1983 Citroen GSA Pallas from UK and Ireland - Comments

I got the car free with no MoT.

To pass the MoT, it needed new four (cheap) tyres, some welding, a new exhaust Y-pipe, some adjustment to the carb for the emissions test and a couple of lightbulbs. Oh, and the wiper linkage had broken, leaving only the passenger side one working!

Looks like a lot, but there were no nasty surprises - I knew what I was getting into when I picked it up.

I love these cars. I had a 1978 GS Club before, and really missed it.

All G-series cars are rare, technically interesting and wonderful to drive with smooth engines and that magic carpet ride quality. They also handle extremely well - they roll a lot, but keep on gripping.

They have extremely light and precise steering, and powered disc brakes. The car "feels" much safer and easier to drive than my modern - not bad for a design which appeared in 1970!

I didn't like the small boot opening and the lack of power in the '78 GS, but my '83 GSA has a hatchback and an enormous boot, and a slightly more powerful engine with better chosen gear ratios and, joy of joys, a fifth gear. I drove my GS to Italy in two days once - these are fabulous long-distance cars. Not bad for an old family saloon, and much better than the equivalent British Maxi or Marina!

I quite agree, these are fabulous long-distance cars! I drove the length of Norway in one day only! Very nice!

T agree. These cars are comfortable, handle well, low mantanence, and if you tune them up they are very fast, and that is just the 4 speed 1220 model.

One day I raced a Nissan Skyline Turbo through some bends and I had the pleasure of watching him disapear through the rear vision mirror. They are very fast around corners and I am yet to find a car for under $20,000 AU that can keep up with them after $200 worth of modifications to the engine. Maybe a Fiat X1/9 could.

Have recently bought a GSA Pallas with 5 speed 'box and 1299c.c. engine, with low mileage and almost immaculate. This I bought to tide myself over until the GS X2 gets restored, but I don't like it as much as the X2 and it is no quicker or faster, but the 5th gear helps to relax the engine on motorways.

I think that a lot of the character was lost in the GSA where it was supposedly made more user friendly.

Having said that I still love the GSA and it is far more rewarding to drive than any newer car I have used (that includes other Citroens i.e. BX) especially as it will cruise at 80 miles an hour quite happily and surprises some more modern and larger engined cars (The GS/A looks like it should have at least a 1600c.c. engine under that bonnet, little do most people know how small the motor is, and therefore I often get challenged to a race on the road,)

Save and drive any G series and you will be rewarded with a grin on your face when you drive.

Hi my first car was a '76 GS club then followed a new 2cv then a new AX then a nearly new Renault Twingo yep I know not many in the UK she's a 1994 with 270000kms. I've been looking for a couple of years for a GS or GSA to do up and "relive" my youth haha, well I bought a 1985 GSA from Ebay and am looking forward to getting her on the road,... I'll keep you posted how I do!