{"id":15365,"date":"2025-04-06T10:32:07","date_gmt":"2025-04-06T09:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bxproject.co.uk\/blog\/?p=15365"},"modified":"2025-04-06T10:32:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-06T09:32:11","slug":"citroen-bx-xpo-pastures-new-eps50","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bxproject.co.uk\/blog\/citroen-bx-xpo-pastures-new-eps50\/","title":{"rendered":"Citro\u00ebn BX \u2013 XPO \u2013\u00a0Pastures New \u2013 Eps50"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/span> 7<\/span> min. read<\/span><\/span>\n

On the fourth of February 2021, XPO rolled off the back of a transporter only my drive. Just three years, eight months and six days later, XPO passed her first MOT<\/a> since September 2008. Then, just 76 days later, XPO moved on to pastures new, driving off into the sunset with a new owner. However, the send-off was more eventful than I expected, with one disaster nearly resulting in XPO burning to the ground!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oulton Park<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The last dash for the MOT was driven by an opportunity to visit the ‘Autos de France’ at the Oulton Park motor racing circuit. The day sees a collection of racing featuring many French car series’ final race of the season. This includes some of my favourite racing, 2CV’s. If you’ve never seen 2CV’s racing, it is incredible flat-out racing of near-identical cars with no certainties for the podium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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XPO makes it to ‘Autos de France’ the day after MOT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I’d booked much earlier in the year, but as the event date drew closer, a realisation was forming. Working flat out, I could, possibly, maybe, get XPO to the event. Maybe. And what a way to finish the build! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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XPO finds some friends with UpNDown <\/a>and TwentyYearsWithASaxo<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the inaugural trip out across Cheshire for the MOT and the clean pass (I’m still very chuffed with this), Oulton Park would be the second drive. Fortunately, it was not a very long drive, and I arrived unscathed pretty early. And I managed to bump into and park next to BAH! Okay, this wasn’t an accident. If you don’t already know, BAH is owned by Kitch, the previous custodian of XPO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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XPO and BAH are reunited for the first time in more than three years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This meant that XPO and BAH could reunite for the first time in around four years. Okay, this wasn’t an accident but a carefully timed coming together of two iconic Citroen BX 16V’s. I really wanted to bring Jazz as well, but I couldn’t get a spare driver. Imagine, three working MOT’d Taxed 16v’s at the same event!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A motor racing circuit send off<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Oh, and at the end of the racing, there was a parade lap or two of the entire Oulton Park circuit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A lap of Oulton Park before pastures new beckon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Not a particularly quick lap, peaking at almost 40mph, but what a way to finish the resurrection of XPO. Not just a lap of Oulton, but travelling in series with BAH and my favourite Saxo. At one point, while we were side by side, I could have cried. A fantastic personal success, a lovely day out with Kitch and his family, and XPO on the road and on the track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fantasic UpNDown Send Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I think it was also an emotional day for XPO’s previous custodian. Having kept the car alive for so many years, saving it from scrap and toiling on what to do with it, seeing the car back together was a big moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The ‘Red Shell’, or Kitch’s 52nd car, which I bought in February 2021, clearly left a mark. So much so that Kitch put a whole video together on his YouTube channel, UPnDOWN. If you’ve been invested in the XPO write-up so far, then this is a fantastic storytelling session on the history of XPO before it arrived with me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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