Misplaced Pages

#317682

94-577: The Citation used the GM X platform architecture used for its compact car range. For 1980, the X bodies were resized to match the previous downsizing of GM full-size and mid-size cars, along with transitioning to front-wheel drive. Sharing a common chassis architecture with the redesigned Buick Skylark , Oldsmobile Omega , and Pontiac Phoenix , the Citation was offered three body styles, including three-door and five-door hatchback coupes (the latter, shared with

188-638: A 175 hp (130 kW) 2.2 L Turbo II engine, upgraded transmission, brakes, and suspension, and the deletion of all Dodge badging. For 1982, Chrysler introduced a coupe utility pickup derived from the L-body chassis, named the Dodge Rampage. The first front-wheel drive American pickup truck, the Rampage extended the Dodge Omni chassis to a 104.2-inch wheelbase. To compete with the payload of

282-746: A 1980 model-year vehicle, the Chevrolet Citation replaced the Chevrolet Nova as the compact car line for the division; it also became the first Chevrolet to feature front-wheel drive. Downsized nearly as extensively as the Caprice/Impala and the Malibu, the Citation shed 20 inches of length, 4 inches of width, and 800 pounds from its 1979 Nova predecessor (making it only an inch longer than the final Chevrolet Vega). The interior design underwent substantial dimensional upgrades, rivaling

376-514: A 2.8L Chevrolet-developed V6. Though far smaller than its predecessor, the new X-body remained among the largest designs in its segment, using a 105-inch wheelbase. In contrast to the fastback coupe and hatchback and the four-door sedan of the previous generation, the downsized platform was to offer multiple designs specific to each division. For Chevrolet, the Condor was to be offered as a two-door coupe and three-door and five-door hatchbacks. While

470-464: A 3-speed automatic. At the time of introduction, only the CARB -certified version with an air pump and 70 hp (52 kW) had been available. In 1979 power climbed to 77 hp (57 kW), while by 1980 it dropped to 68 hp (51 kW) and 83 lb⋅ft (113 N⋅m) of torque in all fifty states. Chrysler's 2.2 L K-car engine appeared for the 1981 model year as an upmarket option to

564-536: A 99.2-inch wheelbase (shared with its European namesake). Initially designed by Chrysler Europe, Chrysler Corporation made substantial changes to the suspension design for the American market. In contrast to the Chrysler Horizon, which has a front torsion bar suspension, the model line uses front MacPherson struts. While the rear suspension shares a semi-independent layout (coil springs, rear trailing arms),

658-823: A compact, the X-body Nova became dimensionally larger than the Malibu (a year after becoming closer in size to the Caprice than the Chevette). To realign the X-body platform in size between the A-body and the H-body subcompacts, GM commenced a redesign of its compact lines in 1974. Intended for a 1978 introduction, the Chevrolet Condor was to be introduced as the replacement for the outgoing Chevrolet Nova. Along with

752-508: A crash. Hagerty , an insurance company specializing in classic cars, notes that the X-car was "GM's prime contender for one of the malaziest [ sic ] cars" of the Malaise era , a car that did "enormous damage to GM's reputation, putting together a most unenviable record for recalls and poor quality control." Through its production, as one of the front-wheel drive X-body vehicles,

846-642: A major reduction in exterior footprint (sized between the Vega and Monza in length), the X-body platform was adopting the transverse front-wheel drive layout used by its competitors. Though GM had pioneered the use of front-wheel drive in postwar American vehicles (with the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado ), its experience with the layout was limited to longitudinal powertrains (large-block V8s for the Toronado, Cadillac Eldorado , and GMC Motorhome ). To gain insight towards front-wheel drive vehicles powered by inline-4 engines,

940-657: A separate trim level, the Citation X-11 was a variant featuring cosmetic, chassis, and powertrain upgrades over the standard Citation. While less powerful than the Camaro Z28 (and later Monte Carlo SS), the Citation X-11 would also take over the role of the similarly sized Chevrolet Monza. The X-11 was offered throughout the production run of the Citation/Citation II, on the 3-door hatchback and 2-door "club coupe" (discontinued in 1981 and 1985). In 1981,

1034-458: A standard Citation by its use of a black grille (the only exterior chrome trim on a Citation II X-11 is the Chevrolet grille bowtie and trunklid badging). In 1981, a functional cowl-induction hood scoop was added. Under hard acceleration, a solenoid operated switch opened a flap that let in extra air. While produced without the front bench seat seen in the launch of the Citation, the interior of

SECTION 10

#1732772434318

1128-532: A visually similar appearance with its Chrysler Europe counterpart, the Omni/Horizon shares almost no body commonality. Along with the American requirement of sealed-beam headlamps, 5-mph bumpers , the body stampings are not shared between the two model line; for example, the joint between the roof and A-pillar on the American model line is welded together (on the European version, it is a single stamping). On

1222-551: The Chrysler Alpine ). At the end of 1974, Chrysler Europe approved the final clay model design of a shorter wheelbase version (codenamed C2) as a subcompact in the 1.3 L engine range. The C2 project provided multinational Chrysler Europe with a single model line to replace the outdated Simca 1100 and the Hillman Avenger . The development of the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon began life in 1975. Following

1316-526: The Dodge Rampage / Plymouth Scamp coupé utility pickup truck. As a hot hatch , Chrysler introduced the turbocharged Omni GLH (later the Shelby GLH-S ). For 1979, Chrysler introduced a hatchback coupe version of the Omni/Horizon, named the Dodge Omni 024 and Plymouth Horizon TC3. Using an L-body chassis (shortened to a 96.6-inch wheelbase), the 024/TC3 coupes shared no external bodywork with

1410-539: The J-body platform. For General Motors, the transverse front-drive configuration had represented uncharted engineering territory. At a time the company had begun reorganizing, and began using a new engineering approach, with its divisions responsible for a single aspect of the design rather than an integrated whole. After a significantly compressed design development, the X-bodies entered production and sales — and

1504-465: The Toyota Camry was introduced (featuring an optional 5-door hatchback). For 1983, Chevrolet concentrated its revisions on the interior, with a nearly unchanged exterior. To provide less competition for the larger Celebrity and bring the Citation in line with its import-brand competitors, the full-width bench seat was deleted, with all versions receiving bucket seats in their place. In addition,

1598-399: The 1.6 was dropped, with the 2.2-liter becoming the standard engine offering. The 2.2 received fuel injection for 1988, accompanied by three additional horsepower. Latterly, the 2.2 L engine was paired to a 5-speed manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic. Chrysler had planned on offering PSA's new 1.9-liter diesel in the Omni/Horizon for the 1984 model year. Thanks to the implosion of

1692-458: The 13-inch wheels were replaced with 14-inch wheels with Goodyear Eagle GT P215/60 R14 radial tires. To upgrade handling, for 1982, the steering rack was relocated from the firewall to the subframe holding the engine and front suspension. The design change was intended to prevent subframe movement from affecting steering behavior. For 1980, the X-11 offered only handling upgrades over a Citation, with

1786-631: The 1978 sale of Chrysler Europe, Chrysler Corporation retained the design rights to its version of the C2 project and continued production in Illinois. The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon are five-door hatchbacks sold in North America. Introduced in January 1978, the model line was developed in tandem with Chrysler Europe, leading to the namesake Chrysler Horizon. Chrysler also sold multiple variants of

1880-608: The 1980 launch of the Citation has not been replicated again (in terms of sales), the replacement compact cars proved successful in the marketplace, as the Pontiac Grand Am became the best-selling vehicle of the brand, with the Chevrolet Corsica/Beretta becoming one of the highest-selling vehicles in the United States at its launch. For the all-new X-platform, GM introduced two new engines for

1974-837: The 2.5L engine received fuel injection (adopted by the high-output V6 for 1985). For 1983, the 2.8L high-output V6 (previously paired with the X-11) became an option for all Citations. Along with its use on the X platform, the Iron Duke engine and the 60° V6 engine family was widely used for a wide range of vehicles; in various forms, the V6 would remain in use in North America until 2009.   (Iron Duke/Tech IV) Throttle-body fuel injection (1982–1986) 1981: 84 hp (63 kW) 1982–1986: 90 hp (67 kW) 3-speed automatic 1981: 110 hp (82 kW) 1982–1986: 112 hp (84 kW) 1982–1984: 145 lb⋅ft (197 N⋅m) Produced as

SECTION 20

#1732772434318

2068-583: The Chevrolet Citation would undergo a number of manufacturer recalls. In 1980, 225,000 examples were recalled to fix a transmission hose related to underhood fires. The X-body cars (which included the Citation) were the target of an unsuccessful lawsuit by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which cited a tendency for the vehicles to lose control under heavy braking, and power steering problems. General Motors X platform (FWD) The General Motors front-wheel drive X platform

2162-582: The Chevrolet Condor was originally intended for a 1978 model-year release (to compete against the Ford Fairmont and the smaller Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon ), its launch was postponed into early 1979. Though design work was completed, company parts supplies and tooling were not yet ready to match the production of a vehicle replacing the Chevrolet Nova. During the delay, Chevrolet dropped the Condor nameplate in favor of Citation. Released in April 1979 as

2256-597: The Chevrolet Nova and its divisional counterparts. As the 1970s progressed, the popularity of import-brand vehicles (such as the Honda Accord and the Volkswagen Rabbit ) led to declining market share held by American manufacturers in the compact segment. Though downsizing of the full-size B and C-body platforms and the A-body mid-size lines was crucial to the future of the company, the two redesigns placed GM model hierarchy out of alignment; though officially

2350-423: The Citation X-11 accelerated from 0–60 MPH in 8.5 seconds; the 1982–1984 version accelerated from 0–60 MPH in 9.2 seconds. At its 1980 launch, the chassis of the Citation X-11 was upgraded with front and rear stabilizer bars and a retuned sport suspension, which were kept throughout its production. In place of steel wheels, the X-11 featured 13-inch rallye rims with Goodyear P205/70R-13 white-letter tires. In 1981,

2444-596: The Citation after the 1985 model year. The year before, GM began to wind down its use of the X platform, as it dropped the Oldsmobile Omega and Pontiac Phoenix (the slowest-selling variants), leaving only the Citation II and the Buick Skylark for 1985. After 23 years and five generations, GM retired the X platform entirely for its compact cars after 1985. GM would not offer a direct replacement for

2538-417: The Citation becoming the best-selling car in the United States for 1980. For 1981, the Citation saw few visual changes, following its success the year before. The eggcrate-style grille was revised and amber lenses were added for the rear turn signals. The two-door coupe was dropped from the model line, with all Citations produced as hatchbacks. The X-11 (see below) saw several performance upgrades, including

2632-472: The Citation was replaced for 1987 by the Chevrolet Beretta coupe and Chevrolet Corsica sedan/hatchback. In total, Chevrolet manufactured 1,642,587 examples of the model line during its production run. To better compete in the compact segment following the 1973 fuel crisis , General Motors commenced work in April 1974 on a replacement for its X-body compact lines, a model family that included

2726-452: The Citation. For 1982, the Citation underwent a minor exterior revision, as the eggcrate grille was replaced with a horizontally-slatted grille design (taking on the design of the Malibu). After sitting out for 1981, the two-door coupe made its return as a running change during the model year. To improve fuel economy, the 2.5L engine moved to fuel injection; the entire production (including

2820-564: The Dodge Omni was awarded the 1978 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award . In a similar fashion, the 1978 Chrysler Horizon was voted European Car of the Year for 1979. Shortly after their introduction, Consumer Reports tested the Omni and Horizon and reported that it lost control in hard maneuvering. As front-wheel-drive cars were still considered a new idea in the American automotive industry,

2914-651: The GLH with an optional 146 hp (109 kW) 2.2 L Turbo I I4 (GLH-T); 1986 vehicles are largely distinguished by their center brake light. Shelby Automobiles purchased the final 500 1986 GLH-T (all in black) and used them as the basis for the 1986 Shelby GLHS ("Goes Like Hell S'more"). Modified by the company in California, the GLHS vehicles were legally sold as Shelbys. The Turbo I engine underwent extensive modification, adopting multiple components of what would become

Chevrolet Citation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3008-702: The Horizon nameplate (as the Chrysler-Simca Horizon) with the American Plymouth division. While Chrysler had trailed the AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto, and Chevrolet Vega to market by eight years, the $ 2,500 (US$ 11,700 in 2023 ) Omni/Horizon provided the company an extensive headstart on its American competitors (which were released in 1981 and 1982, respectively) with the adoption of front-wheel drive, transverse-mount powertrains. Following

3102-656: The L-body Omni and Horizon to the contract in 1987. M-body sedans were built at the Kenosha Main plant, while L-bodies were built at Kenosha Lakefront. Production Figures: Following the introduction of the five-door Omni/Horizon, Chrysler introduced several additional versions of the L-body platform, including the Dodge 024 / Plymouth TC3 three-door hatchbacks (later the Dodge Charger / Plymouth Turismo ) and

3196-474: The Malibu in passenger space and the Impala/Caprice in trunk space. The 1980 Chevrolet Citation was released in three body styles, including a two-door coupe and three-door and five-door hatchbacks (the first two designs were offered only for the Citation and not shared with any other X-body car). Alongside the standard trim, a sporty X-11 version was produced. At $ 4,800, the base price of the Citation

3290-540: The Monza/Vega, offering coupe, hatchback, sedan, and station wagon designs. The Chevrolet Celebrity (A-car, mid-size) replaced the Malibu, offering 2/4-door sedans, and a 5-door station wagon; the front-wheel drive Celebrity shared its chassis underpinnings (including its wheelbase) with the Citation. Several competing import vehicles underwent design changes, as the Honda Accord underwent its first redesign and

3384-535: The North American market (of any type), and the Simca-designed 1.1 to 1.4 L engines were deemed insufficient in terms of output. Instead, Chrysler adopted a 75 hp (56 kW; 76 PS) 1.7 L I4, sourced from Volkswagen in the United States with a Chrysler-designed intake manifold . Torque was 90 lb⋅ft (122 N⋅m) and the engine was paired with a 4-speed manual transmission or

3478-513: The Omni America was 170,000 cars. To offer the vehicle as the lowest-price American-assembled subcompact, Chrysler reduced the number of options to two (air conditioning and a radio, three options if the California emissions package is included), while cutting the profit margin. Suppliers, United Auto Workers , Chrysler dealers, and even the State of Illinois also made concessions to help lower

3572-439: The Omni and Horizon underwent several minor revisions. Chrysler invested in a number of significant changes that ended up being used for only one year; the cars gained larger exterior rear-view mirrors borrowed from the departed M-body sedans in lieu of the original round units, and, to comply with federal passive-restraint regulations, a driver-side airbag was added along with rear-seat outboard shoulder belts. The instrument panel

3666-533: The Omni and Horizon were also the first front-wheel drive economy cars assembled in the United States. Marketed for eleven years with very few changes, around 2,500,000 Omnis and Horizons were manufactured, with the Plymouth variants more popular than the Dodge-branded models. The first (and only) world car designed by Chrysler, the model line originated from a design of Chrysler Europe (who developed

3760-422: The Omni/Horizon was developed with its own suspension tuning. The model line is equipped with power-assisted front disc brakes and rear drum brakes and a rack and pinion steering system. While sharing a transverse engine layout, the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon diverge furthest from the Chrysler Horizon in its engine offerings. At the time, Chrysler did not have capability to supply four-cylinder engines for

3854-415: The Omni/Horizon, the rear door windows do not roll down completely; the corresponding version of the Chrysler Horizon does (through a higher-cost, more complex design). With the exception of grilles, taillamps, and model badging, the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon were largely indistinguishable from one another. For 1984, the model line underwent a minor revision. Distinguished by revised exterior badging,

Chevrolet Citation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3948-579: The Phoenix). While all four model lines received a two-door notchback coupe, the Citation was styled with a model-exclusive roofline. Alongside a standard trim level, the Citation X-11 was offered as a performance-oriented variant. Chevrolet assembled the model line in the United States and Mexico in its North Tarrytown Assembly ( North Tarrytown, New York ), Oklahoma City Assembly ( Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ), and Ramos Arizpe Assembly ( Ramos Arizpe, Mexico ) facilities. Following its 1985 discontinuation,

4042-897: The Plymouth Cricket ( captive imports of the Hillman Avenger), the company shifted to the Dodge/Plymouth Colt (captive import of the Mitsubishi Lancer ). At the time, the front-wheel drive layout was largely reserved for low-volume luxury cars (including the Cadillac Eldorado and Oldsmobile Toronado ). By 1976, Honda (with the Civic and the Accord ) and Volkswagen (with the Rabbit ) became

4136-804: The SE (Sport Edition) option was introduced, which consisted of two-tone exterior paint. From 1984 to 1986, the Carroll Shelby Omni GLH, GLH-T, and GLHS (see below) were high-performance turbocharged versions of the Omni hatchback. For 1987, the America edition of the Omni was introduced to compete with recent low-priced imports such as the Yugo and the Hyundai Excel . The price was dropped from $ 6,209 to $ 5,499, with "$ 684 of added equipment at no cost" according to Chrysler. The break-even point of

4230-489: The Turbo II engine introduced for 1987. Along with an intercooler, the engine received a larger turbocharger and throttle body, tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, a new wiring harness, and a new radiator and engine fan (among other engine modifications). The suspension was upgraded further, receiving stiffer springs, and adjustable Koni struts and shocks, along with larger tires mounted on Shelby-designed wheels. In contrast to

4324-637: The United Kingdom (body design and development). Alongside component design for European use, American designers developed the C2 project to comply with local standards. As part of the dire financial situation of its parent company, Chrysler Europe was sold to PSA Peugeot Citroën in August 1978. As part of the sale, Peugeot phased out the Chrysler brand in Europe in favor of a revived Talbot marque;

4418-440: The Volkswagen engine, mated to a new four-speed manual with an overdrive fourth. It produced 84 hp (63 kW) at first, rising to 93 hp (69 kW) in 1986. For 1983, Chrysler introduced a Peugeot-supplied 62 hp (46 kW) 1.6-liter Simca unit as a new base engine (requiring only an alternator to be added by Chrysler ); the engine was paired with a manual transmission and the deletion of air conditioning. For 1987,

4512-422: The X platform, as its compact models were split among two different platforms phased in between 1985 and 1988. Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac used the split-wheelbase N platform (designed by Oldsmobile); the Chevrolet-designed L platform replaced the Citation with the Corsica and Beretta. Though designed separately, L-body and N-body cars shared engineering commonality with the smaller J-body chassis. Though

4606-501: The X platform, did not suffer the same reputation, and GM would significantly delay the introduction of its subsequent full size transverse engine FWD C and H platform vehicles, in the face of engineering issues. Dodge Omni The Dodge Omni and the nearly identical badge engineered variant, the Plymouth Horizon , is a subcompact car manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Corporation for model years 1978–1990. The first Chrysler model line produced with front-wheel drive,

4700-399: The X-11 made its return. For the first time in its production, the model line gained sales over the previous year; at less that 100,000 units, the Citation II lagged far behind the Cavalier and Celebrity in sales. 1985 marked the final year for the Citation. Now only sold with the Buick Skylark, Chevrolet dropped the Citation II coupe, leaving only the hatchbacks. While in its final year,

4794-407: The X-11 was most widely differentiated with the use of a sport steering wheel. The X-11 was produced with its own instrument panel, which featured a full set of engine gauges (6000 RPM tachometer for 1980, 7000 RPM tachometer for 1981–1985). The SCCA classified the X-11 in Showroom Stock B class. Bob McConnell drove a 1981 X-11 to SSB National Championships in 1982 and 1984. The Chevrolet Citation

SECTION 50

#1732772434318

4888-423: The X-11) was switched to low rolling-resistance tires. Sales of the model year decreased over 60% from 1981, coinciding from several factors. In addition to negative publicity stemming from large safety recalls of the model line, the Citation faced a much greater degree of internal competition as Chevrolet introduced additional front-wheel drive lines. For 1982, the Chevrolet Cavalier (J-car, subcompact) replaced

4982-439: The X-bodies — which included the 1980–1985 Chevrolet Citation , 1980–1984 Oldsmobile Omega , 1980–1984 Pontiac Phoenix and 1980–1985 Buick Skylark — became synonymous with their design defects, and GM's mishandled response. The X platform was the basis for the intermediate FWD GM A-body that proved much more successful. The X platform was superseded by the L-body and N-body platforms, which were derived from

5076-418: The X-body vehicles in which heavy torque steer had been engineered out (torque steer was a handling trait common to X-platform vehicles). Patrick Bedard of Car and Driver said that they were completely surprised by this when they drove a production version some time later. Like the other X-body cars, there were numerous reports of the Citation locking the rear wheels upon braking, causing loss of control and

5170-447: The addition of a 135hp "high-output" 2.8L V6. Sales of the model line dropped by nearly 50%. Coinciding with approximately six months shorter of a model year, 1981 saw the introduction of additional competitors for the Citation, as Chrysler introduced the Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant (the Chrysler K-Cars ); along with more traditional styling for buyers, the Aries/Reliant included notchback sedan and station wagon models unavailable for

5264-407: The already more than one million X cars on the road. While remaining publicly silent on the safety implications of the brake design, leaked internal documents demonstrated that GM's engineering staff were dubious the valve modification would suffice, even for those cars subject to the recall — and that further changes to the brake linings and brake drums were required — that could raise

5358-420: The brake proportioning valves, brake linings and drums. GM responded in 1983 with a voluntary recall of only all manual transmission vehicles of that year and the very earliest automatic transmission cars, a total of fewer than 250,000 vehicles, including those addressed in the first recall. NHTSA sued GM, demanding a recall of the entire 1980 model year, claiming the company had known as far back as 1978 of

5452-518: The cars' tendency to lock rear brakes — and had provided misleading and incomplete answers to NHTSA's investigation. Though the NHTSA had logged 4,282 complaints, including 1,417 accidents, 427 injuries and 18 fatalities, the presiding judge dismissed the suit in 1987, ruling that NHTSA had filed the suit prematurely, and had relied mainly on anecdotal evidence, without properly developing conclusive evidence or holding investigative hearings. The openly contentious back and forth, not only damaged

5546-437: The combined model line were sold in the first model year. In contrast to most Chrysler model lines, the Plymouth Horizon would outsell the Dodge Omni (some years, by a significant margin), with the exception of the final 1989 and 1990 model years. As the Omni/Horizon became the best-selling Chrysler model line between 1978 and 1980, it would play a major role in Chrysler securing government-backed funding in 1979. The model line

5640-431: The company acquired multiple Lancia vehicles for testing and reverse engineering . During the summer of 1976, the first X-body prototypes entered testing. As chassis design for the front-wheel drive X-body evolved, design work was delegated between divisions. Chevrolet was responsible for the front suspension design, with Pontiac to develop the rear suspension. The 2.5L inline-4 was a Pontiac-designed engine along with

5734-544: The company was on the brink of bankruptcy and sought government support to survive. However, the L-bodies miscarried at first, since 1978 was a year of strong sales for larger cars and demand for compacts and subcompacts noticeably shrank. These initial poor sales of the cars contributed to Chrysler's financial woes at the time, but when the company requested federal assistance, the Omni was an important piece of evidence that they were attempting to compete with imports and build small, fuel-efficient cars and might be worth saving. For

SECTION 60

#1732772434318

5828-407: The cost per vehicle by $ 70-$ 150, and would need to address a far greater number of vehicles. More complaints, accidents, injuries, and lawsuits ensued, including cars which had earlier been recalled and modified, as well as cars from the 1981 model year. This caused the NHTSA to pressure GM for further action, preferably a recall of all 1.1 million vehicles in the 1980 model year for replacement of

5922-469: The coupes received updated exterior styling (distinguished by a quad-headlamp front fascia). For 1985 and 1986, the Shelby Charger adopted the 146 hp (109 kW) engine of the Omni GLH-T. Following the 1987 model year, the Dodge Charger/Plymouth Turismo were replaced by the Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance; Dodge would not again remarket a Charger until the 2005 model year. The final 1000 Dodge Shelby Chargers were built as Shelby Charger GLHS vehicles with

6016-432: The dashboard underwent minor updates. The 1983 Citation struggled in sales, selling only 92,000 units. For 1984, Chevrolet rebranded its Citation line, renaming it the Citation II. Intended to draw attention away from previous safety recalls and quality issues, the Citation II was only nominally changed from 1983 (distinguished by decklid badging revisions). The two-door coupe was carried over, along with both hatchbacks;

6110-418: The design's most prominent engineering deficiency, the rear brakes, became obvious. In 1979, during even the first months of manufacture, GM made a number of revisions to the car's braking system. Automotive journalists and reviewers noted in the autumn of 1979 rear wheels' tendency to lock upon heavy braking, such as in an emergency situation, a potentially dangerous behavior compromising vehicle control. In

6204-464: The diesel market in North America, this never saw the light of day – although the engine was used in the European Horizon. For 1985, Chrysler had planned to build a "fast-burn, high-swirl" 1.8-liter four for the Omni as well as K-cars, but these plans also stalled. Volkswagen 4-speed manual; Chrysler A404 3-speed automatic 4/5-speed manual only 4/5-speed manual; Chrysler A413 3-speed automatic 5-speed manual only 5-speed manual only While sharing

6298-401: The first manufacturers to offer competitive front-wheel drive economy cars in the American market. To further develop the C2 project for the American market, Chrysler Corporation purchased nearly 100 Volkswagen Rabbits in the United States for the purposes of reverse engineering. At the end of 1977, the C2 project entered production in both Europe and North America, with Chrysler Europe sharing

6392-454: The first year of manufacture, hundreds of complaints noted rear brake locking, with dozens of related accidents and injuries — including one death, the latter triggering a lawsuit. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pressured General Motors for remedial action. GM issued a voluntary, though unpublicized recall to modify the brake proportioning valve of only the earliest manual transmission models, less than 50,000 of

6486-402: The five-door hatchbacks. Sharing the same powertrain as the Omni and Horizon, the coupes were largely designed for appearance over performance. For 1982, the O24/TC3 were renamed Dodge Charger and Plymouth Turismo. While again offering the same powertrain as the five-door hatchbacks, the 2.2 L high-output engine was added to create the Dodge Shelby Charger/Plymouth Turismo Duster. For 1984,

6580-422: The high-volume, mainstream market. GM would subsequently migrate most of its mainstream platforms to front-wheel drive as well. Where numerous earlier American front-wheel drive cars were aimed at the luxury market and manufactured in relatively small numbers, the GM X bodies offered an alternative to high volume imported front-wheel drive compacts — and initially met considerable sales success. Ultimately,

6674-413: The interior underwent its most substantial revision since 1980, as Chevrolet introduced a new dashboard for the Citation. Along with a new steering wheel, the dashboard accommodated a horizontally-mounted radio (a change necessitated by the GM adoption of double-DIN head units with electronic tuning in nearly all of its vehicles). After 1.6 million units assembled of the model line, Chevrolet discontinued

6768-649: The larger Chevrolet El Camino , Chrysler redesigned the rear frame and suspension of the L-body for the Rampage, with the vehicle receiving a leaf-sprung rear axle. For 1983 the Plymouth Scamp was introduced alongside the Dodge Rampage, distinguished primarily by badging and trim; the Scamp was offered only for 1983. For 1984, the Rampage received the quad-headlight front fascia of the Dodge Charger and block-letter badging. The highest-performance Dodge Omni

6862-425: The model being mostly a chassis and visual upgrade. Alongside the alloy wheels and tires, the X-11 featured a trunklid spoiler, sport mirrors, body skirting, and side striping. In 1981, to better distinguish the model from standard two-tone Citations, the side striping of the X-11 was replaced in favor of large "X-11" door graphic, which remained in use for the rest of its production. The model is best distinguished from

6956-455: The model line derived from the same chassis, including 2+2 coupes and coupe utility pickup trucks. Produced nearly unchanged from the 1978 to the 1990 model years, Chrysler had beaten out Ford and General Motors to the market with a domestically produced front-wheel drive car to challenge the VW Rabbit . The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon use the front-wheel drive Chrysler L platform on

7050-508: The model line was marketed alongside its successor, the Dodge Shadow/Plymouth Sundance hatchback sedan. In 1974, Chrysler president Lynn A. Townsend sent an American management team to Chrysler Europe to find a suitable small-car design to market in the United States, ultimately rejecting a front-wheel drive compact (codenamed C6) as unsuitable to produce for the United States (the design was produced in Europe as

7144-655: The namesake Chrysler Horizon ). While visually similar, the American Omni/Horizon would have extensive functional differences from its European counterpart, primarily to accommodate US marketing and regulatory requirements. From 1977 to 1990, Chrysler manufactured the Omni and Horizon at its Belvidere Assembly Plant facility ( Belvidere, Illinois ); from 1987 to 1989, the model line was manufactured under contract by American Motors Corporation (AMC) at its own facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin . From 1987 to 1990,

7238-758: The platform architecture. The Pontiac-designed 2.5L " Iron Duke " inline-4 had been introduced in 1977 for the Chevrolet Vega and the rest of the H-platform, but it underwent a series of upgrades for it to be used in a transverse-engine chassis. As an option, a Chevrolet-designed 2.8L V6 was developed as the first GM 60° V6 engine ; an iron-block engine, the new engine family used a narrower 60° V-angle (for better balance and packaging, but not used for V6 engines with engineering commonality with V8s). In 1981, Chevrolet added electronic control to its emissions systems, which reduced engine output slightly. For 1982,

7332-399: The powertrain consisting of a 90 hp 2.5 L inline-4 and a 115 hp 2.8 L V6. Alongside the standard Citation, the X-11 was available with either a 4-speed overdrive manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic transmission (the only transmission available for 1985). To aid acceleration, axle ratios of the X-11 were changed, alongside the transmission gearing. A taller first gear

7426-399: The price of the car. From 1977 to 1990, Chrysler Corporation assembled the Omni and Horizon hatchbacks at Belvidere Assembly Plant (Belvidere, Illinois), which assembled the entire line of L-body vehicles, including the Dodge Omni 024, Plymouth Horizon TC3, Dodge Charger, Plymouth Turismo, Dodge Rampage, and Plymouth Scamp. The Omni and Horizon appeared at a critical time for Chrysler, when

7520-423: The rebranded Horizon continued production (nearly unchanged) through 1987. The sale of Chrysler Europe ended further design work on the C2 project; at the time, the company was seeking to expand the model line to a four-door sedan and a shorter-wheelbase three-door hatchback. During the mid-1970s, Chrysler held no presence of its own in the subcompact automobile segment. Following the unsuccessful introduction of

7614-533: The red pinstripes of the GLH/GLH-T, the GLHS used silver pinstripes and badging; a "Shelby" decal was added to the windshield and a large GLHS decal was added to the driver-side C-pillar (the passenger-side C-pillar was occupied by the gas cap door). At the time of its 1978 launch, the Omni and Horizon would play a significant role in the survival of Chrysler Corporation. While initially struggling against rebounding sales of larger vehicles, nearly 200,000 examples of

7708-526: The release of the model line, Chevrolet had anticipated 70% of Citation customers would purchase the optional 2.8L V6, leading its production lines backlogged under the high demand for the inline-4 engine. Coinciding with its early-spring launch and the timing of its release (a fuel-efficient design during a fuel shortage), the 1980 Citation became one of the most successful product launches in General Motors history; over 810,000 examples were sold, with

7802-413: The reputation of the X cars, but General Motors itself — with Hagerty (Insurance) , specialist in classic cars, noting that the X-car was "one of the malaziest cars" of the Malaise era , doing enormous damage to GM's reputation and playing a role in "the sharpest decrease in American market share" General Motors would experience in the 1980s. The intermediate FWD GM A-body , heavily derived from

7896-489: The retirement of Townsend, Chrysler management decided to develop an American-market version of the C2 project, working in tandem with Chrysler Europe. While one American design team sought to redevelop the body as a coupe, designers ultimately retained the five-door hatchback, favoring its European-style configuration (similar to the five-door Golf). At the time, Chrysler Europe was splitting design and engineering work between France (chassis, powertrain, and manufacturing) and

7990-421: The revision phased out a large degree of chrome exterior trim in favor of black-painted trim. The interior received a redesigned dashboard (a Rallye dashboard with full instrumentation was introduced as an option) and new seats; a 5-speed manual transmission became standard. For 1987, to streamline production, all vehicles received an instrument panel with tachometer, oil pressure, and voltmeter gauges. For 1990,

8084-499: The same through 1984. In 1985, the carbureted engine was replaced by a fuel-injected version of the 2.8 L V6 with output decreased to 130 hp/155 lb-ft of torque. In slightly different tuning, the Citation X-11 shared its powertrain with the Chevrolet Celebrity Eurosport, Pontiac 6000STE, and Pontiac Fiero. In 1980, the Citation X-11 shared most of its powertrain with the standard Citation, with

8178-481: The three years leading up to the introduction of Chrysler's K-cars , the Omni/Horizon was Chrysler's best selling model line. In 1985, Chrysler entered an agreement with American Motors Corporation (AMC) to produce Chrysler M-body vehicles at its Kenosha, Wisconsin facility (supplementing AMC production of Renault-badged vehicles). Alongside production of Chrysler's M-body sedans (Dodge Diplomat/Plymouth Gran Fury/Chrysler Fifth Avenue), Chrysler and AMC agreed to add

8272-411: Was awarded Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1980. In 2009, the editorial staff of Car and Driver criticized the 1980 Motor Trend decision (alongside several other vehicle awards), citing poor build quality and mechanical reliability undeserving of such an award in hindsight. Car and Driver, along with several other car magazines of the time, were duped when GM lent them specially modified versions of

8366-418: Was evidence that Chrysler was attempting to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles competitive with automakers around the world. Along with ensuring the continued survival of the company, the $ 1.5 billion loans ($ 6.3 billion in 2023 ) allowed Chrysler to finish the development of its compact/mid-size K-Car program and its minivans, two of its most profitable model lines during the 1980s. Following its launch,

8460-484: Was intended to allow the X-11 to accelerate to 60 mph without shifting to third gear. For 1981, the X-11 was powered exclusively by a "high-output" version of the 2.8 L V6; a higher-performance dual-tip exhaust system raised output to 135 hp/165 lb-ft of torque. As before, the X-11 maintained separate final-drive ratios. In 1982, emissions regulations required a decrease in torque output, to 145 lb-ft (horsepower remained unchanged). This output remained

8554-452: Was mildly redesigned, complete with HVAC controls moved to the center, taking the place of the radio (which took the place of the ashtray). In contrast to many Chrysler model lines, the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon were largely sold across a single trim level. For 1981 and 1982, Chrysler introduced a "Miser" version; this lightly equipped version was developed to increase fuel economy, including an overdrive manual transmission. For 1984,

8648-526: Was more expensive than a fully-equipped 1979 Nova. Though closer in size to the Honda Accord than the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon , the three-door and five-door hatchbacks proved popular, accounting for nearly 85% of sales. The high demand for the model line, coinciding with a second fuel crisis , left GM with significant shortages of the standard 2.5L engine, with some customers waiting several months to receive their vehicles. Before

8742-494: Was the 1984–1986 Omni GLH , modified by Carroll Shelby . Following the rejection of "Coyote" by Chrysler, the initials GLH ("Goes Like Hell", the choice of Carroll Shelby) were used instead. For 1984, the Omni GLH adopted many of the modifications of the 1983 Shelby Charger , including its 110 hp (82 kW) 2.2 L "high-output" I4, stiffer suspension, larger brakes and wider tires. For 1985 and 1986, Shelby offered

8836-585: Was used for compact cars from the 1980 through 1985 model years, superseding the earlier, similarly designated, rear-drive platform. After front-wheel drive cars had become somewhat common in the North American market, first through foreign imports, and then by American-badged but wholly or partially foreign-developed cars (e.g., the Ford Fiesta and Dodge Omni ), GM's X-bodies were the first American-developed front-wheel drive cars introduced for

#317682