The Consequential, Import Fighting Chevy Vega

Andy Zain
September 10, 2009

The near-decade of the Chevy Vega kicked off in the 1970 model year and ended its run after the 1977 market offering, when General Motors decided to put an end to its run. Sadly, it seems the vehicle -- though innovative for its time -- was never given all the pieces it needed to make a long go of things.

What was impressive for the day, though, was the Chevy designers and engineers were able to take the car from the drawing board to the showroom in only 24 months, which set a record for speed in a General Motors that was hidebound and slow to react. It sported a variety of 2-door styles, including a panel truck-type version.

Considering the compact nature of the vehicle and the manufacturer's intent for it, which was that it be an import fighter and a vehicle that would be Chevy's offering for first-time car buyers who were of limited means, the Vega carved out a place for itself quite ably, even if it wasn't ultimately deemed a success.

The car proved a great success, also, becoming one the ten best-selling cars in the nation by 1974. The weakness of the engines offered - both in horsepower and in material structure - though, led to the public perceiving the vehicle to be of poor quality. The aluminum block, which was designed for weight savings, had a number of issues early on, though those were largely eliminated by later in its life.

Eventually, the little 4 cylinder mills that were offered proved to be the car's undoing due to their poor quality -- at least initially -- and mediocre performance. Some years into production Chevy began making a similar vehicle called the Monza that was made on the Vega's platform and soon enough, the company put an end to the Vega, with 1977 being the last call for the little 2-door. The Monza itself was put to bed in 1980.

Even though the Vega is today slightly more appreciated for what it was meant to do, most experts feel that it highlighted almost everything that was wrong with American car manufacture in the 1970s, though the car did bring more than a few innovations in styling and technology, including fuel injection and widespread use of lighter materials that are taken for granted today.

The Chevy Vega in all its different styles proved consequential in a number of ways for the company and its parent, General Motors. It made it to market in only 2 years from conception, which was quite impressive for an age when it could be several years before a model might see the light of day. This is probably the signal achievement of the once-notable Vega.

Andy Zain is the admin of Chevy Vega Forum , a place where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Chevy Vega. Get the information you need when you visit Chevy Truck Forum

Source:  Amazines.com