Citroen AX bucket seat guide
1986 to 1998
An AX weighs about as much as a modern supermini does with the doors off, and that is the whole appeal. It is also why the seat question is different in this car than in almost anything else we write about.
In a two tonne saloon, a seat and frame is rounding error. In an AX it is a real fraction of what you are carrying, so a heavy steel framed recliner genuinely blunts the thing that makes the car good. That does not mean you have to buy the lightest shell on the page. It means the trade is worth thinking about rather than ignoring.
The other thing about an AX is that the cabin is small, and small in the specific way that matters: narrow between the sills and the tunnel. There are shells listed at a 28in to 32in waist and they exist because of cars like this one.
- Two direct fit frames are catalogued, Sparco and Corbeau, at very different prices
- Base mount only, so the fore and aft adjustment goes with the standard seat
- The Auto Style K5 and K12 are listed at a 28in to 32in waist for a narrow cabin
- The OMP TRS-E mounts base or side and is FIA approved from a 28in waist
- Two cages are catalogued, an OMP kit and a Sparco six point bolt in
- Weight matters more here than in any other car in this range, so pick with that in mind
What is on this page
The frames, and the price gap
Two makers catalogue a direct fit sub frame for the AX, and both are base mount. There is no sliding sub frame for this car, so whichever you take, the fore and aft adjustment goes and the position is set once.
The first thing people ask is why one costs three times the other, so here is the straight answer. They are different makers making the same style of part to different standards, and the price follows the maker rather than the fitment. Both bolt into the standard mounting points and both take a seat. The Sparco frame is the value route and is what most AX builds use. The Corbeau frame is the heavier duty item.
If you are buying a Corbeau seat, take the Corbeau frame, because the mounting patterns are matched by the maker and you save yourself a fiddle. Otherwise the Sparco frame will do the job. Ask us and we will tell you which suits the seat you have picked.
A fixed back shell also needs side mount brackets on top of the frame, and those are a separate part again.
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Buy the frame that matches the seatOn a car this cheap to run, the sensible move is to pick the seat first and then let us tell you which of the two frames goes with it. That is usually the Sparco one, and there is no reason to spend more if it is.
Fixed back competition seats
Five shells, all needing side mounts onto the frame.
The Mirco RS1 3D and the Sparco Grid Q are the ones that suit an AX, because they are compact FIA approved shells at a 32in to 36in waist and they do not fill the cabin. The Sparco Rev QRT is listed for all driver heights. The two Sabelt shells are here for completeness and for bigger drivers, and the Titan X-Large at a 36in to 40in waist is honestly a lot of seat for this car, so measure your car as well as yourself before you commit to it.
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Reclining and dual fitment seats
The one seat here that mounts either way is the OMP TRS-E, and on this car it is the interesting one. It carries FIA 8855-1999 and it is listed from a 28in waist, which almost nothing approved is. If you are slim and you want an approved seat in an AX, start there.
Of the rest, the Auto Style K5 and K12 are the narrow options at 28in to 32in and they are cheap enough that a pair of them is a realistic idea. The Sparco R100 lists no waist restriction. The Sparco GT and R333 are the nicer trimmed recliners if the car is a fast road AX rather than a track one.
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Our picksSparco frame and an OMP TRS-E is the AX answer
FIA approved, listed from a 28in waist, mounts either way and sits on the cheaper of the two frames. For a light car that gets used properly, that combination is hard to argue with. If it is a road car, the Auto Style K5 costs very little and still holds you. Send Cameron your height and waist and he will tell you what will actually clear the tunnel.
Harnesses
The standard belt is right on the road and works with every seat here. On circuit a harness is what makes the seat worth the money, because a seat only holds you if something holds you into it.
The shoulder straps need a solid anchor behind you at or above shoulder height, which on an AX means one of the cages below or a harness bar. In a car this small it is tempting to find a convenient hole in the floor behind the seat and use it. Do not. That angle pulls down through your spine instead of holding you back, and it is the one harness mistake that actually hurts people.
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Our recommendationsDated belts only where the rules ask for them
The TRS Clubman belts cover fast road and trackday use and never need renewing, which suits a car that is out most weekends. The Magnum 6 point Superlite and the Schroth Profi carry FIA dates for the series that require them. Send us the class and we will confirm which you need.
Roll cages
Two kits are catalogued for the AX. The OMP cage and the Sparco six point bolt in are both bolt in kits, which means no welding and a job you can reverse, and both give you the harness anchor the belts above need.
Check your championship regulations before choosing, because they name the specification rather than leaving it to you. If it is a trackday car and there is no rule book involved, either will do the job and the six point is the usual choice.
What fits what
Waist, height and approval are taken from each product listing. Where a listing does not state a figure the table says so.
| Seat | Mounting | Waist | Height | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirco RS1 3D | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sabelt GT3 | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sabelt Titan X-Large | Side mount | 36in to 40in | Over 6ft | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco Grid Q | Side mount | 32in to 36in | Not stated | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Sparco Rev QRT | Side mount | 32in to 36in | All heights | FIA 8855-1999 |
| OMP TRS-E Velour | Base or side mount | 28in to 36in | Under 6ft | FIA 8855-1999 |
| Auto Style Type K5 | Base mount | 28in to 32in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Auto Style Type K12 Small | Base mount | 28in to 32in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Auto Style Type RS6-II Vinyl | Base mount | All sizes | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco R100 | Base mount | All sizes | All heights | Road and track |
| Sparco R333 | Base mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
| Sparco GT | Base mount | 32in to 36in | Under 6ft | Road and track |
Questions about fitting seats in a Citroen AX
Why is one frame seventy pounds and the other two hundred and forty five?
Different makers, same style of part. Both are direct fit base mount sub frames that bolt into the standard mounting points. The Sparco one is the value route and is what most AX builds use. The Corbeau one is the heavier duty item and is the natural pairing if you are buying a Corbeau seat.
Will a bucket seat make an AX slower?
A heavy one can, and we would rather say so. This is a very light car, so a steel framed recliner is a real fraction of what you are carrying. If lap time is the point, take a fibreglass shell. If comfort and support on the road is the point, buy the seat you want and enjoy it.
I am slim and want an FIA approved seat. What fits?
The OMP TRS-E Velour. It carries FIA 8855-1999 and is listed from a 28in waist, which is unusual for an approved seat, and it mounts either base or side. That makes it the natural answer in a small car.
Can I keep the seat adjustment?
Not with either frame, because both are direct fit base mounts and no sliding sub frame is catalogued for the AX. Set the position in the car, with your helmet on if you use one, before you tighten anything.
Do I need a cage for a trackday?
Not usually, though your organiser sets the rules and you should check. You do need a solid anchor at or above shoulder height if you are running a harness, and a cage or a harness bar is how you get one. Never anchor shoulder straps to the floor behind the seat.
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