1975 Chevrolet Vega

The Chevrolet Vega was produced from 1970 to 1977 as a two-door hatchback, sedan (later named the notchback), sedan delivery, and wagon body styles. Power was from an inline four-cylinder engine utilizing aluminum alloy cylinder blocks. The engine was a joint effort by General Motors, Reynolds Metals, and Sealed Power Corp. using die-cast block technology. It was known as 'the world's tallest, smallest engine' because of its tall cylinder head. Unfortunately, the engine gained a reputation for its noise, vibration, and its tendency to overheat. By 1974, these issues had been resolved.

The Vega had a 97-inch wheelbase and a width of 65.4 inches. The early models had a 169.7-inch length, growing by three inches in 1973 due to the front 5 mph bumper. A further 5.7 inches were gained in 1974 due to the front and rear 5 mph bumpers. The suspension was comprised of a live rear axle, and short and long arms in the front, with lower control arms bushings. It had a low center of mass and a 53.2/46.8 weight distribution.

Upon its introduction, it was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1971. It soon earned a poor reputation due to a range of problems related to its safety, reliability, and engineering. It had a propensity to rust and was plagued with recalls.

Cosworth Vega
In 1970, General Motors' general manager and vice-president, John DeLorean, assigned engine designer Calvin Wade to travel to England to explore cylinder head technology that could improve the Vegas performance. A few months later, development work on a prototype Cosworth Vega engine began using a meager budget. It was completed in June of 1971 and the dual Holley-Weber two-barrel carburetor engine offered 170 horsepower. In 1972, General Motors President Edward Cole performed a comparison test of three Vegas using different engines. One was a standard base model, another had an all-aluminum small-block V8 engine, and the third was the Cosworth. Approval for the Cosworth engine soon followed and Wade began a 12-car development program to accumulate test mileage. In April of 1973, development was frozen and two examples were sent for EPA emission certification. It received its EPA emissions certification on March 14th of 1974, allowing the sale of 1975 models. With a backlog of orders, production began immediately with 30 engines being hand-built per day.

A total of 2,061 examples of the Cosworth Vega were built in 1975, all finished in black acrylic lacquer with gold 'Cosworth Twin Cam' letter on the rear cove panel and front fenders. Gold pinstriping helped accentuate the hood bulge, wheel openings, bodyside, and rear cove. Most examples were given black interiors, with about 16 percent receiving white vinyl interiors.

The following year, the Cosworth Vega received a wider grill, extensive body anti-rust improvements, and tri-color tail lamps. Instead of the dual exhaust outlets seen on the 1975 models, the 1976 version had a single tailpipe. An optional Borg-Warner five-speed manual overdrive transmission with a 4.10 axle became available. An 8-track tape player and a 'Sky-Roof' with tinted reflectorized sliding glass was optional beginning in January. Eight exterior colors were offered, beginning in February that included Antique White, Dark Blue Metallic, Firethorn Metallic, Mahogany Metallic, Dark Green Metallic, Buckskin, Medium Saddle Metallic, and Medium Orange. Two interior color options included Firethorn and Buckskin

A total of 1,447 examples of the 1976 models were built. Total production of 3,508 examples was made before production ended in 1976.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019