Difference between revisions of "Chevrolet Citation"

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{{Unreferenced|date=December 2008}}
#REDIRECT [[Daewoo Lacetti]][[Category:Chevrolet vehicles|Optra5]]
 
{{Infobox Automobile
| name          = Chevrolet Citation
| image          = [[Image:Chevrolet Citation II front.jpg|250px|Chevrolet Citation II CL 5-door]]
| manufacturer  = [[Chevrolet]]
| parent_company = [[General Motors]]
| aka            = Chevrolet Citation II
| production    = 1980–1985
| assembly      = [[Oklahoma City, Oklahoma]]
| predecessor    = [[Chevrolet Nova]]
| successor      = [[Chevrolet Beretta]]<br/>[[Chevrolet Corsica]]
| class          = [[Compact car|Compact]]
| body_style    = 2-door [[notchback]]<br/>3-door [[hatchback]]<br/>5-door [[hatchback]]
| layout        = [[FF layout]]
| platform      = [[GM X platform|X-body]]
| engine        = 2.5 L [[GM Iron Duke engine|Iron Duke]] [[Straight-4|I4]]<br/>2.8 L [[GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LE2|LE2]] [[V6 engine|V6]]
| transmission  = 3-speed [[Turbo-Hydramatic 125|TH-125]] [[Automatic transmission|automatic]]<br/>4-speed [[Manual transmission|manual]]
| wheelbase      =
| length        =
| width          =
| height        =
| weight        =
| related        = [[Buick Skylark]]<br/>[[Oldsmobile Omega]]<br/>[[Pontiac Phoenix]]
| designer      =
| sp            = us
}}
The '''Chevrolet Citation''' was a [[compact car]] sold by the [[Chevrolet]] brand of [[United States|American]] automaker [[General Motors]] from 1980 through 1985. The Citation (originally to be the "Condor") and its [[GM X platform|X-body]] siblings (the [[Buick Skylark]], [[Oldsmobile Omega]], and the [[Pontiac Phoenix]]), were among the first compact [[front wheel drive]] vehicles sold by GM. In anticipating consumer demand for smaller cars, GM switched from [[V8 engine]]s to smaller, more economical [[V6]] and [[Straight-4|4-cylinder]] engines. The X-body cars were  some 800&nbsp;[[Pound (mass)|lb]] (363&nbsp;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 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.  The Citation was one of the first American [[front-wheel drive]] [[compact cars]] following the trends of front-drive compacts such as the [[Honda Accord]] and [[Volkswagen Dasher]]. 
 
==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 dollar|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.
 
==Sales decline==
The [[GM X platform|X-body]] cars were the target of an unsuccessful lawsuit by [[NHTSA]], which cited a tendency to [[GM X platform#Braking problems|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 [[Chrysler K platform|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 2-door coupe was regarded by many as awkward looking, and after slow sales was dropped for 1981. However, it was reintroduced for 1982.
 
==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&nbsp;L ''[[GM 60-Degree V6 engine#LE2|LE2]]'' [[V6]] was the first of the [[GM 60-Degree V6 engine|60°Family]] of [[Internal combustion engine|engines]] still in use today. The X platform was used in 1982 as the basis for the new [[front-wheel drive]] [[GM A platform (FWD)|A-body]] cars. The X platform was also the basis for the future [[GM L platform|L-body]] and [[GM N platform|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.{{Fact|date=September 2008}}
 
The Citation was dropped after the 1985 model year, ultimately replaced by the L-body [[Chevrolet Beretta|Beretta]] [[coupe]] and [[Chevrolet Corsica|Corsica]] [[sedan (car)|sedan]] in 1988.
 
==Chevrolet Citation 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 transmission|manual]] or the optional 3 speed [[Automatic transmission|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 [[Straight-4|4 cyl]] 2.5 liter Iron duke or the optional Chevrolet 2-bbl LE2 2.8 [[V6]] litre engine that produced 115 horsepower.The 1980 Citation X-11 transmissions had special gearing to allow {{convert|60|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|135|hp}} and {{convert|165|ft.lbf|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|135|hp}} and it was down to {{convert|145|ft.lbf|abbr=on}} 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 {{convert|130|hp}} and {{convert|155|ft.lbf|abbr=on}} of torque. The 1981 Citation X-11 is also faster than the 1985 Citation X-11.
 
===X-11 Production Numbers by Year===
1981: 11,631
1982: 3,864
1983: 1,934
1984: 1,458
1985: 1,687
{{Chevrolet}}
 
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
*[http://www.chevycitationforever.com/ Chevy Citation Forever]
*[http://www.geocities.com/citation_x11/ Citation X-11 History]
*[http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/chevycitationsforever/ Chevy Citations Forever Yahoo Group]
*[http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/teamyo/ Team Yo! Rallysport]
 
[[Category:Chevrolet vehicles|Citation]]
[[Category:Compact cars]]
[[Category:Coupes]]
[[Category:Front wheel drive vehicles]]
[[Category:Hatchbacks]]
[[Category:1980s automobiles]]
[[Category:Motor Trend Car of the Year award winners]]
[[Category:Goods manufactured in the United States]]
 
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