Chevrolet Citation

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Chevrolet Citation

Manufacturer	Chevrolet
Parent company	General Motors
Also called	Chevrolet Citation II
Production	1980–1985
Assembly	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Predecessor	Chevrolet Nova
Successor	Chevrolet Beretta Chevrolet Corsica
Class	Compact
Body style	2-door notchback 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback
Platform	X-body
Related	Buick Skylark Oldsmobile Omega Pontiac Phoenix
Similar	Honda Accord Plymouth Reliant Toyota Camry

The Chevrolet Citation was a compact car sold by the Chevrolet brand of American automaker General Motors from 1980 through 1985. The Citation (originally to be the "Condor") and its X-body siblings (the Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, and the Pontiac Phoenix), were the first compact front wheel drive vehicles sold by GM. Correctly anticipating consumer demand for smaller cars, GM switched from V8 engines to smaller, more economical V6 and 4-cylinder engines. The X-body cars were some 800 lb (363 kg) lighter than the rear-drive compacts they replaced. The Citation was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1980. 1980 model sales were brisk, causing significant delays in delivery to customers; some had to wait nine months to receive their vehicle. The Citation was also Chevrolet's first front-wheel drive car.

1 History
2 Sales decline
3 Design and replacements
4 X-11
5 External links

[edit] History

Planning for this family of vehicles started in April 1974. The first prototypes were created in mid-summer 1976, and the Citation was released in April 1979 as an early 1980 model. The Citation's initial retail price was under US$6,000. Three body styles were available, a 2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback and a 5-door hatchback. The front wheel drive design and hatchback bodies were a radical departure for the American industry, and GM was widely praised for the X-body's efficient packaging and smaller engines.

[edit] Sales decline

The X-body cars were the target of an unsuccessful lawsuit by NHTSA, which cited a tendency to lose control under heavy braking. The X-body cars were, however, recalled many times and the Citation's reputation took a beating, resulting in decreasing sales every year. The 1984 and 1985 models were badged Citation II in a halfhearted attempt to convince consumers that the vehicle's problems had been overcome to the extent that the car deserved a new name. The introduction of Chrysler's similarly packaged, but more conventionally styled K-cars (the Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant) for 1981, along with the GM J platform models also ate into sales of the Citation.

The 2-door coupe was regarded by many as awkward looking, and after slow sales was dropped for 1981. However, it was reintroduced for 1982.

[edit] Design and replacements

In addition to the X platform, GM also created a new line of engines for the Citation and its sisters. The 2.8 L LE2 V6 was the first of the 60° family of engines still in use today. The X platform was used in 1982 as the basis for the new front-wheel drive A-body cars. The X platform was also the basis for the future L-body and N-body cars.

The Citation was dropped after the 1985 model year, with no direct replacement, until the Chevrolet Beretta coupe and Chevrolet Corsica sedan would properly replace the Citation for 1988.

[edit] X-11

In 1979, GM wanted to race the Citation in the SSB/SCCA class and a requirement of the SSB/SCCA rules was to produce a production model of the race car.

The 1980 Citation X-11 was little more than a striping package with the stiffer suspension, but 1981 to 1985 models had legitimate performance upgrades, including stiffer suspension, added corner braces to the cradle, 14 in specific alloy wheels, P215/60 R14 tires, functioning fiberglass cowl induction hood from 1981 to 1984, and a high-output version of the V6 engine. The 1985 model had a multi-port fuel injected V6 engine with a faux cowl induction hood.

Starting in 1981, the X-11 exterior package was available on either the hatchback or the notchback and remained the same through the 1985 model year. It consisted of a monochromatic paint scheme, cowl induction hood, rear deck spoiler, black trim around all windows, "strobe" style X-11 graphics on the lower side doors and rear spoiler and specific 14" alloy wheels.

X-11 Production Numbers by Year:

1981 : 11,631

1982 : 3,864

1983 : 1,934

1984 : 1,458

1985 : 1,687