Citroen AX GTi (Only 16k Miles) Exceptional

Every now and again a car comes in that completely resets your expectations of what a 30-plus-year-old car should feel like. This is one of them. A quite remarkable Citroën AX GTi, showing just 16,000 miles from new, with only two owners and backed up by a good history file. The mileage is one thing, but it’s the condition and the way this car drives that really tells the story. The AX GTi was Citroën doing what the French did brilliantly in this era – keeping things light, simple and fun. A fuel-injected 1.4-litre engine, five-speed manual gearbox and very little weight to carry around. Forget the figures for a minute, because this thing absolutely flies. It pulls like a train, loves to rev and feels incredibly lively in a way very few modern cars can replicate. More importantly, it feels tight. The steering, gearbox, suspension, brakes – the entire car has that lovely cohesive feeling of something that simply hasn’t done much work. It genuinely drives like a nearly new AX. Its condition is exceptional throughout. The bodywork presents beautifully with the correct GTi graphics, body mouldings and original alloy wheels, while underneath and inside the wheelarches it is equally impressive. The engine bay is beautifully presented and the car has clearly been cherished. Inside may be even better. The original GTi seats, carpets, dashboard, switchgear and trim are superb, right down to the wonderfully period red detailing. It retains its glass sunroof and has none of the tiredness normally associated with an AX today. The car has also benefited from extensive recommissioning and preventative maintenance, including cambelt, tensioner and water pump, servicing, ignition components, engine and gearbox oils, brake work, suspension components, bearings and refurbished wheels with fresh tyres. Considerable attention has also been paid to preserving and presenting the underside correctly. It is very difficult to convey just how fresh this car feels until you see it in person. It looks like a new car, smells like an old-school French hot hatch and drives about as close to new as we could imagine. We’ve had plenty of rare and interesting hot hatches through the doors, but this little thing has really impressed us. At 16,000 miles, two owners and in this condition, finding another is going to be exceptionally difficult. We’d confidently say this is one of the finest AX GTis in the country, if not the finest. A proper survivor, and an absolutely brilliant little car.