Introduced in 1980, the Chevy Citation was a welcomed response to foreign-manufactured rivals like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The United States was in the throes of its second gas crisis, and the Chevy Citation came along in time to replace the Chevy Nova.

Compared to the other compact cars on the market at the time, the Chevy Citation had an edge when it came to body style. The Chevy Citation offered more body style choices than any other compact car, with three versions produced, including the notchback coupe, the three-door hatchback, and the five-door hatchback, which ultimately proved to be the most popular of the three.

The chevy Citation Equipped with a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine, generating 90 horsepower, or a 2.8-liter V6 engine, able to produce 115 horsepower, either engine was operated by a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission.

Despite strong sales, Chevy still upped its own game by releasing a sporty X-11 package with an updated suspension and eye-catching exterior, featuring stripes along its sides, a black grille, white lettered Goodyear tires, and striking body accents. Marketed to the younger generation of drivers, the X-11 featured the V6 engine paired with the four-speed manual transmission.
Produced as 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).