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Bring Back the Chevette! Seriously.
1976 Chevrolet Chevette
The Chevette was a piece of crap. Everyone knew it then, and most people recall it that way now. So, why would anyone wax poetic about a vehicle that was the very embodiment of American carmakers’ contempt for folks seeking small, inexpensive, reliable transportation? Because America needs crap cars too—or at least it used to.
5 Cheapest American Cars of 1977
1977 Ford Pinto
I was 12 years old in 1977, and the biggest news—really the ONLY news—of the year that was of any real consequence to me was the release of Star Wars. I still recall waiting for two hours with my shockingly patient parents in the lobby of the now-defunct Edens Theater in Northbrook, Illinois to secure tickets. I’m pretty sure this was the day the movie opened.
Chevrolet Electrovette Concept (foreground) and Chevette Turbo Injection. Both vehicles were based on the production Chevrolet Chevette. The Turbo Injection featured a turbocharged and fuel-injected version of the Chevette’s stock 1.6-liter engine. It made 100 horsepower–37 more than the standard mill.
This is an installment in a series of posts looking back on show cars that we feel deserved a little more attention than they got. If you have a suggestion for a Forgotten Concept topic, please shoot us a line or leave a comment below.
1980 Mercury Bobcat
There are few emotional influences more powerful than nostalgia. To hear my mother tell it, for example, everything was better in the old country. Given the fact that mom’s childhood home lacked electricity, indoor plumbing, and access to Netflix, I’m pretty sure the fog of time is clouding her judgement somewhat.
What Was The Pontiac Firefly?
Most Americans have never heard of the Firefly, but Canadian consumers might well have considered purchasing one of these subcompact Pontiacs. A 1987 “Base” is shown.
Pontiac of Canada was well known for selling gently tweaked variations of Chevy products for exclusive distribution north of the border. The 1976-1987 Pontiac Acadian for example, was actually a retrimmed Chevrolet Chevette.
1953 Crosley by General Motors
By Frank Peiler
Time for another exercise in counterfactual automotive history. This time we ask the question: What would have happened if other carmakers had lent their designers to Crosley Motors to help style an all-new 1953 Crosley lineup?
Review Flashback! 1984 Pontiac Fiero
1984 Pontiac Fiero
In order to sell General Motors brass on the idea of building a small, two-seat coupe, Pontiac marketing types made a few interesting concessions.
1986 Chevrolet Chevette
By 1986, car shoppers were looking for a little more than basic transportation. And while cheap/affordable cars were still the best-selling models, they were generally equipped with such conveniences as automatic transmission and such niceties as FM radio and air conditioning.
1987 Dodge Colt Vista
Based anecdotally on conversations I’ve had recently, a good number of people believe that many American-brand vehicles are built by foreign companies. I actually heard one person claim, “They’re all built by the Chinese now anyway.” Sadly, I was related to this person.
The 12 Slowest Cars of 1983*
1983 Imperial
As a follow up to our The 10 Slowest Cars of 1981* post, we examine the state of new-car acceleration two years later. As it turns out, things did improve, but not probably as dramatically as shoppers at the time would have liked.
