Canada and USA?

howiedean · Post by **howiedean** » 26 Jul 2005, 03:23

As we have got many friends from all corners of the world on our Forum someone may know the answer to a question I have. I've noticed a sticker on my Xantia which states it is not licensed for sale in Canada or the US.
What is it that does not conform to their regulations?
Regards

czenda · Post by **czenda** » 26 Jul 2005, 03:32

My bet is the reasons are:
No US mechanician is able to translate millimeters to fractions of an inch, which changes the instruction of "get a 13mm socket wrench" to a story that must be taken to thir Congress to be judged rightfully (starring Sandra Bullock),
and:
None of the modern Citroens can run on their 87 RON unleaded gasoline.

Mandrake · Post by **Mandrake** » 26 Jul 2005, 03:54

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by howiedean

As we have got many friends from all corners of the world on our Forum someone may know the answer to a question I have. I've noticed a sticker on my Xantia which states it is not licensed for sale in Canada or the US.
What is it that does not conform to their regulations?
Regards
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I don't know specifically with the Xantia, but Citroen's have not been sold officially by Citroen in the United States (and possibly Canada) since about the mid 1970's.
The only Citroen's in the United States since then as far as I know are private imports.
Does anyone know more background on why this happened ? I know that some of the earlier SM's got imported into the US but they had to change the wonderful rectangular turning headlights into a couple of fixed round ones to meet local regulations.
At one stage in the 80's there was a company called "CX Auto" (you can still find references to them on the net) who were somehow importing CX's in through the "back door" as it were. They may have even been importing them as parts and building them up into cars, I'm not 100% sure.
See: http://www.citroen.mb.ca/cxauto/ (also notice the round headlights...)
Maybe Citroen just decided that trying to comply with some of the arcane regulations in the US was too much trouble ? Or maybe there just isn't a market in the US for cars which are "small" and "underpowered" compared to the typical American tanks they drive ? Perhaps there is no market there for cars that can go around corners ? [:D]
Regards,
Simon

howiedean · Post by **howiedean** » 26 Jul 2005, 04:08

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Mandrake
Maybe Citroen just decided that trying to comply with some of the arcane regulations in the US was too much trouble ? Or maybe there just isn't a market in the US for cars which are "small" and "underpowered" compared to the typical American tanks they drive ? Perhaps there is no market there for cars that can go around corners ? [:D]
Regards,
Simon
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I know what you mean after working in the US for 6 weeks I could not wait to get back to my Xantia. No nasty slushbox and V8's that drive slower than a Nissan Micra. [;)]
Regards

Post by **Peter.N.** » 26 Jul 2005, 04:10

They probably don't use enough fuel!

Stinkwheel · Post by **Stinkwheel** » 26 Jul 2005, 04:18

Mandrakes answer is basically corect.......
They did sell Citroens in the US and Canada until the late 70's. Therefore DS, CX, and SM,s were all sold there oficially. The CX'A' were sold there as a seperate company, they were not badged citroens and had to have quite a few mods to make them comply with regulations......namely Cat Convertors, Different lights, Side markers, Anti Smog setup, Side impact beams in doors etc etc.
Citroen pulled out of the market due to low volume sales (as they only sold their high end cars the bread and butter models were not making them any money there-by this i mean 2CV, Dyane, Ami, GS)
Secondly because there was ery little money in the american market they could not justify the mods the cars would need for ever more draconian Safety and emissions regulations, so they didnt bother.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 26 Jul 2005, 04:25

It's way too complicated a car for the average american ...

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 26 Jul 2005, 04:27

Plus, of course,the yanks, like the cheese eating surrender monkeys who have no word for entepreneur, are quite patriotic when it comes to buying cars built in their own country!!

oscarloco · Post by **oscarloco** » 26 Jul 2005, 05:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by AndersDK

It's way too complicated a car for the average american ...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes, I think that's the reason. Yanks are too dumb for such car. They would need a light for "worn spheres", another for "worn drop links", another for "worn stepper motor", another for "worn potentiometer" and so on and so on, until all the car was covered in warning lights.
Citroens are definetly drivers cars.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 26 Jul 2005, 14:30

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by czenda

My bet is the reasons are:
None of the modern Citroens can run on their 87 RON unleaded gasoline.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
They measure octane differently in the states to the way we measure if here, the upshot being that our 95 octane is similar to their 91 octane, where as their 87 would be 91 octane here. Any Citroen with a knock sensor should be able to run on poorer quality fuels.
I think the real reason will be due to product liability laws in the US and not getting sued.

Clogzz · Post by **Clogzz** » 26 Jul 2005, 17:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by bxbodger

who have no word for entrepreneur
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Entrepreneur is a French word.
Entreprendre = undertake.

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 26 Jul 2005, 18:01

I was quoting George Bush Jr!!! It's one of his famous Bushisms....
Here's some more......http://www.funny-haha.co.uk/Joke.asp?J=735

Rostami · Post by **Rostami** » 26 Jul 2005, 18:03

I have a friend who tried to take his BX to Canada. The official explanation for the canadian government forbidding the import was that the car did not comply with local pollution and waste strategies, namely in the materials used to build the car.
It is quite striking to me because Americans are quite laid back regarding exhaust emissions. It is a well known fact that in termos of engine technology europe is in fact in the vanguard. A good example are the small diesel engines that have flooded in the market over the last decade or so.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 26 Jul 2005, 23:25

Part of the problem is the huge size of the US and Canada. If I want to sell cars abroad not only have I got to make them comply with local legislation but I've got to provide proper support by way of spare parts and expertise. So I've got to appoint dealers, train mechanics and provide parts and a distribution service. This seems to prove very dificult in a country as small as England - so imagine importing into a coutry 50 times the size. You could limit yourself geographically but even then the distances etc are huge.
British Leyland tried several times and generally had the same problems. Slightly different if you are a niche manufacturer as your customers may have a bit more sympathy but Citroen haven't produced anything that could be considered a niche car since the XM. C6 might just be one though, but I don't think its engines are big enough.
Jeremy

oscarloco · Post by **oscarloco** » 27 Jul 2005, 03:28

Another reason, they are simply too advanced for them, they seem to enjoy their obsolete pushrod engines.