Join us, dear reader, on a short trip back to the early 1980s. Specifically, we’re visiting 1982, where we suspect this Chevrolet Citation still didn’t look as good as it does right now. Perhaps we’re looking through rose-colored glasses, which sounds absolutely bonkers considering we are talking about a Chevy Citation – a terrifically unloved economy car that only lasted five model years. But this isn’t any Citation. It’s an X-11.
If you have no idea what that means, we don’t blame you. The X-11 was the performance model in the Citation family, which included three-door and five-door hatchbacks for all model years except 1980, when it launched with a two-door coupe as well. The coupe was killed quickly since nobody bought it, but whoa, Nellie did folks scoop up the hatch. With over 800,000 sold in its first year, the Citation was the best-selling car in the States for 1980. The fact that so few are seen today probably tells you all you need to know about GM’s quality control of the day. But, we digress.
The 1982 X-11 ditched the four-cylinder engine in favor of a high-output 2.8-liter V6. At a time when Mk2 VW Golf GTIs were making 110 horsepower, the X-11 doled out 135hp and could reach 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. That wasn’t far off from Mustangs and Camaros of the day, and Chevrolet also upgraded the suspension, gave it bigger wheels, and changed up the gearing. It even enjoyed some success in SCCA racing, making it rather like the 1980s version of the Dodge Neon ACR – a surprisingly enthusiastic version of an otherwise crap car.
So yeah, when we see one, we take notice and this maroon example currently selling on Bring A Trailer definitely caught our attention. It’s listed as having just 11,000 miles, though photos technically show 10,511 rounds on the odometer. We have no idea why this X-11 was hardly driven over the last 40 years, but as a result, it still looks deliciously new inside and out. Sadly, this one is fitted with a three-speed automatic transmission (a four-speed manual was standard), but the window sticker shows 1980s luxury options like power locks, air conditioning, power steering (yes, power steering), and an AM/FM stereo all checked.
We also see a sticker price of $11,562, which was actually quite pricey back in the day. That equals approximately $36,500 in today’s world, considerably more than a Honda Civic Si and not too far from the base price of a Civic Type R. That could be another reason why X-11s are a rare find these days.
As for this one, it’s already bid to just under $6,000 with a week still to go on the auction. Any guesses on what the final price will be?
