2003

It was difficult to believe that 2003 was Citroen's first full World Rally Championship season with the Xsara, such was the strength in depth of the team's performance. Everybody knew the car was good on asphalt, but the biggest strides were made on gravel, with Sainz winning Turkey (and so nearly Argentina) while Loeb belied his lack of experience to finish a stunning second in Australia and Britain. The Xsara was also the most reliable car of the entire bunch. Citroen's only disappointment was really Colin McRae – it was a year that promised much but delivered little for the flying Scotsman.

2002
Citroen combined eight rounds of the WRC with an extensive test programme, designed to turn a proven asphalt winner into a contender on gravel. The year started off with a bang, with a sublime performance from Loeb in Monte Carlo – only for a team cock-up, when it illegally changed a wheel out of service, to cost the Frenchman his first win. Thomas Radstrom was supposed to supply gravel experience, but mistakes in Sweden and a big crash in Finland didn't endear him to the team. The Safari was great a success for Citroen – it had racked up many, many thousands of kilometres testing in Kenya beforehand, but that shouldn't detract from Radstrom's third place and Loeb's fifth in the team's first long-haul rally. Peugeot's tarmac wizard Gilles Panizzi missed Rallye Deutschland through injury, depriving us of a Loeb-Panizzi head-to-head, but the young Frenchman was still fast and composed to hold of Marcus Gronholm to take his first win. Loeb showed promise on Rally GB, but the signing of McRae and Sainz were the headline grabbers at the end of the year.

2001
The Xsara made its debut on Rally Catalunya and ran one-two until mechanical problems hit both Jesus Puras and Philippe Bugalski. The latter took a brilliant sixth on the team's sole gravel outing in Greece, but the real fireworks came when Citroen returned for Sanremo and Corsica. Puras led the former until crashing, but recovered to win Rally Corsica.
The team gave Super 1600 champion-elect Sebastien Loeb a one-off drive in Italy, and the highly rated young Frenchman repaid them with a jaw-dropping run to second place.

2000
French motorsport's governing body created a new technical category to allow Citroen to compete with its Xsara T4 without having to commit to the entire WRC as its rules specify. Philippe Bugalski took full advantage, winning all seven of the car's outings. At WRC level, Citroen occasionally fielded Bugalski and Jesus Puras in 1600cc Saxos, as it tried to build its experience in preparation for its debut proper in 2001.

1999
Work had now started on the Xsara World Rally Car (known as the T4), but Citroen still had the normally aspirated, two-wheel drive kit car version at its disposal and, in Philippe Bugalski's hands, it scored two sensational victories in Corsica and San Remo. But, despite the team's successes, the year ended on a sour note - having unveiled the T4 to the world's media, Citroen is told by its PSA bosses that the car will not be allowed to compete after all.

1998
The Xsara kit car was an increasingly competitive proposition, but was still prone to mechanical niggles. Jesus Puras took his example into the lead in Catalunya before engine failure intervened, although the Spaniard did wrap up his national title. Philippe Bugalski was equally dominant in the French championship, but Citroen Sport's management was already considering a full move up to the international scene.

1997
Citroen Sport had been working on a kit car version of its Group A ZX rally car, and, when it appeared, it was an instant hit. It claimed the Spanish national title in the hands of former Group N world champion Jesus Puras, although suspension failure denied it a chance to shine on its sole WRC outing.

1996
Citroen Sport's engineers continued development of the Group A version of the ZX, turning the slim machine into a competitive package on asphalt and a popular choice with privateers. But the firm lacked a world championship presence.

Pre 1996
Citroen's only previous crack at the top flight of rallying is best forgotten - the disastrous Group B BX 4TC, which was laughed out of the WRC in mid-1986. The marque had better engineers than that car suggested, though, and, when it took over PSA's desert raid programme with the ZX Rally Raid, it enjoyed considerable success. But, by the mid-1990s, Citroen Sport was already turning its attention back towards rallying.