History of Chevrolet

In 1911, the largest division of the auto giant General Motors was founded, which GM owner William Durant founded together with several investors and the famous racer and engineer Louis Chevrolet, after whom the new brand got its name – Chevrolet. In 1912, the first Chevrolet model was introduced, which was called the Classic Six. The car was equipped with a four-cylinder engine, 40 horsepower and a three-speed manual transmission. However, due to the too high cost, the more advanced Classic Six model could not compete with the Ford T.

In 1915, the company’s management developed a new concept for creating cars, where the main bias was made in favor of high reliability and an affordable price that any American family could master. The following year, the new Chevrolet 490 model was introduced, which became the brand’s first and loudest success in the automotive market in the United States of America. Thanks to a simple design that carried a functional load and could be modified to suit a variety of needs – the presence of two or four doors, a small cargo compartment or a full-fledged cargo area. Under the hood was a 2.8-liter power unit with a capacity of 26 horsepower. In 1921, the model underwent minor modifications, becoming the best-selling in the market in 1927, making Chevrolet the leader in the production of automobiles in the United States.

In 1935, the first station wagon of the brand was introduced, called the Suburban, which had a rigid three-door body and a long base. The power unit of the model was designed in such a way that, with compact dimensions, it was equivalent to the 490 model engine. In addition, there were versions of a pickup truck, the body of which was divided into a cab and a cargo space.

After World War II, Chevrolet began working with legendary designer Harley Earl, who had previously worked with several divisions of General Motors before moving to Chevrolet. In 1953, his first work was presented – the Chevrolet Corvette, which received a fiberglass body. In addition, the model was equipped with a 3.8 liter turbo engine, 152 horsepower and a revolutionary automatic transmission, which had only two gears. In 1957, a roadster modification was introduced. The model was equipped with an eight-cylinder 4.6-liter engine with direct injection, and the automatic transmission was replaced with a classic four-speed manual gearbox.

In 1958, another legendary model was introduced – the Chevrolet Impala, which was built on the Cadillac chassis. The sedan was built around a rear-wheel drive chassis, and powered by eight-cylinder turbocharged engines ranging from 195 to 360 horsepower. In total, several modifications of the Impala were presented, including a coupe, convertible and roadster.

In 1961, the Chevrolet Corvair was introduced – the first mass-produced car with independent all-wheel suspension, which became the progenitor of Chevrolet’s off-road line. However, by 1970, the financial situation of the entire automotive industry in the United States of America had deteriorated, and only the release of compact and economical models was able to improve the situation in the market. In those years, Chevrolet began producing several subcompact models at once, such as the Vega, Monza and Chevette.

Until 1991, Chevrolet dominated the automotive markets in the United States of America and Canada. Nevertheless, in order to successfully enter the European market, a strategic agreement was concluded with the Korean brand Daewoo, which in 1998, after a serious financial crisis in Asia, completely came under the control of General Motors. Thus, all current Daewoo models of that time began to be produced and sold under the Chevrolet brand in all countries of the world, with the exception of South Korea, where the original brand was retained. Thanks to such an important purchase, GM received an extensive model line in the budget segment, which allowed the concern to once again become a leader in sales and production of automobiles worldwide.

Since 1993, the Prince sedan and its more comfortable Brougham version have been produced based on the discontinued Opel Senator. The Espero sedan was designed by Bertone based on the units of the Opel Ascona model and was first introduced in 1993.

In 1994, the Espero model was released, the body of which was designed on the chassis of the Opel model Ascona.

In 1995, Daewoo entered the German market with the small Nexia and the medium Espero. After another upgrade in March 1995, the model was renamed Nexia.

By early 1996, Daewoo had built three major technical centers: in Worthing near Munich and in Pulyana.

At the end of 1997, the company introduced the last three models at international motor shows – Lanos, Nubira and Leganza.

2004, January – the time of the appearance of the elegant supercar Chevrolet Corvette at the Detroit Auto Show. This is the first American sports car produced by an American manufacturer.

In 2005, mass production of a new generation of the Matiz model, the Chevrolet Spark, begins. Spark differs from its predecessor mainly in intricate headlights, chrome decor and a fundamentally new interior.

In 2006, the company actively produces the Chevrolet Aveo 4-door sedan. The car is distinguished by expressive plasticity, a solid radiator grille, convex bumpers, a voluminous belt line and headlights covering the corners of the front fenders.

Since 2008, the Aveo Hatchback 5d model has been produced – a hatchback with a 5-door body. The model features a new grille. Easier to manage and adjust.

In 2009, the Chevrolet Niva car entered the market, which harmoniously combines the new qualities of Chevrolet models and the previous experience of VAZ models. The car has increased cross-country ability and the ability to adapt to the most difficult road conditions.

In 2010, the company starts producing Chevrolet Malibu. It is powered by a 2.5-liter gasoline engine (192 hp and 245 Nm) or one of several diesel units.

The Chevrolet Cobalt is a front wheel drive “C” class sedan. The concept version of the second generation of the model was shown in June 2011. It is driven by a 1.5-liter petrol engine.

2012 marked the release of the Trailblazer. This is an all-wheel drive frame SUV of the K2 class.

In 2013, the production of Chevrolet Lacetti class “C” cars was completed

In April 2014, the debut of the Chevrolet Cruze, a front-wheel drive class D sedan, took place. The Chevrolet Cruze is powered by one of three powertrains. Petrol engines are paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, diesel – with a 6-speed “automatic”.

In January 2015, the presentation of the new Chevrolet Volt car took place in Detroit – a 5-door C-class hatchback with a hybrid power plant.