V6 Chevette

[avgwarhawk]

 

Sometimes I wish GM didn't design things like this and then find it on the cutting room floor.  This could have been one fun car.  Running track like a Mini Cooper.  My guess is this V6 went to the crusher. 

 

I learned to drive a stick in my pop's Chevette.  Sluggish 4 cylinder. Turn the AC on and forget about climbing any hills. Nevertheless, it brought home the bacon. Much faster if it was a V6. 

 

"And it was this Chevette that came home to Ann Arbor with us after a grueling day at the GM Proving Grounds under the relentless flogging of the nation's motoring press. It lasted barely long enough for our tech inspection."

 

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a61818559/1982-chevrolet-v-6-chevette-archive-test/

 

 

 

 

Edited August 17 by avgwarhawk (see edit history)

[8E45E]

"While Chevy's production engineers were still in the "what if" stage of Chevette development, the bow-tie brigade was cramming the Citation's high-output, 2.8-liter, 60-degree V-6 into the divi­sion's most uninspired dogcart."

 

Very typical of stupid GM management at the time not to put it into production.  The mini-compact "Hot Hatch" era started in 1979 with the VW Rabbit GTI,. and GM would have been right competitive with the Europeans and Japanese automakers when that segment increased in the 80's and 90's.  It eventually evolved into today's Tuner Cars.

 

Craig

[joe_padavano]

Those of us of a certain age all remember this magazine cover.

 

[Dr B]

I remember a high school classmate of mine who has a Chevette. He always referred to his car a "Vette" and would say he drove a "Vette". It was always a disappointment when one actually saw what he drove! Bad is an understatement!

 

Robert

[plymouthcranbrook]

I would have seriously considered buy one after being disappointed in the 1982 Mustang HO that I bought in 82.  

[Rusty_OToole]

I have a good low mileage Buick V6 going to waste if anyone has a Chevette that needs a motor.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I drove one of those little dudes a couple of times.  It was a loaner at a truck dealer/shop that i did business with back in the late '80s.  I didn't find it too bad. Nimble.  The v6 would have been FUN.

 

  Ben

[1912Staver]

I believe there were at least one or two European / UK market cars based on what was sold here as the Chevette. And I also seem to remember some of them were a lot higher performance than what we saw here in North America.

 A quick look on Wiki shows the U.K. market were Vauxhall Chevette's . Sold in good numbers for several years . A much higher performance version was the HS Chevette. Typical hot hatch from this period. 2.3 ,16 valve engine. 5 speed close ratio, suspension and braking improvements over the everyday version. I recall they did reasonably well in  U.K rally events.

Edited August 17 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

I believe the Chevette was designed in Europe by Opel.  It was sent here to be built in the US for this market.

 

My wife and I had one when we got married. It was a good around town grocery getter and back & forth to work.  Never had any problems with it.

[rocketraider]

9 hours ago, 8E45E said:

"While Chevy's production engineers were still in the "what if" stage of Chevette development, the bow-tie brigade was cramming the Citation's high-output, 2.8-liter, 60-degree V-6 into the divi­sion's most uninspired dogcart."

 

Very typical of stupid GM management at the time not to put it into production.  The mini-compact "Hot Hatch" era started in 1979 with the VW Rabbit GTI,. and GM would have been right competitive with the Europeans and Japanese automakers when that segment increased in the 80's and 90's.  It eventually evolved into today's Tuner Cars.

This is 70s GM we're speaking of. Lawyers and accountants ruled GM at the time, not car people. They weren't about to allow a low-profit carline to rise above its origin when there was money to be made off high-profit-margin vehicles.

 

Even if GM had stepped into the "hot hatch" world, they'd have initially proffered a substandard product that by time they'd refined it into what it should have been to start would have been unceremoniously discontinued. Except for Corvette they've done that time and time again. It's their M.O. 

[joe_padavano]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_T_platform_(RWD)

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

I believe the Chevette was designed in Europe by Opel.  It was sent here to be built in the US for this market.

 

My wife and I had one when we got married. It was a good around town grocery getter and back & forth to work.  Never had any problems with it.

Opel/Isuzu collaboration. First produced in Brazil. Six months later Opel C in Europe.

Twelve years here and 2.8 million. Best-selling small car here 1979-80

More than 7 million worldwide.    

[Frank DuVal]

Yes, Brazil. 

 

You guys are giving me ideas, as I have my dad's '79 Scooter right here in the garage.

 

Last new car he bought. He always bought the cheapest Chevrolet available, though two 283s did come home.😉