The Vauxhall Chevette At 50 by Andrew Roberts

To see Richard Kemp’s splendid Chevette L is to be reminded of the 50th birthday of this crucial Vauxhall. To celebrate, here are 50 Chevette facts:

1. Vauxhall introduced the Chevette in March 1975 at the Geneva Motor Show.

2. The Chevette was their interpretation of General Motors compact T-Car range, which commenced in 1973 with the Opel Kadett C.

3. Luton developed the hatchback body, and Wanye Cherry, Vauxhall’s Head of Styling, created the Chevette’s ‘shovel nose’.

4. The Chevette was so crucial to Vauxhall’s future that in November 1973 they commissioned a market research agency to despatch teams of interviewers to invite 700 potential buyers to a display at London’s West Centre Hotel.

5. The display featured nine cars, including a Chevette sans Vauxhall badging. The guests were asked to complete a questionnaire on three of the vehicles, with the Chevette always included in the list. 

6. On the 1st of May 1975 and James Hunt, then Vauxhall’s Brand Ambassador presented the first buyer, a driving instructor named Fred Hordsworth, with Chevette at a gala dinner.

7. Sales began on the 2nd of May 1975 and Vauxhall launched the Chevette with the slogan “It’s a lover; it’s a playpen, it’s a camper by the sea”.

8. The launch campaign deliberately targeted the 28 to 44 age group.

9. By the 2nd of May 1975, dealers could screen a ‘Mini Theatre’ presentation fronted by Rodney Bowes. “It’s lively. Its informative. It sells Chevette”, promised the marketing department at Luton. 

10. A red Chevette L famously appeared with Bewes in The Likely Lads film.

11. James Hunt also urged Britons to enter the ‘Chevette Economy Grand Prix’, with the prospect of wining £2,500.

12. Power for the Chevette was from the Viva HC’s 1,256cc engine. 

13. The Chevette’s boot was, according to Vauxhall, large enough to carry “a small St Bernard”.

14. Until 1978, the Chevette was the UK’s best-selling hatchback.

15. Richard Hudson-Evans of Thames Television’s Drive In thought the Chevette “the best Vauxhall for years” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZYkvJLhwWc

16. Autocar wondered if the Chevette represented “Vauxhall’s last chance of existence as an independent car designing and producing unit”.

17. Motor thought the new Chevette “an extremely good car”.

18. Car magazine regarded the Chevette as “suited to the needs of the British car market more than any other”. 

19. What Car wrote: “We prefer to be analytic rather than patriotic about the cars we test but the Chevette is good – being British is an extra reason for buying it”.

20. The Chevette L came with a “sports steering wheel” and Vauxhall’s very ‘1970s’ tartan cloth upholstery as standard. 

21. When Patrick Macnee fronted the Vauxhall 75th anniversary advertisements, he referred to the Chevettes as “clever little chaps”.

22. By 1976 the Chevette was also available as a two or four-door saloon, and a three-door Estate.

23. The Armed Forces were high-profile Chevette Estate customers.

24. Car thought the Estate suited to the needs of a driver who wanted “a really sure-footed, responsive vehicle which makes no special demands on his skill”.

25. Star Custom Vehicles of Ampthill created an array of limited edition Chevettes. Their ‘Black Watch’ had a subtle black and silver paint finish augmented by red graphics.

26. The Black Watch brochure urged motorists to “Travel first class at an economy price”.

27. In 1977 a Vauxhall dealer in Chester made a small number of Chevette Jubilees – an L in metallic silver with a Royal Blue (of course) flash and a vinyl roof 

28. September of 1979 saw a facelift with Cavalier-style flush fitting headlamps.  A few years earlier, Car wondered if the previous set-up would “fill up with snow in the winter.”

29. The Chevette debuted in the year that Vauxhall chair Bob Price decided rally victories were key to raising the marque’s profile.

30. Vauxhall developed the high-performance HS in collaboration with Blydenstein Racing.

31. Sales began in early 1978 and at £5,199, the HS was more expensive than the Triumph Dolomite Sprint at £4,898 and cost nearly £1,000 more than a Ford Escort RS2000.

32. Your friendly local Vauxhall dealer could boast a top speed of 117-mph and a 2.3 litre “Slant Four” engine with a 16-valve cylinder head and five-speed Getrag transmission. 

33. Autocar found the HS “a taut, responsive little machine that begs to be driven hard” and L.J.K Setright wrote: “the really outstanding thing about the Chevette 2300 HS is that it alone feels capable of a lot more.”

34. For 1980, Vauxhall made 50 of the even more potent ‘HSR’. It gained the nickname the ‘Plastic Fantastic’ due to its GRP bonnet, tailgate and front and rear wings.

35. The dealer Mamos created the HSX with a black rather than silver paint finish, a steel-reinforced front spoiler, special alloy wheels and a more luxurious cabin. Only ten are believed to have been ordered.

36. When HS production ended in 1981, it had achieved 14 international rally victories plus the British Open Championship.

37. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the performance spectrum, Vauxhall introduced the Chevette E in 1976 to rival the Ford Escort Popular.

38. The Chevette E equipment included a “‘front ashtray”, a “driver’s sun visor”, a “‘Rear view mirror”, “Vynide trim”, a “Boot Mat" and “Sound insulation”.

39. 1976 also marked the introduction of the Bedford Chevanne, powered by a low-compression version of the familiar 1,256cc engine, which meant an operator could use two-star fuel. 

40. Commercial Motor thought the Chevanne “very well equipped with deep pile carpeting and cloth-faced seats”, and “good value at £1,866”.

41. In 1979 Opel replaced the Kadett C with the FWD D-series. However, despite Vauxhall introducing the Astra version of the Kadett D that November, they decided to retain the Chevette. One reason was unions’ fear that the company would only use Ellesmere Port for assembling kits sent from Opel rather than car manufacture.

42. In a strange twist of fate, Opel imported 12,332 Chevettes from October 1980 onwards. These wore neither Opel nor Vauxhall badges and appealed to German motorists who preferred rear-wheel-drive.

43. Back in the UK, the limited-edition Sun Hatch of June 1980 came with a sunroof, “sports wheels” and tinted glass as well as “driving flair and extra value”.

44. In October 1980 Vauxhall introduced the ES - ‘Economy Special’, which had even less equipment than the E. 

45. Barry Took promoted the ES in television and cinema commercials as being able to ‘park on a sixpence’. 

46. By May 1981, fashion-conscious buyers could order the limited edition Chevette Black Pearl – i.e. an ES with black paintwork and exciting silver strobe stripes.

47. The limited edition Chevette Silhouette of January 1982 continued this theme. 

48. Motor noted of a late-model 1.3L: “As a driver’s car, the Chevette still takes some beating”.

49. Chevette production ended in January 1984.

50. All Chevette drivers are urged not to copy Tony Aitken and Roger Sloman in this famous commercial: 

With thanks to Richard Kemp for his time and for permission to use the images in this blog.