Vauxhall

The Vauxhall Chevette was developed as part of a global Chevrolet project to introduce a small, affordable car. Rather than creating an entirely new platform, General Motors chose to build on the existing design of the Opel Kadett C, adapting it for various markets. In the UK, the Chevette was first launched in 1975 as a three-door hatchback, a body style that Opel would only introduce later as the Kadett City. It wasn’t until Vauxhall expanded the Chevette range with saloon and estate versions that the close relationship between the British and German models became fully apparent. The Chevette was positioned as a practical and economical alternative in the small car segment and became one of the first British cars to offer a hatchback design, helping to popularise the format in the UK. It remained in production until the mid-1980s, when it was succeeded by the front-wheel-drive Astra, based on the next generation of the Opel Kadett.

See also: Opel Kadett