Citroën LNA (1981) – Into the Wild

The Citroën that takes the podium today in In the Wild has ‘re-warmed up’ in several ways. The car not only has an MOT for the first time in years, but has also been featured in this section before. That was in 2016, even before the car disappeared from the streets for a while. Because it’s quite nice to see how this car is doing now, we’re just focusing the spotlight on it again.

And although a second life sounds quite positive for the small Citroën, it seems to be a tough one. The LNA has had a fresh MOT for less than 3 months, after it was last inspected in 2018. We don’t know what all had to happen to get through that MOT inspection. However, it is clear that five defects were noted during the inspection. We would believe it right away if it also had to be welded here and there.

A lick of filler is added here and there.

Crispy crust

Because man, the brave Frenchman looks crispy. A lot crispier than in 2016, moreover, which indicates that his period off the public roads was not necessarily spent in a dry room. Some of the pieces of bodywork that also seemed bad seven years ago now received some filler, but in other places new rust spots appeared or existing spots rusted further.

The spot in front of the left rear wheel grew considerably, to the left and right of the license plate, the Citroën is starting to lose weight and more sheet metal is also disappearing at the bottom of the back bit by bit. As a three-door budget alternative to the Peugeot 104, the LNA was never intended as a quality product for eternity just after Citroën’s takeover by Peugeot, but that becomes painfully clear.

Almost all Citroëns LN and LNA have already ended up in junkyards, we wonder how long the fourth owner will be able to keep them out of there. In any case, he or she is not afraid to invest a few cents in it, as witnessed by the other driver’s seat that now adorns the LNA. But will it succeed?