Vauxhall Chevette History
History
Launched in 1975, the Chevette was Vauxhall's version of GM's 'T-Car' small-car family, closely related to the Opel Kadett C, and gave Vauxhall a foothold in the new supermini class. Around 415,000 were sold in Britain across its life, with the three-door hatchback the best-known body.
Its performance legend is the rally homologation special: the Chevette HS (1978–1979) fitted a 2.3-litre 16-valve 'slant-four' producing about 135 hp, and the wide-arched, fibreglass-panelled HSR followed. The cars were genuinely competitive against Ford's Escort RS in late-1970s rallying.
Body styles
- Hatchback
- Saloon
- Estate
Notable special editions & performance variants
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Chevette HS
Group 4 rally homologation special with a 2.3-litre 16-valve engine (~135 hp); roughly 400 built.
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Chevette HSR
Wide-arched evolution of the HS with fibreglass panels and a bodykit ('Plastic Fantastic') for competition; very few built — sources vary, with roughly 33 to 50 cars made for the road, some converted from unsold HS examples.
Related models