The French cars killed by scrappage: Citroën
There are rumours that the government will introduce a new scrappage scheme in 2020. With this in mind, here are the Citroën cars that were lost in 2009.
In the previous post, PetrolBlog revealed the Renault cars that fell victim to the scrappage scheme of 2019. As promised – or maybe that should be threatened – now it's the turn of Citroën.
If you've been paying attention, you'll remember the preamble from the Renault article. It should be noted that the latest news is that the government is reconsidering its plan to offer a £6,000 incentive to switch from older petrol and diesel cars. That's as maybe, but if 2020 has taught us one thing, it's that we shouldn't take anything for granted.
As before, the figures aren't entirely accurate, not least because the spreadsheet of information is filled with misnomers and red herrings. Does anybody fancy a ‘Citroën Xsantia’? Maybe a ‘Cotroen Xantia’ would be more your bag?
Citroën GSA: 1 scrapped
One Citroën GSA didn't live to see the car's 50th anniversary in 2020. Heck, it didn't even live to see the 40th anniversary in 2010. The picture shows a GSA X1, but the scrappage victim was a GSA Pallas.
Citroën Picasso: 1 scrapped
Remember that point about the data not being entirely accurate? According to the DVLA, one solitary Citroën Picasso fell victim to the scrappage scheme, which doesn't seem right. The earliest cars would have been getting on for ten years old when the incentive was in full swing, so they would have been prime candidates for scrappage. One theory is that the figures are lumped in with the Citroën Xsara.
Citroën C1: 2 scrapped
The Citroën C1 can wipe that smile (grimace?) off its face, because if another scrappage scheme is rolled out in 2020, it's the kind of car that will be crushed like a beetle beneath a Dr. Martens boot. It's not entirely clear how a couple of C1 crept into the scheme, because they wouldn't have been eligible due to their age.
Citroën C3: 2 scrapped
The same is true of the Citroën C3, which arrived in 2002 and is starting to look a little retro. Either that or PetrolBlog has been looking at Excel spreadsheets for too long.
Citroën C4: 3 scrapped
A total of three Citroën C4s were scrapped, so they must have been pretty old and ropey to be worth less than £2,000 in 2009. Launched in in 2005, the C4 didn't meet the age criteria for the scheme.
Citroën Dyane: 4 scrapped
The Citroën Dyane did a remarkably good job of surviving the scrappage scheme, with just four cars scrapped in 2009.
Citroën C2: 4 scrapped
In many ways, the Citroën C2 is a forgotten supermini, with the Saxo and C1 grabbing more of the limelight. It's arguably Donato Coco's greatest work while at Citroën. Others might disagree.
Citroën CX: 4 scrapped
You have to question the wisdom of scrapping a Citroën CX for a £2,000 discount off the price of a new car. Fortunately, the CX pictured managed to survive the cull.
Citroën Visa: 4 scrapped
As the French Car Critical List revealed, the Visa is one of the rarest Citroën models in the UK. We must hope that none of the 16 registered as on-the-road fall victim to a new scrappage scheme in 2020.
Citroën C25: 6 scrapped
Removing vans with plumes of smoke coming out of the exhaust is a good thing, but it's still sad to see half a dozen C25 vans were lost as a result of the scrappage scheme.
Citroën Relay: 77 scrapped
PetrolBlog is less worried about the Citroën Relay.
Citroën XM: 87 scrapped
Here's a troubling thought: some examples of the Citroën XM are worth significantly less than the £6,000 that's rumoured to be offered as part of a new scrappage scheme. How many owners might be tempted to cash in?
Citroën 2CV: 98 scrapped
Nobody in their right mind would scrap a Citroën 2CV, would they? Well, 98 people did in 2009. You'll be pleased to know that the Citroën DS surived the cull.
Citroën Synergie: 102 scrapped
The Citroën Synergie was one of the four Eurovans introduced in the mid-90s, the others being the Peugeot 806, Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Zeta. The Citroën fared better than the Fiat, with 114 examples of the Italian MPV facing the crusher. The fate of the 806 will be revealed in the Peugeot article.
Citroën Dispatch: 105 scrapped
Do the 105 owners of the Citroën Dispatch look back with regret on their decision to scrap their van? Probably not.
Citroën C15: 129 scrapped
As revealed in the French Car Critical List, the Citroën C15 is facing extinction. Do you care enough to save it?
Citroën BX: 137 scrapped
There are around 1,500 Citroën BX models registered with the DVLA, but many of them are worth significantly less than the rumoured £6,000 scrappage discount. Squeaky bum time for the BX.
Citroën Berlingo: 485 scrapped
The Citroën Berlingo is the kind of car that will disappear without a trace if we're not careful. You can expect numbers to plummet if the scrappage scheme is reintroduced.
Citroën Xsara: 1,264 scrapped
Arguably the most unloved Citroën of recent times, the Xsara is another car that will need to watch its back if the government launches a new scrappage scheme. Even the desirable Xsara VTS is worth pennies, so it faces a fight for survival. That said, more examples of the VTS have been lost in the name of an engine transplant.
Citroën Xantia: 1,525 scrapped
Before you ask, yes, this number does include a couple of examples of the Xantia Activa. As if to highlight some of the nonsense entries on the scrappage list, one of the cars is shown as the ‘Activia’. Anybody fancy a yoghurt?
Citroën AX: 2,188 scrapped
The following three cars endured a torrid time during the scrappage scheme. However, the AX, ZX and Saxo fared far better than the Renault Megane and Clio.
Citroën ZX: 2,421 scrapped
Pity the poor Citroën ZX. Much like the Peugeot 309, it's a little misunderstood and under-appreciated, which makes it easy prey for the scrappage vultures. If you own one, please don't scrap it.
Citroën Saxo: 5,057 scrapped
Jeez, that's a very large number. You can understand the attraction of grabbing a £2,000 discount when your car is worth a few hundred quid, but it's still shocking to discover that so many Saxos were lost in 2009. Take a moment to mourn the passing of 5,000 Citroën Saxos.
Please remember, the figures aren’t entirely accurate, but they provide a good overview of the Citroën cars scrapped as part of the 2009 scrappage scheme. Coming next: Peugeot. Click here to view the figures for Renault.
