2009 Citroen C6 2. 7HDI Exclusive, featuring the desirable Lounge pack. Documentation supporting comprehensive maintenance from new.

The Citroen C6 Lignage concept was first shown at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, a year before the XM production ended.

Six years later, the C6 went into production, albeit a somewhat watered down version of the Lignage concept yet retaining the long front overhang, elongated headlights, fastback rear and concave CX inspired rear window. The look contributing this large saloon to resemble a hatch back.

The softness of the C6’s chassis settings were deliberate opposition to the chunky Germanic norm of the time, and Citroen’s marketing team made much of the C6’s more cerebral appeal over the obvious Teutonic alternatives.

This was a car we were told was more likely to be chosen by a film director than a finance director, one that forward thinking creatives would be forming queues for.

The reality was the C6 struggled to be chosen by anybody. Citroen sent it into battle wearing a price tag determined more by corporate pride than market reality. One could say it was their Volkswagen Phaeton moment.

The range-topping Exclusive HDI cost £38, 000 and could be pushed to £40, 000 with the Lounge pack that brought power operated rear seats. That might not sound like much in these heavily inflated times, but in 2005 it meant the C6 was nearly twice as expensive as the priciest C5, and cost more than an un-optioned BMW 530d or Mercedes E320 CDI.

This was all during Citroen’s era of chasing market share and discounts across the range were generous with the exception of the C6, a small discount in some cases offered to protect fragile residual values.

Sales were minimal in the UK. Just 350 cars being registered in 2007, the C6’s best year, and a little over 950 cars came here through its entire lifespan. A Citroen executive later admitted the company shouldn’t have bothered with right-hand drive. Demand wasn’t much stronger in the rest of the world; the C6’s total production of just over 23, 000 units representing about a tenth of BMW’s annual 5-Series volume at the time.

So hats off to those brave few who took the plunge and bought one of these special C6s when they were new. In fact, in the UK, despite it being on sale from 2005 to 2012, so few were sold it’s become something of a rarity and technically now a collector’s car.

This Deep Red 2. 7HDI Exclusive was first registered as a Citroen Management car (many were) in September 2009. Being an Exclusive model it features Vitelli leather, finished in Mistral.

The Mukonto wood trim extends from the dashboard to the centre console and half-moon door bins. Electric front seats feature driver’s memory and seat heating for both front and rear occupants. Fans of in-car audio entertainment will certainly approve of the JBL sound system that sounds simply sublime.

The Lounge pack also features, offering individual reclining TGV comfort for the rear passengers.

The car has been comprehensively maintained throughout its 77, 400 miles with average servicing intervals of just over 7, 000 miles and drives without exception.

2 remote keys feature, a full driver’s book pack, original sales brochure, fully stamped service book and importantly many invoices relating to meticulous corrective maintenance.