Ex-diplomatic Citroen C5

2,394 · February 27

I *think* it's RHD but they aren't very forthcoming with info and their photos only show the paintwork issues it has.

I'm off to see it tomorrow.

19,792 · February 27

1 hour ago, warninglight said:

I *think* it's RHD but they aren't very forthcoming with info and their photos only show the paintwork issues it has.

I'm off to see it tomorrow.

Bon chance mon ami.

Dibs if it's any Robin Hood.

February 28

My new word of the day "Kilometrage" - honestly have never come across that in our language before!

If I had a French car with over 200k miles, I would have a beige-coloured badge made up

2,394 · February 28

Bid placed!

It's RHD, lacking the full leather/massage seat I was keen on, and in need of some bodywork as you'd expect but drives nicely.

They said it falls foul of the CAZ so let's see about that if I'm successful!

Short test drive on the Royal Mile cobbles pushing tourists out of the way confirmed that the Hydractive is happy.

The replacement is a bit shit and the diplomat said as much in Frenglish. I'm not sure if it was the diplomacy or the French treason laws which prevented her from calling it 'merde'.

Now having a pint near Waverley awaiting the train home. Should know if my bid has been successful early next week.

Uh oh.

2,144 · February 28

Fabulous - fingers crossed!

9,581 · February 28

3 hours ago, warninglight said:

Bid placed!

Good luck - that's a rather pleasant looking car (the C5 not the blobby, snowflake'd replacement)

March 1

I hope you get this, looks great .

What's the deal with the plates if you do? Does it need re-registering?

2,394 · March 1

1 hour ago, tapir said:

I hope you get this, looks great .

What's the deal with the plates if you do? Does it need re-registering?

Yes, would be nice to keep the diplomatic plates! They need to return the plates to the Embassy in London, and I guess the DVLA will issue with a 65 or 16 plate, it may have had one assigned as a shadow to the diplomat plate?

In all likelihood if I get it I'll brave taking van plus trailer onto the royal mile to fetch it home.

8,858 · March 1

If it is a 65 or 16 plate you'll be fine for CAZ/ULEZ.

2,394 · March 1

Just now, clayts450 said:

If it is a 65 or 16 plate you'll be fine for CAZ/ULEZ.

Yes it seems that the 180bhp 2.0 is indeed Euro 6. Won't be able to confirm fully without the V5 I suppose.

It's a rarity in the UK anyway.

I hope they didn't put a wet belt in these to euro6ify them?

8,858 · March 1

Just now, warninglight said:

Yes it seems that the 180bhp 2.0 is indeed Euro 6. Won't be able to confirm fully without the V5 I suppose.

It's a rarity in the UK anyway.

I hope they didn't put a wet belt in these to euro6ify them?

I think you'll be fine - the DV6 was still in the early Euro6's (well, in the Partner/Berlingo anyroad). It wasn't until about 2019 that they switched over to the newer engine with all the wet belt shite.

8,858 · March 1

As, seems it was a DW10. However, given the C5 was essentially a run out model in 2016, I think you'll be safe from wet belt shite, but not from AdBlue (and probably EOLYS) shite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSA_EW/DW_engine#DW10

March 1

8 hours ago, warninglight said:

Yes, would be nice to keep the diplomatic plates! They need to return the plates to the Embassy in London, and I guess the DVLA will issue with a 65 or 16 plate, it may have had one assigned as a shadow to the diplomat plate?

In all likelihood if I get it I'll brave taking van plus trailer onto the royal mile to fetch it home.

I once briefly owned a Ford Fairlane ex-Aussie embassy in London, it was registered on normal series plates but the wrong year, about 3 years newer than the VIN suggested it was built, so we assumed this was the year it was registered on regular plates rather than Diplomatic plate registration. I would expect it to be more correctly registered if you win it, although my understanding was that they had to de-register it as a diplomatic car before transferring ownership, unless that was the old pre-internet days for transferring ownership...!

2,394 · March 5

17,567 · March 5

Awesome @warninglight

Leave the plates on and you can park like an absolute dobber anywhere in the UK with impunity

24,720 · March 5

Really liked the C5 estate in Hydropneumatic suspension flavour that we had. One of those cars that in hindsight was probably worth spending the money it needed spending on it rather than replacing it

7,509 · March 5

On 01/03/2025 at 12:59, warninglight said:

Yes it seems that the 180bhp 2.0 is indeed Euro 6. Won't be able to confirm fully without the V5 I suppose.

It's a rarity in the UK anyway.

I hope they didn't put a wet belt in these to euro6ify them?

My old neighbor has a 16-plate one that is fine for the CAZ (and he went from Bristol to Norfolk for because he refuses to drive anything that isn't a weird Citroen but we live right next to the CAZ boundary)

2,144 · March 5

Fantastic news - congratulations on a fine purchase!

March 10

Glad you got this! Whats the deal with collection then, do the French cogs take a while to then ?!! 😄

2,394 · March 10

Heard nothing else yet!

If my van breakdown in France experience last October is anything to go by, I expect they went for lunch on Wednesday and haven't returned yet.

13,478 · March 11

That's brilliant! How on earth did you get yourself to be in the know about these things?

I taken it you'll be taking to La France at some point.

Bonne chance mon ami!

March 11

Eagerly awaiting more updates here, warninglight- you sir are winning at life! Love it.

2,394 · March 11

1 hour ago, Lord Sterling said:

That's brilliant! How on earth did you get yourself to be in the know about these things?

I taken it you'll be taking to La France at some point.

Bonne chance mon ami!

Just thanks to @Macscrooge starting this thread that I was aware of it!

3,360 · March 11

Hoping for a handover involving the ambassador and a scroll/sword, or perhaps Brigitte Macron handing you the Legion de honore.

Rather impressed they went through this shenanigans rather than just straight to trade/back to France.

25,561 · March 11

On 01/03/2025 at 22:32, 2110 said:

I once briefly owned a Ford Fairlane ex-Aussie embassy in London, it was registered on normal series plates but the wrong year, about 3 years newer than the VIN suggested it was built, so we assumed this was the year it was registered on regular plates rather than Diplomatic plate registration. I would expect it to be more correctly registered if you win it, although my understanding was that they had to de-register it as a diplomatic car before transferring ownership, unless that was the old pre-internet days for transferring ownership...!

Interesting, I know someone who owns an ex-Australian embassy Fairlane. The British reg was LG52 XVL...

March 12

8 hours ago, D.E said:

Interesting, I know someone who owns an ex-Australian embassy Fairlane. The British reg was LG52 XVL...

Sounds vaguely familiar but I was only in possession of it for a few months over 10 years ago! All I know is it ended up in the Netherlands, and I've never owned a car with so much rust - just a hand slap on the front or rear arches would have a dust cloud of rust falling onto the wheels and floor 😄 it was living in Germany (Berlin from memory) on it's UK plates for some years, about 4 or 5 I think it was, so I had to bring it into the UK on Germany temporary plates and then dealt with DVLA changing ownership (only had half of a Welsh V5C without the new keeper bit) and somehow scraped an MOT on it before the front brakes gave out on me driving through Dorking - so lucky the other car on the roundabout was alert and stopped... I couldn't see the back of it quick enough ! It went to my friend in Geemany (again) but he was unable to get TÜV on it so he sold it to someone in the Netherlands, beyond that I have no knowledge of where it went...

20,912 · March 12

3 hours ago, 2110 said:

Sounds vaguely familiar but I was only in possession of it for a few months over 10 years ago! All I know is it ended up in the Netherlands, and I've never owned a car with so much rust - just a hand slap on the front or rear arches would have a dust cloud of rust falling onto the wheels and floor 😄 it was living in Germany (Berlin from memory) on it's UK plates for some years, about 4 or 5 I think it was, so I had to bring it into the UK on Germany temporary plates and then dealt with DVLA changing ownership (only had half of a Welsh V5C without the new keeper bit) and somehow scraped an MOT on it before the front brakes gave out on me driving through Dorking - so lucky the other car on the roundabout was alert and stopped... I couldn't see the back of it quick enough ! It went to my friend in Geemany (again) but he was unable to get TÜV on it so he sold it to someone in the Netherlands, beyond that I have no knowledge of where it went...

Your friend in Germany is Marvin right? Importing something like a Fairlane is an absolute pain in Germany, I can't quite remember what the problem was but he indeed ended up selling it. He owned a Marauder at the same time, I've met him with his G8 a few years back, looks like a Holden now.

25,561 · March 12

14 hours ago, 2110 said:

Sounds vaguely familiar but I was only in possession of it for a few months over 10 years ago! All I know is it ended up in the Netherlands, and I've never owned a car with so much rust - just a hand slap on the front or rear arches would have a dust cloud of rust falling onto the wheels and floor 😄 it was living in Germany (Berlin from memory) on it's UK plates for some years, about 4 or 5 I think it was, so I had to bring it into the UK on Germany temporary plates and then dealt with DVLA changing ownership (only had half of a Welsh V5C without the new keeper bit) and somehow scraped an MOT on it before the front brakes gave out on me driving through Dorking - so lucky the other car on the roundabout was alert and stopped... I couldn't see the back of it quick enough ! It went to my friend in Geemany (again) but he was unable to get TÜV on it so he sold it to someone in the Netherlands, beyond that I have no knowledge of where it went...

The very same, then! It's on NL plates and back on the road now, but indeed required a shitload of welding.

7,603 · March 12

I used to have a mate with contacts in Brussels, I was offered several LHD armoured Lexus LS400 , I declined as who the hell would you sell them to in Liverpool 😂

20,081 · March 13

On 05/03/2025 at 18:57, angle said:

My old neighbor has a 16-plate one that is fine for the CAZ (and he went from Bristol to Norfolk for because he refuses to drive anything that isn't a weird Citroen but we live right next to the CAZ boundary)

I travelled from the middle of Scotland to London last year because I demand diesel cars of a certain era, it's worth travelling for a good car that suits you.

This C5 looks fantastic, I hope the process of removing the diplomatic plates and it passing into your ownership goes well @warninglight

Ex-diplomatic Citroen C5

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