Citroen AX Polycarbonate Windows

The Citroën AX might look like a small, unassuming hatchback, but in the world of rallying, it proved that sometimes, light weight and agility beat raw power. Launched in 1986, the AX was designed to be a practical, fuel-efficient city car, but Citroën being Citroën, they couldn’t resist throwing it into motorsport. And against all odds, this tiny French machine held its own.
Weighing in at just 640kg, the AX was one of the lightest cars in its class. That made it an absolute joy to throw into corners, whether on a rally stage or a winding country road. With its front-wheel-drive layout and a well-balanced chassis, it had the kind of nimbleness that made it feel like a go-kart with a roof. Sure, it wasn’t packing huge power, but with its lightweight body, it didn’t need to. The range-topping AX Sport and AX GTi models came with tuned engines that pushed out up to 100bhp, more than enough to have fun when the car weighed about as much as a bag of crisps.
Where the AX really shined was in rallying, particularly in the lower displacement categories and grassroots competitions. Citroën built the AX Sport specifically for rallying homologation, stripping it down and fitting twin carburettors to its 1.3L engine, giving it a rev-happy personality and making it an ideal entry-level rally car. Later, the AX GT and GTi models took things up a notch, with fuel-injected engines and improved handling, making them competitive in national and club-level rallying.
But Citroën wasn’t done there. In the early ‘90s, they unleashed the AX 4x4, an all-wheel-drive version built with rallying in mind. While it never became a dominant force on the international stage, it showed what the AX was capable of when given the right setup. Rally drivers loved the car’s lightweight nature and simple, mechanical reliability, it might not have had the firepower of a Lancia Delta or the all-terrain mastery of an Audi Quattro, but on tighter, technical stages, the AX could punch well above its weight.
Even outside of rallying, the AX developed a cult following among hot hatch fans. The AX GT became an affordable, fun little pocket rocket that gave rivals like the Peugeot 205 GTi and Renault 5 GT Turbo a real headache. It was raw, simple, and ridiculously fun to drive, everything you’d want in an old-school hot hatch.
Today, the Citroën AX remains a bit of a forgotten gem in the world of rally-inspired hatchbacks. It might not have the big-name recognition of some of its competitors, but for those in the know, it’s a lightweight legend that proved you don’t need big power to have big fun. If you ever see one tearing through a rally stage, don’t underestimate it, this little French warrior still has plenty of fight left in it.