Citroën offers a touching intergenerational encounter between the new C3 and one of its illustrious ancestors, the Saxo VTR, made famous by the British hit series Gavin & Stacey. This original initiative highlights the evolution of the brand while paying tribute to an iconic model.
Saxo VTR: a star of the small screen and British roads
Launched in 1996, the Citroën Saxo quickly won the hearts of young drivers, especially thanks to its VTR version, synonymous with dynamism and style. Its appearance in the TV series Gavin & Stacey increased its popularity and made it a cultural icon. In particular, Gavin's Poseidon Blue Saxo became a character in its own right in the series, appearing on all the journeys between Billericay and Barry Island and symbolising the character's search for love. With its alloy wheels, electric front windows and cloth seats, the Saxo VTR offered attractive features for its time and attracted more than 40,000 buyers in the UK.
A symbolic journey between two generations
To mark the end of the Gavin & Stacey series, Citroën organised a special event: a symbolic road trip between Billericay, Essex and Barry Island, Wales, iconic locations from the series. Gavin's original Saxo VTR was reunited with the new C3 for a nostalgic drive. The aim was clear: to recreate some of the most memorable scenes from the series.
The road trip revisited fan-favourite locations including the seafront on Barry Island, Marco's cafe where Stacey worked, Pam and Mick's house in Billericay and Gwen's terraced house in Barry. Organised to coincide with the broadcast of the final episode of Gavin & Stacey, Citroën was able to help celebrate this milestone in British television.
While the Saxo VTR was considered well equipped for its time, times have changed. The new Citroën C3 now offers fully electric and hybrid powertrains, a 10-inch central touchscreen, wireless mirror screen technology and modern safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning. Features that Gavin and Uncle Bryn could only have dreamed of!
The Citroën C3, which replaced the Saxo in 2002, has been a huge success with over 5.6 million units sold worldwide. The new generation C3, which has already won several awards and has been nominated for the "European Car of the Year 2024", is available from £17,790 (around €21,600) for the petrol version and £21,990 (around €26,700) for the electric ë-C3. Citroën is hoping that Gavin and Stacey will eventually trade in their Saxo for a C3, and who knows, Uncle Bryn might even consider the new C3 Aircross in exchange for his Picasso.
Finally, this original initiative by Citroën, bringing together the Saxo VTR and the new C3, underlines the continuity of the brand's heritage. This symbolic handover highlights the technological and stylistic evolution of Citroën models, while paying tribute to an icon of British popular culture.
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