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Tornado destroys Vegas
No, not Las Vegas. Vegas, as in more than one Chevy Vega. Three, to be exact, when a tornado took out a Michigan barn, totally destroying three of the infamous hatchbacks.
Normally, this would be cause for not much more than a little giggle for the removal of three more examples of a Chevy nightmare. Except for the fact that two of them were painted black, with gold pinstriping, a paint scheme chosen by GM Vice President John DeLorean for the company's 1975 Cosworth Vegas to wear. The third car, also a Cosworth, was white, so probably a 1976 model and with only 18,000 miles on it. These were not merely pedestrian Vegas left in a barn to rust, but vey rare hatchbacks with Cosworth aluminum blocks under their hoods.
Despite having relatively poor performance, they cost $600 less than a Corvette in 1975 and 1976. The Cosworth Vegas' high price and fragile engines made for sales in the 3,500 range, which makes it one of the rarer nameplates in GM history.
So let's have a small moment of silence while you check out our gallery of pictures from the tragedy. Then, for a vastly larger (like 300 pictures!) gallery of the smashed Michigan Vegas, click here. For an interesting history of the Cosworth Vega (including how GM's alleged cheating on an EPA emissions test cost them dearly), read this.
[Source: CosworthVega.com via Hemmings]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
robert spinello 12:50PM (1/27/2008)
only the first two years were rust prone..no fender liners.
the 76 body had galvinized sections and treated metal in other areas and weren't rust prone.
look dummy...ever see a rusty cosworth?
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Phillip 7:20PM (9/17/2007)
That will buff right out!
Ah that sucks, I saw a Vega which I dubbed the Murder Mobile today in the school parking lot. It had band aid beigh paint with primered areas, cop-rims, the grille was missing, the one the parking lamps was broken. I was expecting some crazy dude to come out and run us all over at any minute
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66coronet 8:01PM (9/17/2007)
Vega the mini camaro. Throw out the 4 and install the V-8 + cut down beefed up rear end.
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Mr K 7:45PM (9/17/2007)
hmm the white one looks repairable ..... hmmm
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Dave-in-PA 7:44PM (9/17/2007)
Maybe the Tornado should be awarded a JDPower award for satisfaction. Thank you Mother Nature. Any evidence of this era of GM history should be destroyed...I don't care how sentimental or unique these models were.
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Robert Spinello 12:44PM (1/27/2008)
it should happen to you. they belonged to someone.
Dave-in-PA 1:34PM (1/27/2008)
oo...Robert. Such a rebuttal. Only 4 months late. It was meant to be sarcastic, but then I guess they don't teach that word until 4th grade and you have a few more years to go.
But if you want to debate the issue, I didn't wish for a tornado to destroy anybody's property, (as you just did). I only suggested that since it HAD HAPPENED, maybe there was a benefit. You asshole.
CW 8:54PM (9/17/2007)
The Vega was basically a replacement for the Corvair as well. These Vegas obviously had some value to the owner. What a heart-breaker for him. I wonder if they were insured.
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Barney 11:36PM (9/17/2007)
"he Vega was basically a replacement for the Corvair as well."
No it wasn't. The Chevy II/Nova was. The Vega was in competition with the Pinto and Dodge Colt.
CW 8:39PM (9/18/2007)
"o it wasn't. The Chevy II/Nova was. The Vega was in competition with the Pinto and Dodge Colt."
I think not. The GM started production of the Chevy II in the 1962 model year. That would be during the Corvair's 3rd production year. The Corvair run was 1960-1969. The Corvair was wildly successful during the mid 60's. I don't see where the Chevy II would have been the replacement for the Corvair. I believe the Chevy II was in competition with the Ford Falcon and Chrysler's Dart/Valiant variants. I agree that the Vega was in competition with Pinto.
FYI... I am NOT a Vega hater. I owned a 75 Pontiac Astre, (a re badged Vega)), and currently own a 1965 Corvair. I have always liked GM's quirky little cars.
whofan 9:33PM (9/17/2007)
I`m a big 3 fan but , The Vega was a horrible car.
This is one of a few blunders made by our domestic companys that yet to this day they are trying to live down.
Any Toyota at the time is reduced to rust by now. But they were mechanically better. Even if for only five years before they rusted away.
I say RIP Vega and good riddence
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Bryan 10:13PM (9/17/2007)
Thats no good!
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1337 10:15PM (9/17/2007)
Good riddance. Most of the others have rusted into oblivion...
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Pat 10:24PM (9/17/2007)
Who cares what you think about the Vega ... my condolences to the man who just lost his pride and joy ... regardless of whether it was Corvette, a Vega, or a Chevette.
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Henry 10:55PM (9/17/2007)
Small block V8's are easily transplanted into Vega's. The transformation is remarkable.
I was lucky to drive a Pontiac Astre Kammback with 350 crate motor and wow!
Vega's are becoming quite expensive due to their transplant potential.
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Barney 11:34PM (9/17/2007)
The Vega was still better then the Vauxhall/Viva/Epic that was imported into Canada. 110 Hp from a four cylinder was remarkable at the time. Like the Pinto, some people had luck with the Vega while others had none.
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musicmike702 4:05AM (9/18/2007)
Long story, if you don't mind: I worked for a local VW dealer for way too many years in the '70s and mid '80s. The owner had a minor collection of 4-5 1979 Beetle Convertibles, the last year, stored in an old renovated chicken coop on the rear of the property. (Along with a 60's Studebaker Lark, a 60's Continental and a couple others that I've forgotten.
One winter, (1983) there was TONS of snow over a period of days. The old coop was a pitched roof and ...wait for it, the roof collapsed under the weight of the snow. The big beam fell on the convertible tops of the 2 of the Beetles, damaged 2 others, caved in the roof of the Lark and damaged the Lincoln. Only one of the Beetle was salvageable. It was sad and funny at the same time.
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Esprit bird 7:19AM (9/18/2007)
Man thank goodness they weren't Monza's huh?
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BILL 10:10AM (9/18/2007)
The Chevy Vega was one really bad car. I test drove a new one shortly after they came out. There was nothing about the car that made me willing to part with my Karmann Ghia. I do recall the need to use locktite to keep the head from vibrating off the incredibly rough running engine. It is cars like the Vega that have kept me from considering American cars since buying my one and only one - a new 1969 Pontiac Firebird. The Firebird developed engine problems in 15,000 miles, so I traded it for the Karmann Ghia.
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beken 1:00PM (9/18/2007)
"Vegas left in a barn to rust"
Truth is, they didn't need to be left in a barn to rust. They rusted in the showroom. A Vega (though not a Cosworth) was my very first car. I had to tinker with the engine every week and after about 20K miles, I had to add a quart of oil every two weeks. For a gearhead, it was fun to own something as terrible as it was easy to tinker with. At 45,000 miles, I rebuilt the engine and inserted steel liners in the cylinders as a high school shop project. I still got 112,000 miles out of it before I sold it.
It was a terrible car, but I sure learned a lot about auto mechanics with it.
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