Another GM attempt to compete against small, inexpensive imports. And, again, this one wasn't a market flop. In fact, the Chevette was the best-selling small car in America for the 1979 and 1980 model years. Ultimately, 2.7 million were produced over its lifetime.
But it is remembered today for being mechanically troubled, poorly constructed and underpowered, a sad reminder of the trouble Detroit automakers had (and still have) in responding to the flood of small, cheap cars from Japan. The attempt to piggyback on "Corvette" with the clever Chevette label only made things worse. Why draw attention to meager performance by trying to pretend there's some relationship to Chevrolet's legendary sports car?
Correction: An earlier version of this gallery had an incorrect year for the start of Chevette production. We regret the error.
