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 Introduced in North America in September 1975, the Chevette superseded the Vega as Chevrolet's entry-level subcompact.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, and the Chevette was the best-selling small car in the U.S. for model years 1979–1980. It was the first American car built to metric measurements, and also the first American car to feature a diagnostic plug for pinpointing service issues.
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 T-cars – either as rebadged models or locally-built versions in different countries. T-platform variants were marketed internationally as the Pontiac Acadian in Canada; Pontiac T1000/1000 in the United States (1981–1987); K-180 in Argentina; Vauxhall Chevette in the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Uruguay; Opel Kadett C in Germany; Isuzu Gemini in Japan, Holden Gemini in Australia; AYMESA Cóndor in Ecuador (from 1978); Saehan Gemini and Daewoo Maepsy in South Korea; and as a coupe utility (pickup), the Chevy (or GMC) 500 in Brazil and South America. A T-platform variant remained in production in South America through 1998.
Introduced with a full-color nationwide campaign in 140–150 of the country's largest daily papers, 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.”
Development Under the direction of chief engineer John Mowrey, 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 Chevette's 1.4-liter base iron-block engine weighed 59 lb less than the Vega's much-heralded aluminum-block engine. GM reportedly saved 8-12 months in development time by piggybacking the Chevette's development on the T Platform.
The first North American Chevette, a low level trim two-door hatchback marketed as the Chevette Scooter, was assembled on August 18, 1975 "Idea For Chevette Spawned In '73", GM press release in Latrobe (PA) Bulletin, October 2, 1975, p. 18 ("the first of hundreds of thousands of little three-door autos that are the smallest made in large volume in the United States since the Crosley.") and officially introduced on September 16, in Washington, DC, with the first models going on sale on October 2,"Chevy Unveils Chevette, New Subcompact", GM press release to Buffalo Evening News, September 16, 1975, p. 40 just after new legislation-mandated Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. With initial projected sales of 275,000 units in its first year, numbers were cut in half as the price of oil stabilized. Production reached 2,793,353 over its 12 model years 1976–1987. Global T-car sales surpassed 7 million in the end. The last Chevette was manufactured on December 23, 1986, at Lakewood Assembly – following the end of production at Wilmington Assembly in September, 1985. The last Chevette manufactured was a light-blue two-door hatchback shipped to a Chevrolet dealer in Springdale, Ohio.
The T-car had been launched internationally in Brazil under the Chevette name in 1973, as a two-door sedan and ultimately a four-door sedan, a two-door hatchback, and a two-door station wagon (named Marajó), as well as a utility (named the Chevy 500), produced until 1994.
Initial features and annual updates
The Chevette itself was initially available only as a two-door hatchback with a 1.4-liter or 1.6-liter OHV gasoline inline-four engine. Engines produced from , subsequently , driving the rear wheels through a standard four-speed manual transmission. A three-speed automatic transmission was an available option. Other features included rack-and-pinion steering, front disc brakes, front stabilizer bar, 13-inch tires, tricolor taillights, front bucket seats, an onboard diagnostic system, extensive acoustic insulation, a single steering column-mounted stalk (integrating controls for signal indicators, wipers, and windshield washers), and factory options including swing-out rear quarter windows, AM/FM radio, analog clock, delayed wipers, and a chrome "Bright Package". Front seats featured inertia locking mechanisms that enabled entry and exit adjustment of the front seatback without using a separate release.
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 Editors of Consumer Guide 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.
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. New styled-steel wheels with center caps were offered, and the previous wheel and hubcap design was discontinued. Domestic models received a new computer command control feedback system on gasoline engines. The HO option was discontinued. Electronic spark timing was used on 1981 models in place of mechanical timing advance. A new engine cylinder head design (swirl-port) was introduced to improve low-end torque and fuel economy. The Pontiac T1000 was introduced in the spring of 1981 for both the U.S. and Canadian markets, which shared all body stampings with the Chevette, featuring a chrome center with black-trimmed grille and headlight buckets, as well as standard chrome window trim with black area fill. The T1000 also had additional fresh-air vents at the outer ends of the dashboard. This gave Canadian Pontiac dealers 2 versions of the T-car: the Acadian and the T1000 (later, simply "1000") concurrently from 1981 to 1985. Power steering was a new option for the Chevette, as well as a 3.36 axle ratio (standard on T1000 models). The active passenger-restraint system was discontinued. New lighter-weight bucket seats were introduced that lacked much of the lower support of the heavier "panned" seats. A new adhesive-based, thinner windshield seal replaced the lock-ring type.