1998 Citroen Saxo VTR

Car collection of the 17yr old Craig

Probably to most people, this wouldn’t be considered the garage of dreams but to me, this is the start of exactly that.

At the age of 17 I passed my test, in just under 4 weeks. I had booked my theory for my birthday itself and then went on to book my practical for the next available time. That time was 4 weeks and as Ipswich was booked up well beyond 4 weeks the closest slot I could get was Clacton. With the help of my amazing instructor I passed my test 1st time.

Aside from the little Mini I had to drive around the fields in as a kid I bought my first actual car 6 months prior to my 17th birthday and although it never moved I would often spend my weekends pushing it in and out of the garage to give it a clean. That car was my 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR.

Fast forward now to 2021 and I took a call from my friend Luke who just so happened to see an advert for a matching Citroen Saxo VTR, same colour, same interior…even the same year! I took a trip up north to view this 20,000 mile, totally original example and it brought back so many amazing memories. Even smelt like my old car. There began the start of my small but sentimental car collection.

Then came the purchase of my 1998 Lotus Elise, the car that many 17 year olds dreamt of owning but extortionate insurance costs put a stop to that ever happening! I found my Lotus in H&H Auctions for sale as part of the race driver Jeff Ward collection.

Having covered just 11,000 miles from new and still boasting a 100% factory specification this little Lotus was just too good to be true.

Finally, well I should I say ‘next up’ because hopefully this won’t be the final car is my 2000 Peugeot 306 Cabriolet.

Believe it or not, as a 17yr old the Peugeot 306 Cabriolet was the car I wanted to own but again, due to insurance and the cost of the car at the time, this was beyond my reach. 22 years on I see this incredible 13,000 mile example go through CCA (Classic Car Auctions) in Warwick and as we planned on a trip there for the auction I thought I’d give it a go and guess what…I won!

So now I’m the proud owner of 3 cars from my past and hopefully I’ll continue to find good examples of the cars I wished I’d have owned.

Thanks to our good friend Alan Kenny, the incredibly talented man behind the majority of the Silverstone, Iconic, CCA photographs for letting me have a copy of all of his images.

Bolster – Fixing the Seat of the 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR

The Bridge Classic Cars trim shop have been working on fixing the bolsters on one of the seats in the 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR.

Lydia has taken off the material on the bolster of the seat and plugged the hole in the padding. After this, she then cut a new piece of seating cloth to hold the plug in. Then, stretching and fitting the bolster back over the edge and fixing back onto the base.

A small but crucial job to making this car last for prosperity.

Somewhere to Sit – New Drivers Seat for the 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR

The 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR which is currently being stored at The Hangar, Bridge Classic Cars storage facility, is getting a new addition to its classic ’90s interior.

Our director Craig, who owns the Saxo for his son Loick’s eventual first car, has managed to track down what appears to be a New Old Stock front driver’s seat for the little hatchback. The current driver’s seat has got some wear marks on the driver’s seat bolster and the material has long since gone out of production. Craig wants to keep the car as original and close to his first car as possible for Loick, so it’s amazing that we have managed to track down such an incredible piece of hot hatch history.

A Car For Life: 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR

Craig recently purchased this little 1998 Citroen Saxo VTR, which is the same model and year of his first car. Fondly reminiscing his early days of driving, Craig tells us he’s bought this to keep for his son to learn in. Loick, Craig’s 4 year old son, will be owning and driving a much loved classic when he’s 17 in 2034.

Craig’s Saxo, which was identical to this one, featured TSW Alpine Wheels and a large sound system. Unfortunately, Craig and his beloved Saxo had an unfortunate run-in with a tree, for which the Saxo did not survive. It is rare to find a Saxo these days that hasn’t been mod’ed and changed for rally spec. This particular motor has been loved and cared for with only 20,000 miles on the clock, making a unique example of the much-loved daily.

Until 2034, this little Saxo will be cared for and stored, awaiting its new owner.