Citroën · 1981–1996

Citroën Axel

The Oltcit Club is a supermini produced between 1981 and 1991 and developed in co-operation by Citroën of France and Oltcit, a joint venture company with the Romanian government. They were powered by the air-cooled engines from the Citroën GS/GSA; the air-cooled flat-twin engine from the Citroën Visa used in the Romanian-market Oltcit Special was not installed in the export-only Citroën Axel.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Citroën Ami 6 · Successor: Citroën AX

All Citroën Axel data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Development history

From 1965 Robert Opron worked on the Citroën G-mini prototype and project EN101, a projected replacement for the 2CV using that car's flat twin engine. It was supposed to be launched in 1970. The advanced space-efficient designs, with very compact exterior dimensions and an aerodynamic drag co-efficient Cd of 0.32, were axed because of adverse feedback from potential clients. The more conservative final design has a Cd of 0.36 (for the Axel 12 TRS, 0.37 for the Axel 11). The early seventies Citroën Prototype Y, intended to replace the 2CV-based Citroën Ami which dated back to 1960, was developed in co-operation with Fiat. It built on the lessons from the Citroën G-mini and EN101 projects. It used the then new and advanced Fiat 127 platform, featuring a transversely mounted engine driving the front wheels, with an end-on gearbox layout that Fiat had pioneered in the 1960s. When cooperation with Fiat ended, a new Citroën-designed platform was planned. After the takeover of Citroën by Peugeot in the wake of the 1974 oil crisis, the renamed "Projet VD (Voiture Diminuée)" became the Citroën Visa, incorporating the floor pan of the Peugeot 104 and using the advanced 104 engine with the (under-engine) transmission and chassis. It was the first new model under the platform-sharing policy of PSA Peugeot Citroën that continues today. The earlier Citroën LN was no more than a facelift of the Peugeot 104Z "Shortcut" with a re-engine and transmission from the Citroën Dyane. Eventually, in 1981, the original Citroën platform design from "Project Y" emerged as an Oltcit in Romania, using a Citroën Visa flat-twin engine and Citroën GS-based gearbox, and Citroën GS flat-four engine and gearbox. Like the GS, it also featured four wheel disc brakes, with the front ones mounted inboard to

Production

The Oltcit Club carried on with the Prototype Y-derived design and was sold between 1981 and 1995. It was also sold in Western Europe, often badged as the Citroën Axel. In 1991, as a result of the withdrawal of Citroën from the joint venture, the name of the manufacturing company was changed to Automobile Craiova and production continued under the Oltena brand. After 1994, it was sold under the Rodae brand, when the company decided to go into partnership with Korean company Daewoo Heavy Industries (later Daewoo Motors).

Oltcit Club 12 CS

The Oltcit Club 12 CS is a small pick-up based on the Oltcit Club. It was launched in 1993 with a 1299 cc engine and a 5-speed gearbox with ratios that favor power. This model also has thicker rear torsion bars to withstand a greater load.

Engines

== Models == Oltcit-branded models. Oltcit Special (652 cc) Oltcit Club 11 (1129 cc) Oltcit Club 12 TRS (1299 cc) Oltcit/Oltena Club 12 CS (pick-up version) (1299 cc) Citroën-branded models. Citroën Axel 11 R Entreprise (1129 cc) Citroën Axel 11 R (1129 cc) Citroën Axel 12 TRS (1299 cc) Citroën Axel 12 TRS Entreprise (1299 cc)

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Oltcit Club
Manufacturer: Oltcit (1981–1991), Oltena (1991–1994), Rodae (1994–1996)
aka: Citroën Axel (1984–1988), Oltcit Special, Oltcit Axel, Oltena Club (1991–1994), Rodae Club (1994–1996)
Production: 1981–1996
Assembly: Romania: Craiova
Class: Supermini (B)
Body style: 3-door hatchback, 2-door pick-up
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Engine: 652 cc air-cooled flat-2, 1129 cc air-cooled flat-4, 1299 cc air-cooled flat-4
Transmission: 4 / 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2370 mm
Length: 3732 mm
Width: 1538 mm
Height: 1430 mm
Kerb weight: 835 -
Predecessor: Citroën Dyane (Citroën Axel)
Successor: Citroën AX (Citroën Axel)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1093531CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oltcit_ClubCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1368229214 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Axel_Grey-Side.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: see file page · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.