Chevrolet
This article is licensed under theGNU Free Documentation License.It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Chevrolet" (click for full Wikipedia text) 'Chevrolet ', or
'Chevy ' for short, is a brand of automobile, now a division of General Motors Corporation. It is one of the most popular GM marques. In the North American market in 2005, Chevrolet outsold its main American rival, Ford Motor Company, for the first time in 19 years, making it once again the top-selling marque in the United States.
History
Chevrolet was co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. Louis Chevrolet was a racecar driver, born on December 25, 1878, in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. William Durant, founder of General Motors, had been forced out of GM in 1910 and wanted to use Louis Chevrolet's designs to rebuild his own reputation as a force in the automobile industry. On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet entered the automobile market to compete with the Ford Model T. A year later, the "Classic Six" was introduced. The Classic Six was a 5-passenger touring sedan equipped with a 299 in
3 (4.9 L), 6-cylinder engine capable of taking the car to a top speed of 15 miles per hour (25 km/h.) Chevrolet first used its
"bowtie" logo in 1913. In 1916, Chevrolet was profitable enough to allow Durant to buy a majority of shares in GM. After the deal was complete in 1917, Durant was president of General Motors, and Chevrolet was merged into GM, becoming a separate division. Famous Chevy models include the large and luxurious Chevrolet Impala (1958) and the innovative air cooled rear-engined Chevrolet Corvair (1960 - 1969.) Chevrolet had a great influence on the American automobile market during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1963, one out of every ten cars sold in the United States was a Chevrolet.
#fn 1 Chevrolet outside North America
In markets outside North America, the Chevrolet brand name has been used on other GM models.
Latin America
Historically, many Latin American-market vehicles from GM were modified derivatives of older models from GM's North American and European operations. The current Chevrolet S-10 and Chevrolet Blazer exemplify this strategy. However, more modern vehicles are now being marketed as market conditions change and competition increases. In Brazil, the Chevrolet Opala was based on the Germany Opel Rekord from the late 1960s, continuing in production until the early 1990s, when it was replaced by a version of the Opel Omega. Other smaller Chevrolets in Brazil, such as the Kadett and Monza, were based on the Opel Kadett and Opel Ascona respectively. Chevrolet's product line-up in Brazil now comprises some exclusive designs like the Corsa "B" based Chevrolet Celta sold in Argentina under the Suzuki brand, the General Motors Astra, and a brand new, Brazilian designed General Motors Vectra based on the current Opel Astra, while the current General Motors Corsa is built and the Omega name is now used on the Holden Commodore. Utility and four wheel drive vehicles line-up includes the S10, the Blazer, and the Chevrolet Montana. The Montana is a compact pickup truck that is also sold in other Latin American markets. From the 1960s to the mid-1980s, there was also a large station wagon, derived from the Chevrolet C/K truck (somewhat similar to the Chevrolet Suburban), called the Chevrolet Veraneio. In Argentina (whose factory was opened in Rosario in 1995), the models are the same Opels made in Brazil, along with the S-10, Blazer, and Chevrolet Avalanche. Chevrolet had a presence in Argentina since the 1960s where it locally produced the Chevrolet Nova (sold in Argentina as the Chevrolet 400 or Chevy), but it stopped its operations in 1981, due to high inflation. In Mexico, some of these Opel-sourced Chevrolet models are sold alongside US models. An example is regarding the Opel Vectra. While the Brazilian Vectra is derived from the current General Motors Astra#2004, the Mexican Vectra is actually the current Vectra as sold in Europe. Mexico also has some cars of its own, such as the General Motors Corsa, which is a reworked last-gen Corsa, the Sonora (which is a rebadged Chevrolet Tahoe), and the Cheyenne (which is similar to the Silverado but is as different as the Sonora is to the Suburban).
South Africa
In South Africa, Chevrolet was GM's main brand name until 1982, with a number of Vauxhall Motors and Holden derivatives being built under the Chevy name from 1964. In the 1960s, the advertising jingle "braaivleis, rugby, sunny skies and Chevrolet" (similar to Holden's 1970s "Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden cars") came to epitomise the ideal lifestyle of white male South Africans. Originally, Chevrolets were CKD kits of American Chevys assembled in their plant in Port Elizabeth. However, since South Africa was right-hand drive and the US was left-hand drive, along with encouragement by the South African government to use local content, Chevrolets such as the Chevrolet Biscayne were eventually made entirely in South Africa, along with GM's "own car for South Africa": the Ranger (GM). By the 1970s, South African Chevrolets like the Kommando and Constantia were based on Australian Holden models like the Holden Kingswood, while the Firenza was based on the Vauxhall Viva. The Chevrolet Nomad sold in South Africa was entirely different from the Nomad sold in America; whereas the American Nomad was originally conceived as a station wagon version of the Corvette and eventually became the station wagon version of the Bel Air, the South African Nomad was an SUV of truck proportions before SUVs were popular. However, these were replaced by Opel models like the Opel Rekord, Opel Commodore, and Opel Senator, and in 1982 the Chevrolet brand name was dropped in favor of Opel. Because of the political climate at the time, GM decided to disinvest from South Africa and a local group eventually bought out GM's South African operations (including the Port Elizabeth plant) and renamed the company as the Delta Motors Corporation. They concentrated heavily on Opels, Isuzus, and Suzukis. However, thanks to an improved political climate in the 1990s, GM decided to reenter South Africa, eventually buying out the whole of Delta Motors Corporation. Even more news arrived for Chevrolet. In 2001, the Chevrolet name made a comeback, used on the Lumina, a rebadged Holden Commodore, and later on, on the Daewoo range of cars. Current Chevrolets include the Chevrolet Spark (a rebadged GM Daewoo Daewoo Matiz), Daewoo Kalos, Chevrolet Optra, the Lumina (including a pickup version), and the Daewoo Rezzo, an MPV that is a badge engineering version of the Daewoo Daewoo Rezzo.
Europe
Chevrolet Europe is a Swiss based firm (in Zurich) that sells the rebranded products of GM Daewoo. Until 2005, Chevrolet Europe sold a few models, mostly USDM models modified to suit European regulations. Among them were the Chevrolet Alero (which was a rebadged Oldsmobile Alero) and the Chevrolet Trans Sport (which was a Chevrolet Venture with the front end of the Pontiac Trans Sport). Among other models sold by Chevrolet Europe were the Chevrolet Camaro, the Chevrolet Corvette, and the Chevrolet Blazer. It was in 2005 that all the mainstream models from Daewoo were rebranded as Chevrolet in Europe (The ownership of the SUV models in the former Daewoo range had reverted back to ownership of Ssangyong by this time). However the Daewoo name was retained in South Korea and Vietnam. In the rest of the world, most Daewoo models wore the Chevrolet badge since 2003. Exceptions include the use of the Suzuki badge in the US and Canada, the Pontiac badge in Canada, the Holden badge in Australia and New Zealand, and the Buick badge in China for certain Daewoo models. The 2007 Chevrolet Captiva crossover SUV will be the first Europe-only model for the marque. One of the songs by The Fine Young Cannibals is used in all UK Chevrolet television commercials. The North American-assembled Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet TrailBlazer are also officially marketed in very limited numbers in Western Europe by Kroymans Corporation, based in the Netherlands. The TrailBlazer is also officially marketed in limited numbers in Japan by Suzuki, which also markets the Chevrolet Optra wagon. Since 2005, Chevrolet Corvette is its own premium brand in Western Europe, sold alongside Cadillacs.
Asia
The Holden Commodore is badged as the Chevrolet Lumina in Thailand and the Middle East, as well as South Africa. Chevrolet is among the newest brands in India launched by GM's Indian operations. Until June 6, 2003 (the official birthday of Chevrolet), GM India (which was originally a joint venture with Hindustan Motors) sold the General Motors Corsa#Opel Corsa B, General Motors Astra#1991, and the Opel Vectra#Vectra B. The Corsa and Astra were built at a plant in Halol, Gujarat. Since then, Chevrolet currently sells the Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Tavera, and the Subaru Forester. The Forester is imported directly from Fuji Heavy Industries in Japan, where it is sold as a Subaru. The Optra and Tavera are built at the Halol plant. Chevrolet is also marketing and selling vehicles in Pakistan under GM, which imports and manufactures cars Nexus Automotive. The current models available are the Chevrolet Optra and most recently the newly announced Daewoo Matiz. The Chevrolet Joy, as of December 2005, has been manufactured indigenously in Pakistan. The U.S. built Chevrolet Colorado pickup is also manufactured in Rayong, Thailand.
Buses
- minibus - 3500 chassis
- GMC minibus - GMC 2500 chassis
See also
- List of Chevrolet vehicles
- Super Sport
- Chevrolet Hall
- Mason Truck
- An American Revolution — Large advertising campaign launched in 2003 to promote "ten new cars and trucks in twenty months"
- Geo (Cars) — A brand of small cars and SUVs sold through Chevrolet dealerships throughout North America from 1989–1997
Notes
#fn_1_back pp. 134-183.
Official Sites
External links
Explain Chevrolet 
1A Auto Parts: High Quality Aftermarket Car Parts and Truck Parts
CAMI Automotive Inc.: Home - A leading automobile manufacturer ...
