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, United States
Predecessor	Chevrolet Nova
Successor	Chevrolet Corsica
Class	Compact
Body style(s)	2-door notchback 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback
Layout	FF layout
Platform	X-body
Engine(s)	2.5 L Iron Duke I4 2.8 L LE2 V6
Transmission(s)	3-speed TH-125 automatic 4-speed manual
Related	Buick Skylark Oldsmobile Omega Pontiac Phoenix

The Chevrolet Citation was a compact car sold by the Chevrolet brand of American automaker General Motors (GM) for model years 1980-1985. The Citation (originally to be named the "Condor") and its X-body siblings (Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Omega, and Pontiac Phoenix) were among GM's first front wheel drive compact cars, following the trend of front drive compacts such as the Honda Accord and Volkswagen Dasher.

Contents 1 History 2 Design 3 X-11 4 References 5 External links

[edit] History

In 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 pounds (360 kg) lighter than the rear-drive compacts they replaced. The Citation was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1980, a decision later criticized by the staff of Car and Driver in 2009, citing that the poor build quality and mechanical reliability were not deserving of such an award in hindsight.^[1] 1980 model sales were brisk and the production lines were unable to keep up with the demand, 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. 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. Helped by an April 1979 release, the 1980 Citation sold around 800,000 units.

The X-body cars were the target of an unsuccessful lawsuit by NHTSA, which cited a tendency to lose control under heavy braking and power steering problems. 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 (introduced in 1982) also ate into sales of the Citation. The slow selling 2-door coupe was dropped for 1981. However, it was reintroduced for 1982.

[edit] Design

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.

Car and Driver and several other car magazines at the time were duped when GM lent them specially modified versions of the x-body vehicles in which the horrendous torque steer (for which they became famous) had been engineered out. Patrick Bedard of Car and Driver later admitted that they were completely surprised when they later drove a production version.^{[citation needed]}

The Citation was dropped after the 1985 model year, ultimately replaced by the L-body Beretta coupe and Corsica sedan in 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 had front and back stabilizer bars, standard 4 speed overdrive manual or the optional 3 speed automatic, sport type suspension, Goodyear P205/70R-13 white lettered tires with rally wheel trim, a rear spoiler, side striping, black grill and body accents, sport steering wheel, body-color dual sport mirrors, Special full Instrumentation with a 6000 rpm tach, standard Pontiac 4 cyl 2.5 liter Iron duke or the optional Chevrolet 2-bbl LE2 2.8 V6 litre engine that produced 115 horsepower (86 kW).The 1980 Citation X-11 transmissions had special gearing to allow 60 mph (97 km/h) in second and a move up of first to help fill the stretch. The 1980 Citation X-11 was available only on the 2-Door Hatchback Coupe and Claret Club Coupe (Notchback).

The 1981 to 1985 Citation X-11 models had legitimate performance upgrades such as a 2-bbl 2.8 V6 High Output engine, including F41 sport suspension, rear spoiler, special axle ratios, Special full instrumentation with a 7000 rpm tach, front and back stabilizer bars, 14" specific alloy wheels with the word "Citation" engraved, Goodyear Eagle GT P215/60 R14 radial tires, functional fiberglass cowl induction hood with High Output V6 Logo and also on the air filter housing on the 81-84 X-11 models, dual sport mirrors, "strobe" style X-11 graphics on the lower side doors and rear spoiler, standard 4-speed overdrive manual or the optional 3-speed automatic, both with special gearing. The 1985 Citation X-11 had a MPFI version of the 2.8L V6 LB6 and a nonfunctional fiberglass cowl induction with 2.8 F.I. Multiport Logo. The 4-speed manual overdrive was listed available on the 1985 Chevrolet Citation brochure, but it was mentioned that it wasn't available, and the 3-speed automatic was the only transmission available for 1985.

The 2.8 V6 H.O. LH7 engine was more powerful in the 1981 version of the X-11 and most desirable which produce 135 horsepower (101 kW) and 165 ft·lbf (224 N·m) of torque which it went from 0-60 in 8.5 sec. The 1982 through 1984 versions of the 2.8 V6 H.O. LH7 produced 135 horsepower (101 kW) and it was down to 145 ft·lbf (197 N·m) of torque due to emission regulation which it went from 0-60 in 9.2 sec. The Citation X-11 1985 had a multi-port fuel injected 2.8 V6 LB6 engine which produced 130 horsepower (97 kW) and 155 ft·lbf (210 N·m) of torque. The 1981 Citation X-11 is also faster than the 1985 Citation X-11. X-11 production 1981: 11,631 1982: 3,864 1983: 1,934 1984: 1,458 1985: 1,687

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chevrolet Citation

• Chevy Citation Forever
• Citation X-11 History
• Chevy Citations Forever Yahoo Group
• Team Yo! Rallysport

v • d • e « previous – Chevrolet, a division of General Motors, road car timeline, United States market, 1980s–present
Type	1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0
Subcompact	Monza					Sprint				Geo Metro						Geo Metro / Metro									Aveo
	Chevette
						Spectrum					Geo Storm
						Nova				Geo Prizm
Compact	Citation													Geo Prizm					Prizm							Cobalt
																											HHR
			Cavalier						Cavalier							Cavalier
Mid-size	Malibu							Corsica / Beretta										Malibu							Malibu				Malibu
			Celebrity								Lumina					Lumina
Full-size	Impala														Impala SS						Impala						Impala
	Caprice											Caprice
Personal Luxury	Monte Carlo															Monte Carlo					Monte Carlo
Sports	Camaro		Camaro											Camaro																	Camaro
	Corvette				Corvette													Corvette								Corvette