One of the most important chapters in the history of Typical Motors started in the spring of 1979, when the initial illustrations of a radical new replacement for the aging Nova appeared in showrooms. This was the 1980 Chevrolet Quotation, a front-wheel-travel compact with the inside house, gas efficiency and reliable Detroit styling essential to repel those pesky imports then flooding into American ports. We observed an case in point of the 1980 Citation hatchback sedan (the most effective-selling configuration) in this collection final spring, and now we are next it up with a a lot rarer two-doorway notchback coupe from the same yr.
The Citation (and its siblings, the Pontiac Phoenix, Oldsmobile Omega and Buick Skylark) scaled in at about 800 much less pounds than their Nova predecessors, lopping off about 20 inches of over-all length. Within, it provided the variety of place Us citizens predicted from a great deal greater midsize sedans, and the modern day suspension design and style provided a comfy trip.
In this article was a Detroit motor vehicle that sipped gas, did not consider up a large amount of money of space, and felt like a suitable American machine within and out.
Geopolitical occasions despatched gasoline charges skyrocketing at just about the extremely minute when the initial Citations grew to become readily available, primary to gas traces and gas rationing in the United States. People in america bought more than 800,000 Citations all through the 1980 design 12 months.
A good good results, correct? Regretably, an onslaught of extremely publicized high quality challenges and recollects ruined the track record of the Citation relatives in a hurry. GM experienced slipped a fleet of hand-assembled ringers to the automotive push prior to the production automobiles hitting the avenue, which resulted in rapturous critiques of a automobile that did not push a great deal like the torque-steering, erratic-braking devices that reached the common community. Gross sales crashed in a hurry, the Quotation was long gone immediately after 1985, and the 1980s finished up becoming The General’s worst ten years at any time in phrases of industry-share reduction.
But let’s picture that we’re nevertheless in the optimistic times of 1980, when the Citation would show the planet that Detroit was back again. You could acquire your new Citation as a hatchback with 3 or five doors, or as a snazzy two-door with a trunk. Just less than 150,000 Citation coupes were marketed for the 1980 product calendar year, as opposed to almost 700,000 hatchbacks, and so these cars and trucks are practically not possible to discover right now.
This is a Club Coupe, a edition with nicer common capabilities than the base coupe. The MSRP for this car was $5,214, or about $19,952 in 2022 pounds. The value for the spartan base Quotation coupe was just $4,800 ($18,368 currently). That was a ton of motor vehicle for the income, especially when compared to such imports as the 1980 Accord a few-door hatchback, which expense $5,949 ($22,765 now). The lowest priced feasible 1980 Toyota Corona (the 4-doorway sedan with 4-velocity guide transmission) price tag $5,649 ($21,617 in 2022 dollars), when even the wretched Fiat Strada hatchback retailed for $4,881.
Every single 1980 Citation model except the non-Club coupe arrived with an AM radio as foundation gear, which was most uncommon for a affordable compact at a time when even a scratchy, one-speaker AM radio additional hundreds of bucks to the out-the-doorway price. This car or truck has air conditioning, which tacked on $566 to the value (about $2,166 these days). It need to have been a real headache to install an aftermarket deck in that vertical radio locale.
It has a 3-pace computerized as well, a $337 ($1,290 currently) improve above the foundation four-on-the-flooring handbook.
In accordance to the owner’s handbook, the yellow EMISSIONS indicator appeared more than the odometer (on “some autos”) when possibly the oxygen sensor or the catalytic converter was because of for alternative. I wonder how several decades this a single has been visible.
Indeed, that’s a 2.5-liter Iron Duke four-banger under the hood. Primarily one particular cylinder financial institution of the Pontiac 301 V8, the Iron Duke ran tough but held jointly fairly properly by the expectations of its time. This one was rated at 90 horsepower and 134 pound-toes.
For an further $125 ($478 now), 1980 Citation potential buyers could get a 2.8-liter V6 motor with 115 horses and 145 pound-ft. Most did, while the spike in gasoline charges induced by the Iranian Revolution resulted in more demand from customers for Duke-driven Citations than GM experienced expected. Believe it or not, it was doable to acquire new Camaros with Iron Duke energy in 1982 and 1983.
As a ultimate insult to the Citation, it was outlived by the then-breathtakingly out of date Chevette (which remained offered by way of 1987). Even so, the design of the X-Body system lived on (in a little enlarged type) as the big-providing Chevrolet Movie star and its company kin, with production continuing all the way through the 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera.
The 1st Chevrolet of the 1980s, with an advertisement showcasing audio seemingly lifted from a 1971 Tv set exhibit.
Matches in a few-quarters of a parking house, though giving place for 5 moderately snug grown ups within.
Certainly, you could get a CB radio as a factory alternative in the ’80 Quotation. Intended, engineered and styled suitable for the 1980s.