Begining in 1982, the no-holds-barred Group B rally era gave way to some of the most potent and fondly-remembered competition machines of all time, thanks to the cars’ almost irresponsibly powerful drivetrains and boxy and exaggerated bodywork. And while Ford, Audi, and Lancia largely dominated the class, it wasn’t for a lack of trying on the parts of other competing marques. One such outfit was Citroën — a late arriver to Group B competition that lacked the resources of other factory teams. With limited time and funds, the French firm opted to completely redesign its midsize BX sedan model from the ground up — rather than whipping up an all-new, purpose-built rally racer platform from scratch — ultimately resulting in the Citroën BX 4TC.
Created as a homologation special to compete in rally racing, the BX 4TC arrived just prior to the termination of the Group B class, leading to the plug being pulled on the project — at which time only 62 units had been produced, making this one of the rarest production specimens of the Group B era. The 4TC-spec BX featured angular, unapologetically ‘80s bodywork with a wide-bodied rear-end, flared fenders, a rear wing, CX Turbo wheels, and a horizontally-mounted quad-beam light-pod set between the car’s two main headlights. One of the most striking features of the BX 4TC is the wildly complex hydropneumatic suspension system that enables the car to have its ride height lowered or raised by several inches, allowing it to go from a slammed road mode to a lifted rally mode at the touch of a button.
Another way the homologation special differed from the regular BX was its wheelbase and hood, which had to be elongated in order to accommodate the turbocharged Simca Type 180 engine that powered the car —a longitudinally-mounted 2.1-liter eight-valve, inline-four that was good for 200-hp. The 4TC was also equipped with an advanced four-wheel-drive system, a modified Citroën SM five-speed manual transmission, and the rear differential off of the Peugeot 505 — a brand that had recently merged with Citroën.
One of only 30 surviving examples, this 1987 Citroën BX 4TC (Chassis # VF7XBXL0000XL0069) is currently being offered through Philadelphia-based exotic and collector car dealer, LBI Limited. Sporting just 32,641 original miles on the odo, this almost entirely original, matching numbers example is also being sold with an included spare tire, jack, factory manual, service documents, and a French historic vehicle registration. The Citroën was also recently treated to an extensive servicing that included freshening up the clutch, timing belt, and fluids throughout. The asking price for this Group B homologation special is $198,000.
