production cars had but does have the remote-control central locking”. As for on the road:

The 19TRS certainly fulfils the purpose in the BX range of its 19GT predecessor - it remains to this day a very capable long-distance tourer, but you would be wrong if you thought that meant it was always sedate. I am no boy-racer, but the impressive low-down and mid-range torque has enabled me to leave one or two undertaking white van men somewhat baffled. The exhaust on my particular TRS retains its original front box divider (a sought-after characteristic among BX aficionados). That, in part, means it has a lovely zingy rasp, which sounds particularly appealing at the 3200rpm 70mph mark. At the end of a 200 mile-plus drive, you get out of the car still feeling fresh and wishing only for one thing - that the journey could have been longer!

And who could possibly ask for more in a car?

With Thanks To: Will Hollands-Smith