2001 Citroen Touch Up Paint (2 OEM Colors)

The 2001 Citroen Vibe

Welcome to 2001, the year Citroen decided to lean hard into the "futuristic bubble" aesthetic with the Xsara Picasso and the first-generation C5. It was an era of peak French comfort, but the color palette was undergoing a serious identity crisis. We were moving away from the loud teals of the '90s and into a more "refined" look. Our records for this year focus on the true survivors-the deep, sophisticated shades that actually had some staying power. We're talking about Mauritius Blue, which made a C5 look like it belonged in a diplomat's driveway, and Vert Galant Metallic, a green so subtle it basically whispered "I still miss the countryside." These weren't just colors; they were the last stand of French flair before the world turned entirely silver.

Paint Health Check

Listen, if you're looking at a 2001 Citroen today, you're likely staring at the "Peeling Era" in the flesh. By 2001, factory clear coats were standard, but the bond between that clear and the basecoat was... let's call it "optimistic." On a Saxo or a Xsara, the roof and hood are usually the first to go. It starts as a tiny white flake and, before you know it, the clear coat is delaminating like a bad sunburn after a weekend in Nice. This isn't just oxidation you can buff out; it's a total separation of the layers. If the paint looks like it has a "crust" that's lifting, you're officially in the delamination danger zone.

Restoration Tip

In this era, a stone chip isn't just a cosmetic blemish-it's an invitation for the clear coat to start a slow-motion exit from the car. The second you see a break in the finish, you need to seal that chip immediately. If you let air and moisture get under the edge of the clear, it will start to lift, and once it starts "islanding," there's no stopping it without a full respray. Clean the area with a proper solvent, apply your basecoat, and make sure you bridge that clear coat gap. You're not just touching up a color; you're essentially performing an emergency skin graft to keep the rest of the panel from peeling away.