For a week this past August, I was back home in Flint, Michigan for the annual Back To The Bricks car festival. It’s a completely free, family-friendly celebration of all things car-related, and it takes place in the downtown area of the birthplace city of mammoth, global corporation, General Motors. My camera shutter finger usually goes like the Energizer Bunny the entire time of the festival, and so it usually takes me about a month or so to edit all those photos, but it only adds to the excitement of rediscovering something I saw, really liked, and almost forgot about. This pair of Vegas was one such sighting. Despite having spotted these examples in a car show setting, I’m giving them a free pass to CC because, well, they’re Vegas. When’s the last time you saw one?
The high(er) performance Cosworth iteration of the ’75 Vega was once infamously advertised as “One Vega for the price of two”. The Cosworth Vega has been covered on CC before, so you can click that link and read all about it. But what struck me about this pairing of highly modified cars (both easily disqualified from Paul Niedermeyer’s “Running Original Vega 2300 powerplant” competition) was how effective the ’74 restyle was in creating a really different look from that of the original 1971 – ’73 cars.
I’ve always liked the looks of the Vega hatchback in any year or iteration. When I was fourteen in the summer of ’89 (yes, that’s me in the acid-washed t-shirt), my family attended a car show located on the grounds of Flint’s Cultural Center. Among the cars most memorable to me were a ’71 AMC Javelin AMX I was granted the privilege to sit in, and this all-original, low-miles, one-owner ’75 Cosworth Vega – the very first of these I had ever seen in person. The owner was more than willing to tell this kid all about the mechanical workings of his car. A lot of it sounded a little like Charlie Brown’s teacher to my ears, with my car knowledge at the time generally limited to basic info like engine displacement and year-to-year styling changes.
But this gentleman’s Vega was the deal, and he successfully sold me on the idea that this car was rare, special and beautiful (all with which I still agree). All that hot, black vinyl on the inside of this car, and the “heat-lines” emanating from the roof made the interior look like a rolling torture chamber in mid-July (no Cosworth had factory-installed A/C), but it made for a dramatic, very serious-looking little bomb of a car.
The original, 1971 – ’73 Vega (above right) seems to be everyone’s favorite visual style, judging from comments on previous posts. While I think the ’74 restyle (left) looks decent, I like the freshened 1976 – ’77 models as much as the originals – which is a lot. Opinions on Jim Grey’s recent 1976-’77 Vega sighting seemed to indicate the taillights of the 1976 – ’77 models were few people’s favorite. Always the contrarian, I think those tri-color units look fantastic, even if the amber section of the taillamp lenses were “dummies” that never blinked. The shape of these later-model units at least followed the contours of the rear quarter panels, unlike the blocky 1974 – ’75 assemblies. I did like the original Vega’s quad taillamp setup, and liked it when Chevy brought something like that back with the ’05 Cobalt coupe (though I felt the round units on the Cobalt should all have been the same size).
The smoothed-over, ’76 front fascia with its turn signals hidden in its louvered, full-width grille, looks much better to my eyes than what immediately preceded it, and also better than the grimacing, wide-mouthed ’78 base Monza that replaced the Vega in Chevy’s lineup. The Vega’s freshened ’76 nose seemed to fully correct any traces of the slightly half-baked, Ertl-look of the 1974 – ’75 header panel. I also feel the 5-mph bumpers on the last models (up front, anyway) were particularly well-integrated, especially in comparison to many cars of the era. The ’76 redesign looked much better than it had a right to, for an outgoing model with an abysmal quality record and free-falling sales (though I will acknowledge that its look was very likely locked into place years before sales started tanking after production high-watermark year ’74).
My admission is that I have dreamed of a resto-modded, stock-looking, orange-with-white ’73 “Millionth Edition Vega” replica with a modern powerplant and heavily rust-proofed everything. It would be lightweight and probably fly like the dickens, but there would be downsides – lack of modern safety equipment, the fact that I’m six feet tall and these cars are really small, a basically unusable rear seat, and well, it would still be just a Vega. That dream would be cost-prohibitive to probably anyone but Jay Leno or any other car fanatic with beaucoups of money, some of which could be used toward a more rational, much sexier purchase. No matter. I already have my Hot Wheels Vega replica, which is much cheaper to own and “operate”.
Looking at this pair of Vega hatchbacks from a rear three-quarter perspective, I can completely understand how car shoppers in the early 1970’s would have confused these for small, sporty cars instead of basic transportation. Perhaps I’m biased as I think these cars, especially the hatchbacks, have lines that still look great in 2015. I wasn’t able to speak with the owner(s) of either vehicle, having made the rounds up and down S. Saginaw St. several times and not having spotted any persons in the lawn chairs on the grass behind the sidewalk near these cars.
Above is another shot of the ’71 Vega by itself. Although this particular example is anything but “stock”, from a front three-quarter perspective, it’s still easy to see just how right the basic lines and proportions of these cars looked. It seems unlikely that a bow-tie badge will ever again grace another mass-market, small coupe that looks as downright sporty as the Vega, but if there’s one good thing that came from the era when GM was a slave to fashion (an economy car shaped like a 7:8 scale Camaro?), it’s that it left us with these pretty, if tragic, figures to ponder. I’ll probably always be a Vega fan – even if only from a safe distance.
All photographs (except that of the ’75 Cosworth – Thanks, Mom) were taken by the author in downtown Flint, Michigan.
A friend of my mom had a Chevy Vega like this when I was a boy.
Torana SS: same idea, + cool
Oh, wow – the Vega does look a bit like a Holden Torana SS in profile.
Funny you should ask, I just saw a Vega on Saturday, although it was a drag car on a trailer it looked much like the ones you see here.
I’d really like to see a running non-drag car Vega, haven’t seen one of those in many years…
I saw a Cosworth Vega at the Atlantic Nationals car show in Moncton, NB this year.
For about a year had a used ’71 hatchback bought in ’79 for $600.00. 4 speed. 2bbl carb. Only problem was the awful puke green color in and out. It ran ok when I got it and ran a little less ok after it blew it’s water pump and overheated. Sold it still running for what I paid. It held up while I rebuilt the engine on the $300.00 ’66 VW Fastback I bought to replace it with. Got me around and to work and required little $ while I had it.
I like the early design better .
Too bad GM screwed it up so badly .
-Nate
And screwed it TOGETHER so badly! Notice the bezel on that yellow one? Yikes…
I’ve always liked the looks of the 1st and 3rd generation Vegas, but those middle-child 74 and 75 models look a bit awkward, especially from the back. Who designed those tail lights, the competition? I had an orange 76 for several years, and that “dura built” motor never let me down. People who owned earlier-model Vegas never believe me when I say this, but the car still wasn’t burning oil at 137000 miles when I finally sold it.
2 of my cousins had 71 Vegas, so I decided to take the plunge and bought a 72.
I’m not crazy about the 74 as I never thought the split grille with “venetian blinds” on each side fit in with the rest of the Chevy lineup. The later “refresh”, both front and back was a real improvement, though it wasn’t until I read it here that I discovered the amber sections of the tail lights were fake. To improve the 74 I’d repeat the 71-73 “mini-me” Camaro look and borrow the 74 Camaro’s front styling with a rectangular opening above the bumper and not the split slots.
10-15 years ago you could still find “factory-stock” Vegas, now those that still exist have been converted to “Pro Street Rods”….if they run. The 30s-early 40s Willys sedan of the 70s?
I like them all, but prefer the early cars. I even had a friend who purchased a ’75 Cosworth new.
I’m not crazy about replacing the original engine, but if you’re going to do it I think the Buick V6, as what GM did later, is the way to go. What I wonder at this point is, if you sleeve the cylinders of the original 2300, do you end up with an engine that’s acceptably reliable for its time?
That was my experience…
A pair is appropriate. A pair of pants, a pair of pliers, a pair of scissors, a pair of Vegas. Each is a plural that forms one functioning unit.
And a pair can also be a good thing in *Las* Vegas. Nice!
Great job finding two Vegas in one place. I had not noticed before the change on the front of the 76-77 moving the blinker lights under the grill louvers. I agree it is cool. I always thought Chevy did a good job on Vega integrating the big bumpers. To me, the early ones had a too delicate look without.
I think the designers of both the Pinto and the Vega would be shocked how many of the survivors of both models have been turned in to hot rods. The designers seemed to be looking to Europe for the inspiration, but the owners seem to look to Detroit for their restoration inspiration.
The 71-73 style echoed the styling of the larger Camaro, and looked great. When 74 came around, why didn’t the Vega echo the “laid back” grille of the 74 Camaro? It would have been better than what was actually done; still a retrograde step, but a smaller one.
Disclaimer: I owned a 71 (Panel Wagon)
And good luck finding a 71-73 that hasn’t been hacked up for a V-8 “dragster” look.
My 72 was a Panel Express, it was orange with a black interior….except for it’s single seat which was “white”. Options were limited to the extra cost 4 speed transmission and the “high performance” engine (had a 2 barrel carb instead of the low-performance 1 barrel carb).
Stickered for about $2,300 in 72.
Great find, Vegas in a group!
I remember a period of time when you could not pick up a car magazine that did not mention a Cosworth Vega somewhere between its covers. The good part is that everyone thought they were so special then that a fairly good number seem to have been saved – probably more than regular Vegas.
JPCavanagh, this Hemmings news story will probably break your heart as it did mine: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/09/15/vega-destruction-dont-hide-your-cars-in-barns/ .
Three CosVegs destroyed during a tornado, including a white ’76.
I’m with you Joseph: the 75-6 front and rear styling is best.
I actually like the 1974-77 style over the 1971-73 and this is coming from someone who normally doesn’t like the restyle of automobiles, especially from automobiles of this generation, I always thought the 1971-73 front end was awkward for the Vega
Nice finds! ‘tradgedy’ is such an appropriate word for these cars. Like so many from GM, the looks and ‘flavor’ were spot on. I like sporty cars so that’s my perspective. Such a shame the execution just wasn’t there. What REALLY sucks is that the message to the small car buyer seems to be ‘You can have a gorgeous POS with hotrod potential, *Vega* or an ugly and frumpy but reliable appliance *Cruze, Chevette*”. The Cruze…at least in SS coupe form was about the closest thing to a well rounded sporty compact GM ever built, until the ignition switch debacle…
I completely agree with you, MoparRocker – the Cruze SS is actually a decent car (ignition switch malfunction notwithstanding). Being a four-door, though, no Cruze will never look as good as a Vega, even the Cruze is packaged infinitely better. “gorgeous POS…” etc. Love the way you state things!
The only Vega I see regularly is part of a sign along Interstate 95 in South Carolina for a motel/tourist trap called South of the Border. Kind of a curbside Classic in its own right.
Nice find, I’ve never seen a stock Vega in the UK despite many years of car shows.
I can’t remember seeing one at all here in Australia – then again when you can get a Torana why would you bother with importing a Vega? Same goes for the Pinto for what it’s worth, and nearly all less than full-size 1970s US cars apart from some Mavericks.
One of the cars in the Lambrecht Chevrolet trove was a tan Vega that had never been sold, but was left out in a field with hundreds of other cars and trucks to rot away. I don’t suppose that it drew much in the auction.
Cosworth Vegas pop up from time to time in Michigan; there was even one on craigslist a few months ago. Like you, I don’t think I’d lay out money for one, but I certainly like them. The orange ’73 is my favorite, as well, but all versions looked great, even if they weren’t mechanical marvels.
Here’s a Cosworth I snapped at the track a few years ago.
Awesome, Aaron65 – the ’76 is definitely my pick of the two Cosworth models available. Just a great-looking car, with those gold accents on black everything else.
The destruction of these three Cosworth Vegas happened in our home state back in ’07: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2007/09/15/vega-destruction-dont-hide-your-cars-in-barns/. If I was the owner, I would have been beyond heartbroken.
Anyone remember the name of a small Indy car manufacturer back in the ’70s that make a FLAT 8 with two Vega Cosworth head?
Good to see some print and images on the Vega. I still miss my 74 GT which stayed in my possession for almost fifteen years. Yeah, these cars had their faults, but there was a lot to like about them depending on how you had one optioned out. Sigh…
It is maddening that the domestic industry in the 1970’s and 80’s took such a short-term view of their business and sacrificed long term viability to cut $10 per car in costs. As a businessman myself, I understand profit and cost control, but there is no excuse in cutting costs that destroy the quality or safety of a product. Even if you have to increase the cost of something by $25 to cover $10 in important costs, that is better over the long haul than to ruin your reputation.
I find the Vega intriguing because if it had been executed at the top of its game, it would have been a very good product; the Pinto had compromised packaging and cost cutting on the fuel area was revolting and shocking.
Thankfully the automakers are realizing that money spent on interiors sells cars.