Vauxhall Chevette

Development

The Chevette, as its name implies, was intended to be a small ('baby') Chevrolet. At the same time as the Chevette project was being considered in America, Vauxhall Motors publicised a new design project, provisionally referred to as the 'Baby R', but this was not used. Instead a common design was chosen for all markets based upon an existing vehicle, the Opel Kadett. The car was first launched in Brazil in 1973 as a slightly restyled Kadett with a hatchback added to the model range. This hatchback was launched in the U.S. and Britain in 1975 with restyled front ends. Initial production was at Vauxhall's Luton, Bedfordshire factory, then Chevette assembly was moved to the Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire to allow production of the larger Cavalier and Carlton models to be moved to Luton from Opel plants in Belgium and Germany.

The UK version of the vehicle was intended to fit into the Vauxhall range below the Viva, and was initially presented only in its hatchback version, a style that became very popular during the 1970s. With its Pontiac-inspired 'shovel nose' and inset headlamps, the UK version looked radically different from the Opel Kadett and was accepted by the motoring public as a completely new car; when the saloon, estate car and van variants appeared and the hatchback was added to the Kadett lineup the common lineage became apparent. The Chevette was the first British-built hatchback of this size,; Ford did not respond with a similar product until the following year (their similar-sized offerings all having conventional rear boots).

Sales began on 1 May 1975 from a price of £1,593.

From 1975 until 1978, the Chevette was the UK's best selling hatchback as UK branded rivals failed to respond to the challenge of the imported Peugeot 104, Fiat 127 and Renault 5 until the arrival of Ford's Fiesta at the end of 1976. Chrysler UK did not launch its Chrysler Sunbeam until 1977, while it was only in 1980 that British Leyland came up with the Austin Metro. The Chevette also managed to outsell larger hatchbacks including the Austin Maxi and Chrysler Alpine.

The Chevette's 1.3 litre engine and relatively small bodyshell allowed for good performance. The Chevette had a light steering, clutch and gearchange, as well as good visibility and was spacious inside. The Chevette's success was probably due to its versatility, which compared well with larger cars like the Ford Escort. It was available in three-door hatchback for the single driver, and saloon models which suited families, estate car for the service fleets and the 'Chevanne', van version for all other utility purposes.

The original hatchback was launched in the UK using Vauxhall's slogan and musical 'jingle', which capitalised on its practicality and widespread appeal: "It's whatever you want it to be! - A sporty coupe, a family saloon, a handy estate...". It was made at the purpose built factory in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, under a government initiative to bring employment to the area.

More conventional 2- and 4-door saloons, and 3-door estate variants (essentially the Kadett C with Vauxhall front bodywork and engines) were also offered from June 1976. The two-door coupé version of the Kadett C was the only version of the Opel car not to have a Chevette equivalent.

The Viva remained on sale until the end of 1979, when the Opel Kadett D was launched. It was intended that this car would also be produced in America and the UK, as the second generation Chevette, but due to various industrial issues at the time GM decided to mothball most of the Ellesmere Port Plant, retaining only the assembly shop to build the new car. These would be produced from 'knock-down' kits shipped from Opel's Russelsheim plant. Due to the huge loss of workforce which this would entail, representations were made which resulted in the decision to continue production of existing models alongside the new. This meant that a new name would have to be found for Vauxhall's version of the new Opel Kadett, and so in March 1980 the Vauxhall Astra was born, replacing the Viva in the Vauxhall range, while the Chevette remained on sale until 1984. At this time, the planned mothballing of the major proportion of the Ellesmere Port plant went ahead as originally planned.

This longevity led to the Chevette being exported to Germany after 1979, following the discontinuation of the Kadett C to give German buyers the option of rear-wheel drive following the Kadett D's introduction; the Chevette was unusual as it still featured rear wheel drive, while most of its competitors were now driven by the front wheels. A further 12,332 Chevettes were sold through Opel dealers in Germany from October 1980; although they never actually carried Opel or Vauxhall branding, being badged simply as "Chevette". By this time, the Chevette was the only Vauxhall badged car to be sold in markets such as Mauritius and New Zealand; successor models assembled in the UK for sale in mainland Europe, such as the Astra, have been badged as Opels.

A van version, based on the estate and called the Bedford Chevanne was also built, and badged as part of GM's Bedford commercial vehicles marque.

Although the Chevette was essentially a rebranded Opel Kadett C with revised front-end (detailed below), it used the 1256 cc overhead valve (OHV) engine from the Viva HC instead of the Kadett's 1196 cc engines, which were produced by Opel. The Kadett's double wishbone front suspension, rear-wheel drive and rear suspension with Panhard rod, torque tube and coil sprung live axle were carried over unaltered. Inside, the two cars differed only in terms of their dashboard and switchgear: the Chevette stuck to the British & Japanese right-hand drive tradition of having the indicator switch on the right-hand side of the steering column, while the Kadett had the mainland European left-hand drive custom of the flasher stalk being on the left. The Chevette also had a much more angular instrument binnacle, although the instruments themselves were from the Kadett (though with imperial rather than metric scales).

The Chevette's front end featured a more aerodynamic-looking nose than the Kadett, based loosely on the design of the "droopsnoot" Firenza, itself said to be inspired by the Pontiac Firebird, a sister GM product. In contrast the Kadett had a more conventional flat-fronted design. In 1980, the Chevette underwent a facelift with flush fitting headlights, giving it a "family look" alongside the larger Vauxhall Cavalier version of the Opel Ascona B. Mechanical changes included the introduction of Bosch distributors, revised heater ducting and a simplified trhottle linkage. It also received new wheel designs, revised C-pillar vent covers and revamped interior trim with re-designed front seats to increase rear knee room marginally. However, it was effectively the beginning of a phase-out in favour of the newer Astra, Vauxhall's version of the front wheel drive Kadett D, which was launched in January 1980; although it was not produced in Britain until November 1981. The phasing-out of the Chevette continued in April 1983, when the hatchback model was discontinued due to the launch of the Spanish built Nova.

Production of the remaining saloon and estate versions finally finished in January 1984, although sales continued for about a year afterwards. A total of 415,000 Chevettes were sold in Britain.

Timeline (UK model range)

Austria

The Chevette was also sold in Austria, where it was also offered with the option of a low output version of the 1256 engine (49.5 bhp). The range included 2 & 4 door L saloon and Estate, GL 3 door Hatch, GLS 4 door saloon and 3 door Hatch.

Ecuador

The local factory AYMESA produced a version of the Chevette starting in 1978. This version was called AYMESA Cóndor. It had a glass fibre (fibreglass or glass reinforced plastic) body and a 1500 cc engine with the higher compression cylinder head from GM Brazil to compensate for the Andean altitudes.

France

The Chevette was also sold in France but it did not sell well against the Peugeots and Renaults of the time. The Chevette was the last Vauxhall sold in France.

On 6 December 1979 Vauxhall announced that they were withdrawing from 11 major European countries where Vauxhall and Opel models were sold together. This was to be completed by the end of 1981.

Germany

However within weeks of this announcement, Vauxhall said they would continue exporting Chevettes to Germany. At the time Opel had already started selling the Kadett D / Astra Mk1, but as it was felt that there was still a market for the previous rear wheel drive model the Chevette was sold through Opel dealers with a 1,256 cc 53 bhp N and a 57 bhp S Automatic. The only Vauxhall badging was the hub caps and steering wheel.

New Zealand

The Chevette was assembled in New Zealand between 1976 and 1981. All body styles that were available in the UK were sold. The first models built were three-door hatchbacks.

New Zealand had the Chevette as well as the Isuzu Gemini, while neighbouring Australia had only the Isuzu Gemini-based Holden Gemini. The Vauxhall 1256 OHV (from the Viva and Magnum) was the standard engine unit for all New Zealand Chevette models.

Most models were of "GL" specification and all had metric instrumentation. A lower trim Chevanne commercial fleet model was also offered, however unlike the European models it used the estate bodyshell - complete with side windows - and was badged as a Vauxhall.

In 1979 the New Zealand Chevette had a mechanical update not fitted to the European models, Holden-developed Radial Tuned Suspension and wider tyres, giving the car superior handling over its rivals.

At the beginning of 1980 the Chevette received the facelift which included flush mounted headlamps and various new interior appointments, including extra air vents and different seats, giving more legroom to the cars.

An additional base "E" model was introduced to the range in 1980, aimed at fleets and budget-minded buyers, using the four-door bodyshell. This car was incredibly spartan – fitted with plain wheels and vinyl seats – and lacked reversing lamps, hazard flashers, radio and many gauges.

Production of the New Zealand Chevette ceased in June 1981, when it was replaced by the Holden Gemini, which for the New Zealand market had initially been sold as an Isuzu in the mid-1970s and then been dropped before being reintroduced. The Chevette was the last British-sourced GM product to be assembled in New Zealand.

Sweden

The Chevette was also sold in Sweden. It entered the market for 1976, originally only as a hatchback so as not to compete too directly with the larger Viva. The range ended up a little different from that of the UK with the 2-door saloon and 3-door Estate only available in L spec and the Hatch and 4-door saloon only available in GLS spec - no E or GL models were offered, although the GL was originally planned.

Uruguay

In Uruguay, the Viva-based "Grumett" had been marketed since 1962. This was a 2+2 coupé utility based on the Viva HC, with imported metal doors and locally made fiberglass front and rear ends. A similarly constructed version of the Vauxhall Chevette was created to replace the original Grumett. However, this featured the 1.4 litre engine and mechanical underpinnings of the Brazilian Chevrolet Chevette. This was succeeded by a version which featured the Brazilian Chevette bodywork, although this time it was also available as a station wagon.

Chevette HS

In 1976, at the instigation of new chairman Bob Price, Vauxhall decided to increase their profile in international rallying. They developed a rally version of the Chevette in conjunction with Blydenstein Racing, who ran Dealer Team Vauxhall, the nearest equivalent to a 'works' (manufacturer run) competition team that GM policy would allow.

In order to compete in international rallying, the car had to be homologated; for Group 4, the class the HS was to compete in, this meant building 400 production vehicles for public sale. Vauxhall created a far more powerful Chevette variant by fitting the 2.3 litre Slant Four engine, using a sixteen valve cylinder head which Vauxhall was developing - though the rally cars used the Lotus 16-valve head until a rule change by the FIA banned them in 1978. Fitted with two Stromberg carburettors the engine developed 135 bhp. Suspension and rear axle were from the Opel Kadett C GT/E and the gearbox was a Getrag 5-speed. Chevrolet Vega Alloy wheels (similar in appearance to the Avon wheels used on the droopsnoot Firenza) were used, as well as a newly developed glass-reinforced plastic air dam. The result was a very fast and well handling, if rather unrefined, road car. Like the Droopsnoot Firenza, the HS was available only in silver, with red highlighting and a bright red, black and tartan interior; though (partly to help sell unsold vehicles) some cars were repainted in other colours, such the black Mamos Garage HS-X.

The HS became a great success as a rally car, clocking up notable wins for drivers such as Pentti Airikkala and Tony Pond. It was a challenge to the most successful rally car of the time, the Ford Escort, winning the British Open Rally Championship for Drivers in 1979 and for manufacturers in 1981. It was also successful in other national rally championships, such as Belgium's.

To keep the rally car competitive into the 1980s an evolution version, the Chevette HSR, was developed which was successful for several more years. The modified cars featured glass reinforced plastic (fibreglass) front and rear wings, spoiler, bonnet and tailgate (giving the HSR the nickname 'Plastic Fantastic'), revised suspension (particularly at the rear, where extra suspension links were fitted), and other minor changes. Group 4 evolution required a production run of 50 cars incorporating the new modifications; these were made by rebuilding unsold HSs and by modifying customers' vehicles. However, the merger of the Vauxhall and Opel marketing departments resulted in Dealer Team Vauxhall and Dealer Opel Team (DOT) joining to form GM Dealer Sport (GMDS); with the Chevette soon to be obsolete, Opel were able to force the cancellation of the HSR rally programme in favour of the Manta 400.

Chevette Blackwatch

This was a Special Edition Chevette made by Star Custom Vehicles, Station Road, Ampthill. They came with black and silver paint, red graphics, a plaque inside the door stating styles by Farina, sports steering wheel, flared arches and low profile wheels. 'Blackwatch' was written on the nose of the car and on the bottom of each door.

Chevette Grenadier

Also produced by Star Custom Vehicles, Station Road, Ampthill based on the Chevette L hatchback specification, with black, silver and Orchid livery, color impregnated front air dam, flexi rear spoiler, alloy wheels with locking option, head restraints, black four spoke sports steering wheel, centre console, burr walnut fascia, hinged glove box and door capping, removable tinted glass sun hatch, two wave band radio / stereo cassette player with door speakers.

Both the above special editions were created by Rob Darcus of Star Custom vehicles, who began developing special trim versions of standard models to help sell more vehicles when he was District Manager for Vauxhall in London. He and Vauxhall dealer Hamilton Motors set up the Star Custom Vehicles facility in Ampthill, Bedfordshire to carry out specialised paint work on Chevette 'dealer specials' (cars restyled and re-trimmed for the dealer network and not available as a standard trim from the manufacturer). Initially cars were supplied to the London dealers that Rob Darcus was responsible for; following interest from Vauxhall, the vehicles were supplied nationally.

Chevette Jubilee

This 1977 special edition was produced in Silver to commemorate the Queens Silver Jubilee in 1977.

Bedford Chevanne

The Bedford Chevanne was a small commercial vehicle based on the GM T platform Vauxhall Chevette estate. Unlike the Chevette it had a flat rear floor, no rear seats and panels in place of the side windows. It was introduced in September 1976. Intended as a replacement for the Bedford HA, the Chevanne was replaced by the Astravan before the HA was cancelled. It was fitted with the same 1256 cc inline-four as the Chevette (and the Bedford HA), although here it produced 39.3 kW (53.4 PS; 52.7 hp) with a 7.3 to 1 compression ratio. As part of making the Chevanne as car-like as possible, it was also available with a three-speed automatic transmission. The automatic also included a heavy-duty battery and front suspension, better carpeting, and a higher compression engine (8.7 to 1) with 42 kW (57.1 PS; 56.3 hp).

A similar T-Car variant existed in Australia, being the Holden Gemini van, which actually utilized the Chevanne's rear panels.