Chevrolet Vega
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| Chevrolet Vega<tr><td colspan=2>Image:Cosworth Vega.jpg</tr>
<tr><th>Also called:<td>Pontiac Astre</tr> | |
| Manufacturer: | General Motors<tr><th>Production:<td>1971–1977</tr><tr><th>Predecessor:<td>Chevrolet Corvair</tr><tr><th>Successor:<td>Chevrolet Monza Chevrolet Chevette Pontiac T1000 (For the Astre.) Pontiac Acadian (For the Astre.) Pontiac Sunbird (For the Astre.)</tr><tr><th>Class:<td>Subcompact</tr><tr><th>Body style:<td>2-door coupe 2-door station wagon 3-door hatchback</tr><tr><th>Platform:<td>FR H-body</tr><tr><th>Engine:<td>122 in³ Cosworth I4 140 in³ 2300 I4 151 in³ Iron Duke I4</tr><tr><th>Transmission:<td>3-speed manual 4-speed manual 5-speed manual 2-speed automatic 3-speed automatic</tr><tr><th>Wheelbase:<td>97.0 in (2464 mm)</tr><tr><th>Length:<td>169.7 in (4310 mm)</tr><tr><th>Similar:<td>Ford Pinto AMC Gremlin Volkswagen Beetle Toyota Corolla</tr> |
|---|---|
The Chevrolet Vega was a subcompact car sold from 1971 through 1977. Available in sedan, coupe and station wagon body styles (officially referred to as the Notchback, Hatchback and Kammback, respectively), it was based on the GM H platform. It was followed by the 1975 to 1980 Chevrolet Monza. The similar Pontiac Astre was available in Canada from 1973 through 1977, and in the U.S. from 1975 through 1977. The Vega was Motor Trend's Car of the Year for 1971.
The Vega was introduced as part of "Big Three" (GM, Ford, Chrysler) automakers' second foray into the subcompact car market to compete directly with the aging Volkswagen Beetle, but more importantly with Japanese imports from Toyota and Datsun that were garnering steadily increasing sales. Ford's and GM's first attempt at confronting the entry-level imports in the fall of 1960 produced the Ford Falcon and the ill-fated Chevrolet Corvair.
Most Vegas and Astres were equipped with a 2.3 L "2300" SOHC I4. The standard engine used either a single-barrel carburetor which produced about 70 hp, or a 2-barrel option which boosted output to 85 hp. These engines had cast iron heads with aluminum-silicon cylinder blocks without iron sleeves; a wear surface for the piston was created by etching the cylinder bore with an electrochemical process. Early models overheated due to poor cooling channel design. The 2300 engine typically burned oil not due to cylinder wear (which was the rumor) but instead due to poorly designed valve stem seals.
An exception was the limited-edition 1975 to 1976 Cosworth Vega, which used a fuel-injected DOHC 2.0L 16-valve version of the engine designed by Cosworth Engineering in England, and built by Chevrolet at its Tonawanda engine plant. Another exception was the 1977 model Astre, which was equipped with the 2.5 L Iron Duke engine.
The Vega was one of the first automobiles that GM produced that made extensive use of robotic welding equipment.
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[edit] Problems
Forgotten today is that the Vega was a strong seller, especially in the wake of the Arab Oil Embargo, which drove Americans away from traditional large cars in favor of smaller compacts such as Vega, Ford Pinto, AMC Gremlin, and especially Japanese imports. Consumer Reports rated a 1971 Vega above the Pinto and the Gremlin, but had reservations about the Vega's workmanship. Although Chevrolet sold over two million Vegas during its lifetime, the car was plagued with poor reliability and several highly publicized design problems including carburetor fires, engine overheating problems, and premature body rust, which began to affect sales after 1974. The Vega was later dubbed as "the car that began rusting on the showroom floor". Labor/management strife at its Lordstown, Ohio production plant added to the car's woes. Its rival counterpart, the Ford Pinto, was known for ruptured fuel tanks, where the Vega's own defects were the oil-burning engine and body corrosion. To dispel the Vega's sagging sales and reputation, Chevrolet made many internal improvements to the 140 in³ four-cylinder engine for the 1976 model year, and backed this engine with an unprecedented "5-year, 60,000-mile warranty" at a time when most new cars and their drivelines were backed by one-year, 12,000-mile warranties. By that time, the Vega's sales were sagging further due to new competition from two new small Chevrolet models, including the sportier Vega-derived Monza, and the smaller Chevette, which essentially replaced the Vega as Chevy's entry-level model and import-fighter.
In a book later published by John DeLorean who was then president of Chevrolet, he indicated that the prototype car literally fell apart just eight miles into its first road test. Delorean claimed that the car had been designed by GM engineers rather than Chevrolet engineers and said that the car had been forced upon Chevrolet by GM management. He also criticized the engine saying that it, "looked like it had been taken off a 1920 farm tractor."
All these well publicized problems combined with a string of recalls hurt public perception and sales. Forbes Magazine included the Vega on its list of the worst cars of all time.
[edit] Production
Vegas sold very well despite their problems, many of which were eventually corrected. In total, 2,154,434 Vegas and Astres were built from 1971 through 1977. A large majority of these were produced at the Lordstown Assembly plant, but some were also built at Saint Therese Assembly in Quebec.
| Year | Vega | Cosworth | Astre | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 277,700 | - | - | 277,700 | All 1971 models known as "Vega 2300" |
| 1972 | 394,592 | - | - | 394,592 | "2300" portion of name dropped. |
| 1973 | 395,792 | - | - | 395,792 | New front bumper and emissions equipment. First year for Canadian Astre. |
| 1974 | 452,887 | - | - | 452,887 | New nose (similar to the one used on the 1974 Camaro), taillights and bumpers. |
| 1975 | 204,178 | 2,062 | 64,601 | 270,841 | First year of the U.S. Astre and Cosworth Vega; Chevrolet Monza introduced. |
| 1976 | 159,077 | 1,446 | 50,384 | 210,907 | Pontiac Sunbird and Chevrolet Chevette introduced. New grille and taillights. |
| 1977 | 78,402 | - | 32,788 | 111,190 | Last year for Vega and Astre. |
| Total | 1,962,628 | 3,508 | 147,773 | 2,113,909 |
The Vega wagon body continued through 1978 and 1979 under the Monza nameplate. About 29,000 additional vehicles were sold under this name. The hatchback body continued briefly in 1978 as the "Monza S", presumably to use up surplus supply of 1977 bodies.
[edit] Popular game show prize
The Vega was a popular prize on TV game shows in the U.S. during the 1970s. Some game shows that gave away Vegas as prizes included Let's Make A Deal, The Hollywood Squares, Wheel of Fortune, The Joker's Wild, Gambit, Truth or Consequences and many others. On the first broadcast of The Price Is Right to be hosted by Bob Barker, which aired September 4, 1972 on CBS, the first new car to be given away as a prize was a blue 1972 Chevrolet Vega Kammback wagon.
[edit] Trivia
- When the car was still in development, it was code-named "XP-887" within General Motors.
- To better position the Vega as an automobile that was inexpensive both to purchase and to maintain, Chevrolet published a do-it-yourself maintenance manual for owners.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Bob Gumm's V-8 Monza/Vega Site & Message Board
- H-Body.Org
- H-Body FAQ
- Cosworth Vega Owners Association
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