Idle Fancy: Citroën Xsara Enterprise
It's arguably one of the least desirable Citroëns you can buy, so why has PetrolBlog fallen for this Xsara Enterprise? It's van-tastic.
Welcome to ‘Idle Fancy’, PetrolBlog’s new and unexciting series that browses the used car market so you don’t have to. Don’t expect to find trailer queens or anything remotely exotic. Do expect cars at the bottom of the depreciation curve or caught in the twilight zone between classic status and modernity. Cars like this Citroën Xsara Enterprise.
You’ll note that it isn’t advertised as an Enterprise. Somebody at some point has reinstalled the rear bench to convert it into what could be called a Citroën Xsara Enterprise Estate. We would say it must have been an enterprising person, but that would be scraping the bottom of the barrel. And with 517 litres of luggage space, there’s plenty of room for a barrel or two.
Launched – or should that be, rolled out – in 2003, the Xsara Enterprise was a tax-dodging commercial variant of the standard Xsara wagon, with power sourced from a 2.0 HDi diesel engine. Highlights – if you can call them that – included a non-slip load area, four tie-down points, toughened side window glazing and a full-width steel load restraint. Two decades on, this Xsara formerly known as an Enterprise has lost its load restraint but gained three seats. The surprisingly stylish wheel trims remain, although the temptation to run it on black steelies is incredibly strong.
What the seller says
‘Higher up seating position for the driver, all round very practical, start [sic] and drives very well.’
Why you want it
The MOT history is really good. Like, properly good, especially for a car that’s almost certainly been used as a workhorse. A 100 percent pass rate, with only a dozen advisories since its first MOT in February 2007. Who said French cars were shoddy?
It’s one of only 17 examples of the Enterprise on the road. That makes it almost as rare as a McLaren 620R (15 on the road), as scarce as a Ferrari 430 Scuderia Spider 16M (17) and as seldom seen as a Lamborghini Urus Pearl Capsule (20), whatever that is.
Other bonuses include the original supplying dealer number plates, keep-fit windows in the back (less to go wrong) and a digital calendar on the dashboard.
You also want it because it looks magnificent in profile. Why do you think PetrolBlog chose this view for the main pic? If that photo doesn’t give you the chills (for all the right reasons), you should be reading the What Which Car Express Buyer? website, or something. Can we also draw your attention to the rear end, which just needs an additional exhaust pipe to complete the look. Imagine this with a VTS engine swap. Hold us back.
Why you don’t
It’s wearing a pair of what look like aftermarket LED daytime running lights. Get shot of them and fit a pair of yellow fog lights. The headlights need a going over with some Colgate and there’s an odd light bar below the radio. We could also point to the battle scars on the bodywork, but that’s to be expected on a French van with 150,000 miles on the clock.
Finally, the seller describes it as an ‘MPV’, which might explain the erroneous reference to a ‘high driving position’.
In summary, PetrolBlog wants to drive this home from Lancashire, then spend the summer showing the world that French cars of the ’90s and ’00s can be relied upon. Yours for £1290.
Photos: Auto Trader
