Thursday 2nd October 1986

The Citroen AX was launched at the Paris Motor Show. The version on display – a three-door front-wheel drive model with a drag coefficient of 0.31 – was equipped with an all-new power unit and gearbox assembly. A range of five-door models was added in 1987 and a 1.4 litre diesel engine was introduced in 1988. The right-hand drive version for the UK market was launched in August 1987, initially only as a three-door hatchback, with a five-door version joining the range a year later. The latter was subsequently replaced by a 1.5 litre unit. The very earliest cars had an issue with gear shifters falling off; this was rectified by the time the AX reached export markets. It was initially backed by a memorable television advertising campaign filmed in China, starring actress Janet Mas and an elderly gentleman, whose character was simply known as Mr. Wong.