Bring a Trailer
- The Chevrolet Vega sold in the millions, but not many survived.
- This example has been updated for better reliability, and years in friendly climates have kept rust at bay.
- Its mix of options gives it a groovy ’70s vibe.
Although the Vega is a bit of a punch line today, Chevrolet managed to build and sell just over two million during the car’s lifetime. The way those cars evaporated over the subsequent decade, GM might as well have been hauling ice blocks out of some frozen Michigan lake. Rust and engine durability issues due to corporate cost-cutting sent most of them to their graves, but for a time, this small Chevy was hip and kinda handsome.Bring a Trailer Peep this 1975 Vega GT Kammback wagon, up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It looks every bit like something from the time of bell-bottom jeans and gasoline rationing. We dig the fetching red paint and the two-tone stripes, and it rides on period-cool four-spoke alloy wheels. Bring a Trailer Power comes from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, good for a decent 90 horsepower in single-carburetor form. Chevrolet did go so far as to get Cosworth to consult on a hotter twin-cam version of the Vega (the Cosworth Vega), but this car has the workhorse option. However, this car has much-needed steel-sleeved cylinders for added durability. The transmission is a four-speed manual, which helps to stir things up a bit.
Bring a TrailerThis car seems to have had a fairly interesting life early on, spending some time in Spain in the late 1970s. It was then relocated to the state of Washington, where it remained under the same family ownership until last year. The current seller has replaced some wear items, including shocks and tires.Bring a Trailer You wouldn’t call a GT-package Vega wagon exceptionally rare in the 1970s or 1980s, but in 2025, this car’s a bit of a unicorn. It’s also a handsome and practical little beast and should be a good handler with the upgraded suspension of the optional GT package.Related Stories
- Chevrolet Vega vs. Ford Pinto
- Battle of the Bitty: Six 1971 Small Cars Compared
The auction ends on August 27.Brendan McAleerContributing EditorBrendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels.
Source: caranddriver.com
