Planning and engineering for a General Motors "world car" began in 1970 by Adam Opel GmbH in Germany. Initially called "Project 1865", this family of GM cars was engineered to include many different body styles, accommodate several existing powertrains, and be inexpensive for customers to purchase and maintain. Plans were made to produce the vehicle in several locations all over the world, as a modern alternative to the outdated but popular Volkswagen Beetle. The program eventually became known as the "T" car platform.

The first production "T" car was a Chevrolet Chevette manufactured in Brazil during the spring of 1973. In autumn 1973, Opel began production of their “T” car, called the Opel Kadett. The first hatchback version of the “T” car was a Vauxhall Chevette built in the U.K. beginning in February, 1975.

All "T" cars had uni-body construction, with front-mounted engine and rear drive. Eventually, many variants of the "T" car were made; including 2-door and 4-door notchback sedans with conventional trunks (saloons), 2-door fastback coupes, 2-door and 4-door hatchbacks, 2-door station wagons (estates), and 2-door pickup trucks. A "van" version of the 2-door wagon was produced with no rear side windows. Opel produced a unique version of the car called the "Aero Kadett" which was a 2-door sedan with a removable roof panel over the front seats, a stationary targa roll bar, and a folding convertible top in the rear.

Originally, plans for the “T” car did not include producing or selling the car in the United States or Canada. Then the 1973 oil crisis created a dramatic shift in the marketplace. Suddenly, the large V-8 powered cars that were so popular among American consumers were sitting unsold on dealer lots. Chevrolet Motor Division investigated ways to quickly bring a new car to market that would meet the rising demand for economical cars. In early 1974, GM management approved plans to produce a version of the “T” car in America, to be marketed as the Chevrolet Chevette.

The exterior of the U.S. Chevette was similar to the Vauxhall Chevette 2-door hatchback, with changes to meet U.S. regulations such as 5-mph front and rear bumpers and sealed beam headlamps. It was determined that the Chevette engine would be based on an Opel overhead cam 4-cylinder design, instead of the cam-in-block engine that Vauxhall used in their version of the car. The Chevette was the first GM produced vehicle in the United States to use all Metric fasteners.

In an attempt to meet the tastes of American customers, several “upscale” options were made available on the Chevette, including a vinyl top, comfortilt steering wheel, and a Custom Exterior Trim Package with various chrome trim. There was even a “Woody” version, which had exterior vinyl wood appliqués similar to many station wagons of the era.

In September of 1975, Chevrolet unveiled the Chevette in Washington D.C. This location was chosen in part because the U.S. Congress has just recently passed legislation mandating Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automotive manufacturers. The Chevette went on sale in October, 1975 as a 1976 model, after being rushed into production in only 18 months.

The EPA fuel economy rating for the 1976 Chevette equipped with the 1.6 litre engine and manual transmission was 30 miles-per-gallon city and 39 highway. This compared quite favorably to the next smallest vehicle in the Chevrolet line up for 1976, the Vega, which was rated at 22 mpg city and 35 highway. The 2-door Vega was 600 pounds heavier, 17 inches longer, and 2 inches shorter than the Chevette. When the Chevette was introduced in America, it was the smallest Chevrolet ever produced, and accomplished GM's goal of having the most fuel efficient vehicle available in the country.

U.S. production of the Chevrolet Chevette started at GM's Wilmington Delaware Assembly Plant. As U.S. market demand grew for the economical little car, production was added at the Lakewood, Georgia Assembly Plant near Atlanta. All North American Chevette gasoline engines were produced at the Chevrolet "V-8" engine plant in Flint, Michigan.

The Chevette was the best selling car in America in 1979 and 1980, with total U.S. production exceeding 2 1/2 million units. World wide production of the "T" car totaled over 6 million units, making it GM’s first true global product. Below is a list of markets where the GM "T" car was sold, with the brand and model names used.

• Brazil: Chevrolet Chevette, Chevy 500 (pickup), Chevrolet Marajo’ (wagon)

• Germany/Europe: Opel Kadett "C", Opel Kadett City (2-door hatchback), Opel Aero Kadett (convertible), Opel Rallye (high-performance coupe)

• Argentina: Opel K-180, GMC 500 (pickup)

• Columbia/Chile: Chevrolet San Remo

• U.K.: Vauxhall Chevette, Bedford Chevanne (van)

• United States: Chevrolet Chevette, Pontiac T1000/1000, Opel by Isuzu/Buick Opel, Isuzu I-Mark

• Canada: Chevrolet Chevette, Pontiac Acadian, Pontiac T1000/1000

• Australia: Holden Gemini

• New Zealand: Vauxhall Chevette, Holden Gemini

• Japan: Isuzu Bellett Gemini

• South Korea: Saehan Gemini/Bird, Daewoo Maepsy, Saehan/Daewoo Max (Pickup)

• Malaysia: Opel Gemini

General Motors had an ownership interest of Isuzu Motors Limited, and Isuzu was involved in several "T" car initiatives. Isuzu produced a version of the car, and sold it in Japan as the "Isuzu Bellett Gemini". In 1976, American Buick/Opel dealers began marketing Isuzu produced "T" cars as the "Opel by Isuzu", and in later years the car was rebadged as the "Buick Opel". For the 1981 model year, Isuzu started their own U.S. dealer network, and sold a version of the car as the "Isuzu I-Mark." Isuzu produced "T" cars were exported to Malaysia and other countries as the "Opel Gemini". Holden, GM's Australian unit, installed Isuzu produced gasoline engines in their version of the "T" car called the Holden Gemini. From 1981 through 1986, an Isuzu diesel engine was used in the Holden Gemini and the U.S. produced Chevrolet Chevette.

In South Korea, the "T" car was originally produced by the General Motors Korea Company, Ltd. as the "Saehan Gemini" (called the "Saehan Bird" for export). There was a pickup truck version of the vehicle called the "Saehan Max". The South Korean company was later renamed "Daewoo Motor Company, Ltd." which produced a version of the "T" car named the "Daewoo Maepsy", and the "Daewoo Max" pickup from 1982 through 1988.

Vauxhall, GM's subsidiary in the U.K., produced the Vauxhall Chevette from 1975 through 1984. Vauxhall also produced a van version of the "T" car, called the "Bedford Chevanne", which was marketed by GM's Bedford commercial vehicles operation. When Opel switched over to production of the front-wheel-drive "Kadett D" in late 1979, there was still demand for inexpensive rear-wheel-drive cars in Germany and other European markets. The Vauxhall Chevette was exported into these markets to fulfill this demand. Vauxhall also produced a high performance variant of the 2-door hatchback called the "Chevette HS" which included a 2.3 litre, 16-valve four-cylinder engine, with upgraded brakes and suspension. The Vauxhall Chevette HS proved to be a success on the Rally car racing circuit.

The Vauxhall Chevette was produced in New Zealand from 1976 through 1981 for the local market. From 1981 through 1986, the Holden Gemini was exported from Australia to New Zealand.

GM of Canada sold the Chevrolet Chevette, and also marketed a Pontiac version of the car called the Acadian. This was due to the strength of the Pontiac brand in the Canadian market, and the limited number of GM dealerships in Canada. Acadians were produced alongside the Chevette in America, and were very similar. Previously, the Acadian name was used in Canada on a Pontiac version of the 1962 through 1971 Chevy II/Nova.

Pontiac Motor Division wanted a version of the "T" car in America. However, GM management would not approve a Pontiac version of the car, primarily because Chevrolet had little trouble selling all the production capacity that was available. Pontiac was finally given approval for a U.S. version of the "T" car in 1981, which was called the "Pontiac T1000". Later the car was renamed the "Pontiac 1000."

The following is a summary of product features for the "T" cars produced in the United States. Except where noted, all information given below applies to both the Chevette and the Acadian.

1976 Model Year

For the 1976 model year, the Chevette was only available as a 2-door hatchback.

Chevette gasoline engines had 4-cylinders, a single overhead cam with hydraulic valve lash adjusters, and a timing belt. The cylinder block and head were cast iron. Two versions were available for 1976; the standard 1.4 litre displacement engine was rated at 52 horsepower with 67 pound-feet of torque. The optional engine had the same cylinder bore with a longer stroke, and a 1.6 litre displacement. The 1.6 litre engine developed 60 horsepower, 77 pound-feet of torque and had a list price of $51. The standard transmission was a Saginaw 4-speed manual unit, and a 3-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 200 automatic transmission was a $244 option.

All Chevette models had front bucket seats. Interiors were available with standard vinyl, and optional cloth. A Custom Interior Package was optional, which included a color keyed instrument panel, deluxe cloth or vinyl seat trim, deluxe door trim, wood grain accents, extra acoustical insulation, and a carpeted mat in the cargo area. All cars without the Custom Interior Package had black instrument panels. A special interior cloth was also available to commemorate the bi-centennial of the United States.

An inexpensive "Scooter" version of the Chevette was available. The exterior was devoid of most of the chromed components found on the other models, and had silver painted bumpers and Chevette Scooter decals. The interior of the Scooter was quite spartan, including fiberboard door panels with no arm rests, a passenger's seat with no fore and aft adjustment and no glove box door. The rear seat was standard equipment on other Chevette models, but optional on the Scooter. In place of the rear seat, a plastic panel was installed to make a large cargo area. Early Scooters has a rubber floor mat instead of carpeting, and a prop rod for the rear hatch instead of gas struts. Exterior colors on the Scooter were limited to 4 colors, and optional equipment was also limited. The 1976 Chevette Scooter started at $2,899 USD, and the Chevette started at $3,098. The Pontiac Acadian 1+1 model was very similar to the Chevette Scooter.

A "Rally 1.6" package was available which included the larger engine, rear stabilizer bar, plastic "Rally" wheel covers, black rocker panels and black rear cove area. The "Woody" version had exterior vinyl wood appliqués, and included the Custom Interior Package.

A Custom Exterior Trim Package included a grille with bright accents, wheel opening moldings, wider body sill moldings, bumper rub strips, bumper trim moldings and body color door handle inserts. If a customer desired even more chrome trim on their Chevette, chrome side window reveal moldings were also available as option equipment. Other available options included a vinyl top ($90) and comfortilt steering wheel ($50). Two Delco radio options were available, an AM ($70), and an AM-FM monaural ($129).

The Chevette rode on a 94.3 inch wheelbase, had an overall length of 158.7 inches, and a width of 61.8 inches. The base curb weight of the Chevette Scooter was 1998 pounds. The turning circle of the Chevette was only 30.2 feet. The suspension had coil springs and shocks on all four corners, and the steering gear was a rack-and-pinion design.

1977 Model Year

The output of the 1.4 litre engine was increased to 57 HP and the 1.6 litre to 63 HP, due to changes in the air intake, carburetor and camshaft for 1977. EPA fuel economy ratings were increased to 43 mpg highway and 31 mpg city (39 mpg highway and 28 city in California.) The interior fabrics of the Chevette were revised, as they were for most of the other models years of production. The rear seat was made standard equipment on the Scooter for 1977, but a rear seat delete option was available. In Canada, the Acadian 1+1 was renamed the "Acadian S".

The Woody version and the vinyl top options were dropped. A "Sandpiper" version was available only during the 1977 model year, which included the Custom Interior Package with "Reef" cloth-and-vinyl upholstery in tones of yellow, cream and gold. The exterior of the Sandpiper was only available in Cream Gold or Antique White, and included Sandpiper appliqués on the lower rear quarter panels behind the door.

1978 Model Year

For 1978, the big news for the Chevette was the addition of the 4-door hatchback model, an exclusive to the North American market. The 4-door had a 2.9-inch longer wheelbase than the 2-door, which greatly improved rear seat leg room. The 4-door immediately began to outsell the 2-door body style, and would continue to outsell the 2-door for the rest of the Chevette's model run.

The 1.6 litre engine became standard in all models. Many other features that previously were optional equipment on the Chevette became standard on all models except the Scooter. The list included an AM radio, day-night inside rear view mirror, cigarette lighter, swing-out rear side windows on the 2-door hatchback, bumper rub strips, white stripe tires, wheel trim rings, and color-keyed instrument panel. All Scooters continued to come with black instrument panels.

The front of the vehicle retained the distinctive hood that wrapped down to the bumper, but the twin grilles were changed from a two-slot design to a grid design. The 3-speed automatic transmission was changed to a lighter Turbo Hydra-matic 180, produced in Strasbourg, France.

The "Rally 1.6" version was discontinued, but the sport wheel covers remained available as a stand-alone option. A sliding glass manual sunroof became a factory-installed option, only available in the 1978 model year. A square fuel door was added to the left rear quarter panel, replacing the exposed gas cap used in 1976 and 1977. A "high-output" version of the 1.6 liter engine was available that produced 68 horsepower. This engine included a "dual-takedown" exhaust manifold, "high-speed" camshaft, larger carburetor and intake manifold.

1979 Model Year

A new front end design was introduced for 1979 Chevette. The wrap down hood was replaced with a more conventional flat hood and stationary grille. Dual rectangular sealed beam headlamps replaced the dual round sealed beams utilized on the 1976-1978 models. A new two-venturi "progressive" Holley carburetor replaced the one venturi Rochester Mono-jet carb found on earlier models. The new carburetor was topped by an air cleaner with a replaceable element; previously the air filter element had to be replaced along with the metal housing. All Chevettes now came with compact spare tires.

An automatic shoulder belt system became an option. The front seat shoulder harness attached to the door, with a retractor mounted between the front bucket seats. However, the lap belts still had to be manually buckled. This low-production option included a foam-padded steel lower instrument panel with knee bolsters instead of the plastic panel found on standard Chevettes. A larger console which flowed into the instrument panel was also included with the automatic shoulder belt option.

1980 Model Year

In 1980, sales of the Chevette in America peaked, with 451,161 cars sold. The rear end of the Chevette was redesigned, with a more squared-off hatch and rear quarters. The rear tail lamps with amber turn signals used in the 1976-1979 models were replaced with a new tail lamp design that wrapped around the rear corner of the vehicle, and incorporated the rear side marker lamps. The new tail lamps utilized a red lens for both stop and turn lamps. The fuel door was changed to a round shape, and produced out of plastic. Larger rear glass was mounted to the hatch assembly with urethane. On earlier years, the rear glass was mounted in a rubber channel. For 1980, the windshield was still mounted in a rubber channel, but the 1981 models would get a urethane mounted windshield to match the rear glass.

Two-tone paint became an available option, as did a rear windshield wiper. The base price of the 1980 Chevette Scooter was $3,782, the 2-door was $4,289 and the 4-door was $4,418. The automatic seat belt system was redesigned to include both seat and shoulder belts for the front passengers. A stereo radio became available on the Chevette for the first time in the 1980 model year. This AM-FM stereo system had an instrument panel mounted 4" x 10" speaker for one channel, and two 4" x 6" speakers in the rear trim panels for the other channel.

The rear drum brakes were revised to include ratcheting star-wheel adjusters. 1976-1979 rear drum brakes had cam adjusters. P175/70 R-13 tires became an available option. P155/80 R-13 tires remained standard equipment; in previous years, this was the only size of tires available on the Chevette.

1981 Model Year

Every 1981 gasoline-engined Chevrolet passenger car in the U.S. was equipped with "Computer Command Control", including the Chevette. This computerized engine control system employed an oxygen sensor, and controlled the carburetor and the distributor advance. The "high-output" version of the 1.6 liter engine was discontinued for 1981. Additional changes for 1981 included new styled steel wheels which replaced the conventional hub caps and trim rings used in earlier years. For the first time, power steering became optional equipment.

Late in the 1981 model run, a diesel 1.8 litre 4-cylinder OHC engine produced by Isuzu was added to the option list. The diesel engine developed 51 horsepower, and came with either an Isuzu-produced 5-speed manual transmission, or a 3-speed THM 200C automatic transmission with a lock-up torque converter. Diesel equipped vehicles came with extra sound insulation including a fiberglass cowl cover in the engine compartment. The diesel was not available with air conditioning or power steering.

In 1981, a Pontiac introduced a version of the "T" car in the U.S. named the "T1000". The T1000 shared all of it's body stampings and mechanicals with the Chevette, but with different badging including Pontiac emblems prominently displayed on the grille and rear hatch. The exterior of the T1000 had black accented headlamp bezels, grille, door handles, rear license plate pocket, etc. Chrome side window reveal moldings were installed on all T1000s, and the window frames were painted black. To complete the Pontiac treatment, wider, black body-side moldings were used.

1982 Model Year

The 1.6 litre OHC gasoline engine remained standard equipment for 1982, but the computer command control system was changed to the "mini" system, which no longer controlled the distributor. Transmissions available with the gasoline engine included the standard Saginaw 4-speed manual unit, an optional THM 180C automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter, and on 2-door models, a Borg-Warner "T5" 5-speed manual overdrive transmission was also an available option. The 5-speed would become available on the 4-door models with gasoline engines in 1983.

For the first time, the Chevette Scooter became available as a 4-door hatchback, in addition to the 2-door hatchback. The finish of the bumpers, grille, and headlamp bezels were changed to black, instead of the silver finish used on earlier Scooters. The 1982 Chevette Scooter started at $4,997.

For 1982, the Pontiac T1000 became a bit more differentiated from the Chevette, at least as compared to the 1981 T1000. The T1000 now came with a "Pontiac-Style" grille with a center split, and vertical fins. Black caps covered the ends of the chrome bumpers. All T1000s now had black upper instrument panels pads. The Pontiac 1000 became available in Canada for 1982. The Acadian also continued to be available at Canadian Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealerships and had the same grille and exterior as the Chevette, only with Pontiac badging.

1983 Model Year

For the 1983 model year the finish of the Chevette grille and headlamp bezels was changed from chrome to black, and included a white accent around the perimeter. The door handles, and most other exterior trim were also changed to black. The lower front fenders were revised to incorporate a more aerodynamic front air dam and bumper end caps. The rear bumper was revised to include new bumper end caps, and all Chevettes now came with black rear license plate pockets. New Chevette front fender emblems with lower case block lettering were used instead of the script style Chevette emblems used from 1976 through 1982. Body colored painted bumpers and black body side moldings completed the refresh of the exterior. Chevettes with the Deluxe Exterior Trim Package now had their window frames painted black, similar to the 1981 and later Pontiac T1000.

The Scooter model had no accent stripes on its black grille and headlamp bezels. It also had black bumpers, and end caps. Fiberboard door panels were no longer installed on Scooter models; instead they had the plastic door panels used in the base Chevette interior. All 1983 models received a different front brake caliper with two mounting bolts, which increased braking capability. 1976 through 1982 Chevettes had front disc brakes with each caliper mounted by one bolt.

A Chevette S "exterior sport decor" package was added to option list at a cost of $93. This package included red stripes on the body side moldings, and around the grille and headlamp bezels. "Chevette S" decals were placed on each front fender and a Chevrolet decal was installed on the hatch, replacing the nameplates found on the standard cars. The "S" package was completed with black wheels with chrome trim rings and bumpers painted gloss black. The package did not include any mechanical upgrades.

The Pontiac T1000 was renamed the "1000" for 1983, just as the Pontiac J2000 became the "2000". New exterior styling cues added exclusively to the 1000 were tail lamps with red horizontal lines and black bumper end caps on chrome plated bumpers. Red instrument panel lighting further differentiated the 1000 from the Chevette. The Acadian also received the new Pontiac tail lamps.

Several new options became available exclusively on the Pontiac 1000. A sport package which included "1000" body side striping, dual sport mirrors, aluminum wheels, larger front stabilizer bar, rear stabilizer bar, tuned shock absorbers, and a 4-spoke "Formula" steering wheel. A new black roof rack option became available. A sunroof option was also added to the 1000, with glass that could be hinged upward or removed.

1984 Model Year

For 1984, the model names of the Chevette were changed. The "Scooter" name was dropped from the Chevrolet line-up. The base Chevette was only available as 2-door hatchback, and the "up level" Chevette CS was available as both a 2-door and 4-door hatchback. The Chevette S exterior sport decor package continued to be available. In Canada, the Scooter name lived on. The Pontiac Acadian S was renamed the "Acadian Scooter".

On the interior of the Chevette, the instrument panel upper pad was changed to black, for all 4 available interior colors. Most of the interior hardware that was formerly chromed was changed to a black finish for 1984. Sport wheel covers from the Chevrolet Cavalier were made available on the Chevette. Other new available options included chrome bumpers and a cargo security cover. In Canada, a lead-tolerant system became available at no extra cost to allow the use of regular leaded gasoline.

The 1984 EPA fuel economy estimate was 46 mpg city and 31 city for the 1.6 litre gasoline engine with the optional 5-speed manual transmission. The 1.8 litre diesel with the 5-speed manual was estimated at 60 highway and 43 city.

1985 Model Year

The 1985 Chevette had very few changes from the 1984 models. The Chevrolet bowtie emblem on the grille was revised to a smoother design that was slightly larger than in previous years. A new knob type seat recliner adjustment replaced the lever type mechanism used in earlier Chevettes and 1000s. All Chevettes were designated as "CS" models, although the Chevette S exterior sport package was still available. The custom interior package was no longer available.

1986 Model Year

The 1986 Chevette and 1000 were carryover from the 1985 model year. To meet federal requirements, a center high mounted stop lamp was bolted on the outside of the glass on the hatch. The Diesel was no longer available with an automatic transmission.

In the Canadian market, the Pontiac 1000 was dropped, and the Acadian model line up was revised. However, the 1000 remained available in the U.S. The new Acadian LE became the model with the most content, followed by the Acadian and the Acadian Scooter. Standard on the Acadian LE were such features as tilt-wheel and power brakes. The 5-speed manual became standard on all Acadian models except the Scooter. The 1000 grille was installed on all Acadians for the 1986 model year.

1987 Model Year

The 1987 model year Chevette and 1000 entered production as a complete carryover from the 1986 model year. The Diesel version was no longer available. In September, 1986, Chevrolet announced a $601 decrease in the price of the Chevette; the 2-door hatchback now started at just $4,995. This price reduction was designed to compete with Hyundai and Yugo, which had entered the U.S. market. Twelve days after the new pricing structure was made public, Chevrolet announced that 1987 would be the last model year for the Chevette.

On December 23, 1986, the last Chevette rolled off the line at the General Motors Assembly Division plant in Lakewood, Georgia. It was a light blue 2-door hatchback shipped to a Chevrolet dealer in Springdale, Ohio. Production had already ceased at the Wilmington, Delaware plant in September, 1985.

U.S. Chevrolet Chevette Sales Figures by Model Year

1976: 187,817, 1977: 133,469, 1978: 298,973, 1979: 369,109, 1980: 451,161, 1981: 433,600, 1982: 232,808, 1983: 169,565, 1984: 243,900, 1985: 123,499, 1986: 103,244, 1987: 46,208