The Citroën Axel was a supermini automobile produced between 1984 and 1990 and developed in co-operation by Citroën of France and Oltcit, a joint venture company with the Romanian government.
The Axel was a rebadged version of the small Oltcit Club hatchback. Four specifications were available: Axel Club, Axel 11, Axel 11R and Axel 12 TRS. They were powered by the air-cooled engines from the Citroën GS/GSA and an air-cooled flat-twin engine from the Citroën Visa. The Axel Club was only available in Romania.
The five-door Citroën Visa and the three-door Axel look very similar, but there is no part interchangeable between these two Citroën models.
| Citroën Axel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Citroën |
| Also called | Oltcit Club |
| Production | 1984–1990 |
| Assembly | Craiova, Romania |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Supermini |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 652 cc flat-2 air-cooled 1129 cc flat-4 air-cooled 1299 cc flat-4 air-cooled |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,370 mm (93 in) |
| Length | 3,732 mm (146.9 in) |
| Width | 1,538 mm (60.6 in) |
| Height | 1,430 mm (56.3 in) |
| Curb weight | 875 kg (1,930 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Citroën Ami Citroën Dyane |
| Successor | Citroën AX |
Development history[edit]
From 1965 Robert Opron worked on the Citroën G-mini prototype and projet EN101, a replacement for the 2CV, using the flat twin engine from the 2CV. It was supposed to launch in 1970. The advanced space efficient designs with very compact exterior dimensions and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient Cd of 0.32, were axed because of adverse feedback from potential clients.[1] The more conservative final design has a Cd of 0.36 (for the Axel 12 TRS, 0.37 for the Axel 11).[2]
The Citroën Prototype Y to replace the 2CV based Citroën Ami that dated back to 1960 in the early seventies, was originally developed in co-operation with Fiat, built on the lessons from the Citroën G-mini and EN101 projects. It used the then new and advanced Fiat 127 platform, that used a transverse front wheel drive engine, with an end on gearbox layout that Fiat had pioneered in the 1960s. When cooperation with Fiat ended, a new Citroën designed platform was planned. After the takeover of Citroën by Peugeot in the wake of the 1974 oil crisis, the renamed "Projet VD (Voiture Diminuée)" became the Citroën Visa, incorporating the floor pan of the Peugeot 104, to use the advanced 104 engine, with transmission (under the engine) and chassis.[3] It was the first new model under the platform-sharing policy of PSA Peugeot Citroën that continues today. The earlier Citroën LN was just a facelift of the Peugeot 104Z "Shortcut" with a re-engine and transmission from the Citroën Dyane.
Eventually, in 1981, the original Citroën platform design from "Project Y" emerged as an Oltcit in Romania, using a Citroën Visa flat-twin engine and Citroën GS based gearbox, and Citroën GS flat-four engine and gearbox. Beginning in July 1984 it was also sold in Western Europe as the Citroën Axel,[2] to recoup money that Citroën had invested in Romania that the communist government couldn't repay. This project was problematic for Citroën due to productivity and build quality issues and only 60,184 cars were made, even though the base models were priced below the tiny 2CV in Western Europe. The Axel was never sold in the UK.
Models[edit]
- Citroën Axel Club
- Citroën Axel 11 R Enterprise (1129 cc)
- Citroën Axel 11 R (1129 cc)
- Citroën Axel 12 TRS (1299 cc)
- Citroën Axel 12 TRS Enterprise (1299 cc)
Specifications[edit]
| Version | Engine | Power. | Max speed. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | 652 cc flat-2 air-cooled | 34 hp (25 kW) @ 5250 r/min | 75 mph (121 km/h) |
| 11R | 1129 cc flat-4 air-cooled | 57 hp (43 kW) @ 6250 r/min | 93 mph (150 km/h) |
| 12 TRS | 1299 cc flat-4 air-cooled | 61 PS (45 kW; 60 hp) @ 5500 r/min | 98 mph (158 km/h) |
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