by Prakash Raja…..
Looking back almost over two decades, I remember looking at these in various shades and thinking to myself – gee what if I could get one of each?
CX Break 5-speed
And so my internal journey began, seeking a polyamorous CX love affair. Rational thinking brought reality to light; It would be highly unlikely to find these locally within Canada, so I commenced a search casting a wider net over the Oceanic waters…
A few weeks passed by with some found, but most needing a great deal of work to be done. Others had been converted to use other fuels. Not acceptable as my idea was to acquire them in their original condition…
After a few months, my late friend Fred Kossecki, who was versed in speaking most of the EEC languages and was working for one of the airlines, soon helped my in quest. Fred assisted with communications that ultimately led to finding not only one, but two CX Breaks! My earlier thoughts were being realized and CX ownership wheels set in motion.
I still have this 1988 CX25 TRI Auto, factory A/C , Orga# RP4111
Both, one each of the other, in exact form, nothing less of the power of unity and life force, that had come together in ways that even if I had begun to explain it to the variety of people in the Citroën enthusiast clubs, they wouldn’t have believed me. But the proof is always in the pudding and this time with correct ingredients; the air, quality of water and power of positive thought that had made this journey not only reality but seeming light years ahead – more like a final frontier.
1988 CX25 TRI , 5 Speed , No A/C, but what a treat to drive.
This seller was found on the Swiss eBay. Through communication with Fred and the seller, it was determined that he had one of each in the exact form I wanted. Now I was ready to pursue their purchase.
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I dealt with the same seller for both of the 1988 CX25 TRI. Both are RP 4111 with VIN # that are only 39 numbers apart in last digits. One is Silver Mouse Grey in colour with a cloth interior, sloppy 5 speed stick shift and no A/C, whereas the second Red one, that I still have in my garage at home, is equipped with the ZF 3 speed automatic and A/C. However this car was his wife’s and it was modded from the Citroën factory for a disabled driver who would have needed a wheel chair. (This twist, and a few other surprises came to me after the purchase and having received both the vehicles in a 40 footer container.)
Since receiving these two vehicles, much work had been carried out on them; The Silver Mouse Grey 5-speed was sold off to my good friend William Newallo. I kept the other Red one and preserved the factory modded wheelchair access, but otherwise everything was put back together as in a normal CX Break. The wheelchair access works only the rear left passenger door. The driver presses a switch and an electric motor slides the door backwards, causing the opening to be enough for a portable wheelchair to swing back in to the area. Quite a neat operation, I must say. 🙂