This Chevy Vega GT is a good looking, sporty little car that was ahead of its time, receiving "Car of the Year" honors from Motor Trend and others. It introduced new technology that is used today throughout the world by auto and motorcycle manufacturers. Opting for the GT package added engine and suspension upgrades. Check out this fun to drive and unique part of Chevrolet history. GM wanted to build a "world beating car", so Ed Cole, head of engineering... and President of GM at the time, assembled a team and put Bill Mitchell (who along with James Musser designed the Chevy II and Camaro), on the job. The results were a stylish and efficient little hatchback that still looks good today. Presented in yellow with a bold black stripe down the middle, this little car has a bit of a feisty attitude to it. It leads with a thin chrome bumper and a black grill which is flanked by headlights sitting high on the fronts of the fenders. GT badges grace the sides of the fenders. The hatchback design gives the body a smooth roofline that leads back to quad taillights with a Vega badge in between them, above another sharp looking chrome bumper. Side molding runs straight down the side accentuating the curves of the roof line and fenders, and a splash of flash appears on the rocker molding and trim rings of the steel, sport wheels. Open the door and you will find a simple and clean door panel with a well-placed armrest for comfortable cruising. Have a seat in the pleated high-back bucket seats and grab a hold of the 4-spoke steering wheel with a GT badge in the center. Through it you will see a nice, wood toned dash panel with round gauges trimmed in black. Below them you will find controls for the lights and wipers along with the ventilation controls that include the updated R-134 air conditioning system. The shifter for the automatic transmission sits on the floor in its own wood trimmed console. Back seats are pleated like the front and offer nice seating for friends with plenty of room in the hatch area, or, can be folded down turning the car into a two-seater with huge cargo space for a little car. The engine is what set this car apart from the crowd, broke new ground, and proved to be game changing technology for the industry. A couple teething problems on the first models produced were overblown by the press, quickly addressed by GM and by 1973, changes were made on the production line addressing them. This is the cars original, numbers matching engine, and the current owner has gone through the cars systems during the restoration assuring that everything is up to par and working properly. The GT option upgraded the engine with an RPO L11 engine package that included a Holley 2-barrel carb and a hotter cam. It also included the F41 suspension package that improved the already good handling of this little car. Sitting on coil springs all around, the 4-link rear suspension copies that of the 1970 Chevelle, and the short/long arm front suspension with a sway bar has bigger control arm bushings than the '70 Camaro. Check out this American made car that was built to be beat the sporty little European cars of the 70s and did a good job doing it. It's good looking, a blast to drive and a unique part of Chevrolet history.
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