The Chevrolet Chevette is a front-engine, rear-drive subcompact manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1976–1987 as a three-door or five-door hatchback. Introduced in North America in September 1975, the Chevette superseded the Vega as Chevrolet's entry-level subcompact.
Production reached 2.8 million over 12 years,
Overview
The Chevette used General Motors' global rear-drive T platform which was co-developed by Opel and Isuzu in 1973. The first to use the T platform was the Brazilian Chevrolet Chevette released in 1973. Six months later the Opel Kadett C was released in Europe. Worldwide, GM manufactured and marketed more than 7 million the New York Times said the "little American car holds its own with the foreigners."
Marketed as "Chevrolet’s New Kind of American Car," the Chevette was of a conventional design: featuring unibody construction, rear-drive and a live rear axle. Looking back on the Chevette in 2011, the New York Times called the Chevette "haphazardly made, sparsely trimmed and underpowered." Consumer Guide described the Chevette as “unimaginative to an extreme.” Chevrolet began developing the Chevette on December 24, 1973. It was a response to the federal CAFE standards and the 1973 oil crisis. The Chevette was prompted by GM's Energy Task Force, which arose out of the crisis and the resultant shift in consumer demand to smaller, foreign vehicles boasting greater fuel efficiency.
The Chevette was based on GM's World Car, Project 909 – what would become the T-car program, so named because the vehicles shared GM's T platform. With the well-known problems of its predecessor, the Vega, including production, reliability and corrosion issues, the team reworked the international platform for the Chevette, ultimately sharing no actual body panels with other T-platform variants. The underbody was reworked extensively to enhance corrosion protection.
The first North American Chevette, a low level trim two-door hatchback marketed as the Chevette Scooter, was assembled on August 18, 1975 and officially introduced on September 16, in Washington, DC, with the first models going on sale on October 2, just after new legislation-mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. With initial projected sales of 275,000 units in its first year, Global T-car sales surpassed 7 million in the end.
Canadian model: Pontiac marketed a rebadged variant in Canada as the "Acadian". In addition to being the smallest, most fuel-efficient car marketed by Chevrolet, the Chevette was the lightest car marketed in the U.S. The EPA rated the base 1.4-liter engine at city and highway. Chevrolet claimed that the Chevette's turning circle () was one of the smallest in the world and that it was essentially a "metric" car, "international in design and heritage". The 1976–1978 Chevettes can be identified by round headlights. Chrome-rimmed, tricolor taillights were used from 1976 to 1979.
Rally and Woody trim: the Rally 1.6 included a 1.6-liter (98 cu in) engine in lieu of the 1.4-liter (85 cu in) overhead-cam four-cylinder, rated at instead of , along with a rear stabilizer and special body graphics. The Chevette Woody (1976) featured simulated wood-grain siding and upgraded interior and exterior trim.
Scooter trim: the least expensive Scooter trim carried a $2,899 suggested retail price () and was substantially decontented; equipment included only two front passenger seats and an optional rear seat, deletion of most exterior chrome, painted rather than chrome bumpers, an open glove box, black carpeting, black instrument panel, door-pull straps in lieu of arm rests, fiberboard door panels, fender without antenna accommodation, side and rear decals instead of cast metal emblems, untinted glass and deleted sun visor and passenger seat fore-aft adjustment. The Scooter model created a controversy at introduction, with critics contending the trim level was only marketed to allow a lower advertised price, but without a true intention to sell many. Lee Iacocca subsequently announced Ford would introduce its Pinto Pony MPG model, undercutting the Scooter price by $4 and including a back seat. GM contended the Scooter model was a genuine "urban utility" vehicle, and sold approximately 5% of all production in Scooter trim with 9,810 Scooter models manufactured, compared to 178,007 regular hatchbacks.Ultimately the Scooter competed with other similarly decontented models from competing manufacturers, e.g., the Volkswagen Beetle Type 110, and Dodge Colt Coupe M/M Mileage Maker.
thumb|left|1977 Chevrolet Chevette two-door hatchback
1977: For 1977, the engines were and . The Scooter hatchback included a rear seat, with a rear-seat delete option. The Sandpiper trim package included a “reef”-patterned interior, deluxe door trim, cream gold or antique white exterior colors, and an exterior Sandpiper logo just behind each door.
1978: For 1978, a new four-door hatchback used a wheelbase, two inches longer than the two-door – ultimately accounting for more than half of the Chevette's nearly 300,000 sales. All models featured a revised grille with a grid design, while the chrome grille and headlight frames became standard. The 1.4-liter engine and Woody package were dropped with a fuel door added. A TH-180 automatic transmission was added to replace the THM-200 series automatic. An "HO" (high output) version was available in addition to the standard 1.6-liter, featuring a modified head and a larger valves-cam profile. The HO package also included a dual-outlet exhaust manifold. Prices were dropped and more standard equipment was added for 1978. Air conditioning, radial tires, an AM/FM radio, and power brakes were optional.
1979: For 1979, the Holley two-barrel carburetor became standard on all models. The front fascia was revised with a flat hood, no longer wrapping down to the bumper. New for 1979 was a large chrome grille with Chevrolet's "bow-tie" emblem and rectangular headlights. A new air-injection system was introduced to improve catalytic-converter function at idle. An active passenger-restraint system was introduced in small numbers as an option which featured a lower hanging dashboard, automatic seatbelts, and a center-dash console. Chevette sales totaled more than 451,000 units – a figure that would rank it second only to Chevrolet's new Citation, which had a much longer model run (sales had started in April 1979). Consumer Guide testers managed "an honest 29 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway".
1980: For MY 1980 rear fascia was revised with a squared-off hatch, wraparound taillights with combined, single-colored turn signals, and a round gas-filler door. Unable to comply with U.S. emissions requirements, GM engineers GM requested and received an EPA waiver of the 1981 and 1982 carbon monoxide standards (waiver 45 FR 49877–49900), noting that catalytic converter and air pump for the 1.6-liter carbureted four-cylinder engine could not meet the impending standard, and that the company faced prohibitive hardship if the waiver wasn't granted to allow more time to comply.
1981 In August 1981, a diesel engine option was new with a late 1981 availability – this is a 1.8-liter Isuzu unit only available coupled to an Isuzu five-speed. The powertrain is the same as was installed in the Isuzu I-Mark. It was not available with air conditioning. The T1000 also had additional fresh-air vents at the outer ends of the dashboard. The Chevette's price was also dropped to $4,995. Sales fell to just over 46,000 units, and production ended on December 23, 1986.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Chevrolet Chevette production figures
!
!3-door hatch
!5-door hatch
!Total
|-
|1976
|187,817
| -
|187,817
|-
|1977
|133,469
| -
|133,469
|-
|1978
|131,204
|180,598
|311,802
|-
|1979
|160,244
|208,865
|369,109
|-
|1980
|187,684
|261,477
|449,161
|-
|1981
|169,832
|250,616
|420,448
|-
|1982
|87,586
|145,222
|232,808
|-
|1983
|71,464
|98,101
|169,565
|-
|1984
|115,973
|127,927
|243,900
|-
|1985
|57,909
|65,590
|123,499
|-
|1986
|48,880
|54,364
|103,244
|-
|1987
|26,135
|20,073
|46,208
|-
!Total
!1,378,197
!1,412,833
!<u>2,791,030</u>
|}
Electrovette
In 1978, General Motors Advanced Engineering developed a concept car, the Electrovette, based on the Chevette, but using an electric motor powered by lead-acid batteries. It was a strict two-seater and sat on a shortened wheelbase, with the batteries mounted in the rear. The car had a range of about at , and a top speed of .
Leata Cabalero
A luxury variant of the Chevette, the Leata Cabalero, was manufactured and marketed for model years 1976 and 1977 by Stinebaugh Manufacturing Company, founded by Donald E. Stinebaugh (1916–1992) with his son Leonard D. "Sonny" Stinebaugh (1946–2001) in Post Falls, Idaho. Donald Stinebaugh named the car after his wife Hilda (Erickson) Stinebaugh, giving the car her nickname, Leata – a misspelling of lita, Norwegian for "little" in feminine form.
The Leata featured power windows, power seat and cruise control – as well as baroque styling with custom fiberglass body panels, round headlights in square bezels, a rectangular "classic" grille, and heavily styled fenders; 97 were made either in pickup or hatchback body styles.
Latin America
The Chevrolet Chevette was first launched by General Motors (Brazil) in 1973 as a two-door sedan. A four-door sedan followed in April 1978, and then a three-door hatchback was added in November 1979. The hatchback had unique bodywork for Latin America, longer than the European Kadett City and with a notch at the base à la the period Ford Escort. A three-door station wagon version, called the Marajó in Brazil, was added in September 1980, as was a sporting version of the hatchback called the 1.6 SR (with a mere four more horsepower, achieved by a somewhat higher compression ratio). In 1983, the Chevette received a thorough facelift with rectangular headlights, with the turn signals located underneath the headlights, a flatter hood, and a single-piece grille. The dash was also new, as were ventilation windows in the front doors. Mechanically, the 1.6 was now also available to run on gasoól and a five-speed manual gearbox was available as an option.
The Latin American Chevettes underwent a series of facelifts, in 1978, 1983, and a major one in 1987, which meant new headlights and a black plastic grille. Where available, the station wagon used the Chevette name outside of Brazil.
thumb|left|Brazilian-built Chevette SL sedan, 1981
The hatchback remained in production until 1988, while the Marajó continued to be available until 1989. Marajó is an island located at the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil. The four-door sedan version was built until 1989, mainly for export to other Latin American countries. The two-door sedan remained in production until 1993, only outlived by the pickup version (Chevy 500), which continued until 1994 after having been first launched in 1983. The four-door sedan continued to be built for a few more years in Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.
The Chevette originally appeared with a 1.4-liter single overhead cam inline-four. In 1981 this was augmented by a locally developed 1.6-liter version, it too with a single carburetor. The Brazilian 1.4 and 1.6 were similar to but not the same as the EPA compliant North American 1.4 and 1.6. For 1988, the 1.6 gained a twin-carb setup and now produced rather than the in earlier version. This engine remained available until the end of Brazilian Chevette production. The lower-powered 1.4 was only available for gasohol as of 1981 and was discontinued entirely after 1982. A gasohol-powered version of the 1.6 appeared in its stead for 1983.
As a tax cut for sub-1-liter cars appeared in late 1990, General Motors do Brasil responded with the 1.0-litre "Chevette Junior" for early 1992. This used a narrow-bore, short-stroke version of the OHC engine with a catalytic converter. The Junior did not do particularly well in the market, competing against the much more modern Fiat Uno Mille, Volkswagen Gol, and Ford Escort Hobby. Being rather underpowered and heavy at , with a top speed of , the 1.0 had a brief sales life. It only remained available until 1993, after which the Corsa took over.
Around 1.6 million units were built in Brazil, with the Corsa replacing the Junior and the Chevrolet Kadett/Ipanema replacing the bigger-engined versions. About one quarter of the production was exported.
<gallery widths="220px" heights="145px">
File:GMC Chevette.JPG|GMC Chevette two-door (Argentina)
File:Marajo 1.4 sle 1989.jpg|1989 Marajó 1.6 SL/E
Late Chevrolet Chevy 500 in Cosmópolis.jpg|left|Chevrolet Chevy 500, late facelift version
File:Chevrolet BR 1.6 ohc engine (Chevette).jpg|Brazilian 1.6-litre OHC engine
File:GMB Chevrolet Chevette SL hatchback early.jpg|A unique hatchback version was also developed by GM do Brasil
</gallery>
Chevy 500
The Chevrolet Chevy 500 was the coupé utility version of the Brazilian Chevette. Launched in 1983, it was the precursor to the Classic/Corsa/Montana lineup of today. It competed with offerings from several other manufacturers, including the Fiat Fiorino, Ford Pampa, and Volkswagen Saveiro. Its payload was . Using the 1.6-liter OHC inline four rated at 70 hp, this model continued in production until 1994, and was the last Chevette version built in Brazil, where it was replaced by the coupé utility version of Chevrolet Corsa.
Grumett
Created by Horacio Torrendell, a fibreglass-bodied version (actually based on the Vauxhall Chevette's bodywork) called the Grumett was built in Uruguay. It was available either as a station wagon, as a pickup, a coupe, or as a double-cab pickup. This replaced an earlier version (since 1976) which used bodywork based on that of the Vauxhall Viva, as well as Vauxhall mechanics. By 1980 the Vauxhall parts had become impossible to import and Grumett switched to Chevette parts from Brazil. The Grumett used the original 1.4-liter version of the Chevette engine.