The Chevrolet Chevette was never considered sophisticated or advanced, but it gave General Motors a cheap and uncomplicated subcompact to sell during a rough period. Chevettes were as commonplace on American roads during the late 1970s and early 1980s as are, say, Corollas today, but now nearly all have disappeared. Here's one that beat the odds and lasted all the way to age 38.
Close cousin to such cars as the Opel Kadett C, Isuzu Gemini, and Vauxhall Chevette, the Chevette got the job done in efficient, if uncomfortable and slow, fashion. South American Chevette production continued well into the late 1990s.
The Chevette was very cheap to produce and got pretty decent fuel economy, so it was available in the United States through the 1987 model year, at which point it must have been the most technologically obsolete new motor vehicle available in the country (including the wretched Yugo GV). This one appears to have had a recent rebuild of its 70-horsepower 1.6-liter Isuzu SOHC four-cylinder engine.
New US-market vehicles were allowed to have 85-mph speedometers in 1979, but GM decided to be realistic with the Chevette's speedo.
The 1979 Chevette four-door hatchback listed at $3,914 in 1979, or just over $14 grand in 2017 dollars. The cheapest possible Chevy Nova four-door had an MSRP of $4,290, and it was much thirstier. Meanwhile, a 1979 Datsun 210 sedan was priced at $4,589. You'd have to get something like a $3,775 Fiat 128 sedan to beat the Chevette's price tag on a four-door commuter in 1979.
This one is on the bare-bones side, with a four-speed manual transmission and no air conditioning.
It does have sporty stripes, though.
Related Video:
Close cousin to such cars as the Opel Kadett C, Isuzu Gemini, and Vauxhall Chevette, the Chevette got the job done in efficient, if uncomfortable and slow, fashion. South American Chevette production continued well into the late 1990s.
The Chevette was very cheap to produce and got pretty decent fuel economy, so it was available in the United States through the 1987 model year, at which point it must have been the most technologically obsolete new motor vehicle available in the country (including the wretched Yugo GV). This one appears to have had a recent rebuild of its 70-horsepower 1.6-liter Isuzu SOHC four-cylinder engine.
New US-market vehicles were allowed to have 85-mph speedometers in 1979, but GM decided to be realistic with the Chevette's speedo.
The 1979 Chevette four-door hatchback listed at $3,914 in 1979, or just over $14 grand in 2017 dollars. The cheapest possible Chevy Nova four-door had an MSRP of $4,290, and it was much thirstier. Meanwhile, a 1979 Datsun 210 sedan was priced at $4,589. You'd have to get something like a $3,775 Fiat 128 sedan to beat the Chevette's price tag on a four-door commuter in 1979.
This one is on the bare-bones side, with a four-speed manual transmission and no air conditioning.
It does have sporty stripes, though.
Related Video:
Featured Gallery Junked 1979 Chevrolet Chevette
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