The Chevrolet Chevette was Chevrolet’s entry-level subcompact from 1976 until 1987. It replaced the Vega at the bottom of the range, used General Motors’ global T platform, and at its peak was the best-selling small car in the United States.
Chevrolet Chevette at a glance
| Production | 1976–1987 model years |
|---|---|
| Class | Subcompact, rear-wheel drive |
| Platform | GM T platform, co-developed by Opel and Isuzu |
| Body styles | Three-door and five-door hatchback |
| Introduced | September 1975 in North America |
| Total production | 2.8 million in twelve years |
| Best-seller | US small car of 1979 and 1980 |
| Notable firsts | first American car built to metric measurements; first with a diagnostic plug |
| Replaced by | Chevrolet Sprint and other small cars |
History of the Chevrolet Chevette
The Chevette was introduced in North America in September 1975 and superseded the Vega as Chevrolet’s entry-level subcompact. It was a conventional design with a unitary body, rear-wheel drive and a live rear axle, and it was launched with a full-colour advertising campaign in 140 to 150 of the country’s largest daily newspapers; the New York Times noted that the little American car held its own with the foreigners.
The car used General Motors’ global rear-drive T platform, co-developed by Opel and Isuzu in 1973. The first car to use the platform was the Brazilian Chevrolet Chevette, released in 1973, followed six months later by the Opel Kadett C in Europe. Worldwide more than seven million T-cars were built, as the Pontiac Acadian and T1000 in North America, the Vauxhall Chevette in Britain, the Opel Kadett C in Germany, the Isuzu Gemini in Japan, the Holden Gemini in Australia and the Saehan Gemini and Daewoo Maepsy in Korea, among others. A T-platform model stayed in production in South America until 1998.
Production of the Chevrolet Chevette reached 2.8 million over twelve years, and it was the best-selling small car in the United States for 1979 and 1980. It was the first American car built to metric measurements and the first with a diagnostic plug for tracing service faults. Opinion has not been kind since: the New York Times wrote in 2011 that it was haphazardly made, sparsely trimmed and underpowered, and Consumer Guide called it unimaginative to an extreme, but it did the job it was designed for at a moment when American buyers were turning to small imports.
Design and features
- Global T platform: shared with Opel, Isuzu, Holden and Vauxhall small cars.
- Metric build: the first American car built to metric measurements.
- Diagnostic plug: also a first for an American car.
- Sales success: the best-selling small car in America in 1979 and 1980.
Chevrolet Chevette versions
- Three-door hatchback: the main body style in North America.
- Five-door hatchback: the more practical version.
- Pontiac T1000: the same car sold by Pontiac from 1981.
- South American T-cars: built in Brazil and Argentina, in production to 1998.
The Chevette replaced the Chevrolet Vega at the bottom of the range and was later replaced by the Chevrolet Sprint. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Sources
- Chevrolet Chevette, English Wikipedia: production, platform, sales, contemporary criticism
