My dear Citroën AX,
I am writing to you at the end of all these years, because I still miss you. I traded you, my companion of so many adventures, of so many kilometers, for that Swedish van.
Try to understand me. It had air conditioning, a more muscular look, and a more powerful engine. She made so many promises to me that I ended up trading you. In fact, she offered me things you never dreamed of offering me. I confess that those first months of summer were fantastic, the air conditioning took a tremendous turn and the more powerful engine made my movements faster.
I don't even know if you're still rolling or if you've found "eternal rest" in a car slaughter center.
Also, my life had changed. Travel became longer, trips to university were exchanged for trips to work, and the need for space increased. I had changed and you were still the same. I needed a little more stability (your back…) and serenity (your soundproofing…). For all these reasons I changed you. In my garage there is only space for one car.
The problems started shortly thereafter. Since that time, every time I see a Citroën AX I think of you and our adventures. And that's when things started to go wrong. I tried to recreate in my new «Swedish» the moments of fun I had with you, but it's not the same thing.
You were a rake, she's too controlled. With you I was at my own risk, with her I always have the intervention of electronic systems. You had pure conduction, it has filtered conduction. You weren't a super sports car — your engine didn't deliver more than 50 hp. But the committed way you climbed in rotation on the secondary roads that we traveled in search of those curves (and what curves!), meant that, in my imagination, I was on board something more powerful.
Today, with my life more stabilized, I'm looking for you again. But I don't know anything about you, unfortunately we never crossed "lighthouses" on the road again. I don't even know if you're still rolling or if you've found "eternal rest" in a car slaughter center — lizard, lizard, lizard!
I want to tell you that I'm looking for you again. I want to know where you're going, how you've been… who knows if we still don't have a few thousand more kilometers to cover together. I hope so! In any case, you were and will always be my first car.
From a driver who doesn't forget you,
William Costa
NOTE: In the highlighted photo, there are the two actors in this romantic story of «four wheels» on the day they parted. Since then, I have never seen my AX again. A friend of mine told me that he saw him near Coruche (Ribatejo). I also cut my hair.