1975 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega Hatchback
The Cosworth Vega is probably the most interesting story out of Chevrolet in the mid-'70s. Performance was at its nadir. The Camaro Z28 was axed for '75, the Corvette was using a chassis that dated to the fall of 1962 and Zora Arkus-Duntov's dream of a mid-engine replacement was about to be shot down permanently. Midsize muscle? Dead. After the OPEC Oil Embargo of '73, performance as we knew it had changed forever.... or so we thought. The country was brought to its knees when OPEC shut off the supply of crude. The future of high performance automobiles, (or what was left of it), was going to be tape stripes and small displacement sewing machines under the hood.
John Zachary DeLorean is credited with the idea of the Cosworth Vega. It was his attempt to duplicate the magic performed when he was an engineer at Pontiac when they stuffed a 389 into a Tempest and created the GTO. It was a bold idea, a new kind of performance for a new era. Think about it: Stick a dual overhead cam 2.0 liter engine with electronic fuel injection and a high flow exhaust header engineered by an English company known for its success in international racing circles into a small vehicle. It was a heck of a walk out on a limb, especially for the time it was introduced. We hear at classic Auto Mall give you for consignment a RUST FREE 1975 Cosworth Vega in true survivor format showing a non-verifiable 25,372 miles on the odometer.
Exterior
Did I mention INVASIVE RUST FREE? Very rare to find one in this condition and clearly this car was cared for over the years. This care clearly paid off because we see nothing but straight steel covered in consignor-stated factory applied black paint, and in John Player Special F1 style, gold pin striping, recently powder coated gold alloy wheels, and stick on badging in outlined type...all gold. Also, the steel panels are straight, and have good gaps. The only faults I can see are some chipping, surface rust, and checking of the paint, but otherwise things are real sweet!
Interior
Amazingly preserved, Black Astro buckets draped in shiny vinyl are up front, and a matching bench stretches across the rear. The carpeting is clean and stain free and hovering above is the original dash all in black save for a nifty gold swirl machined instrument cluster. The original steering wheel fronts this, and a floor shifter topped with a black knob and black boot, sits in the hump. A tight tear free headliner floats above this wonderful interior.
Drivetrain
Cosworth was founded in 1958 by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth. It has become the most successful engine manufacturer in history. This is the money shot, the crescendo, the coup de resistance, the twin overhead cam 2.0 liter 4-cylinder slightly tuned down racing Cosworth setup. It sports electronic fuel injection, and a 4-speed manual transmission out back. Way out back is a 10-bolt 3.73 Positraction rear axle. It is truly a beautiful sight to behold, with its Cosworth Vega Cam Cover, stainless fuel injectors, and of course the aluminium headers. Thank you Delorean, God rest his soul.
Undercarriage
All original under here, with just a smattering of surface rust, and some patina with age, however very sound, and certainly not a victim of what most of these Cosworth Vegas succumbed to..Rust..NO INVASIVE RUST HERE. Keeping this little rocketship glued to the tarmac is independent coil sprung suspension up front and this works hand in hand with a torque arm and coil spring arrangement in the rear. Disc brakes in the front and drums out back bring things to a halt with all new parts.
Drive-Ability
It isn't often we get a Vega in our vast inventory, and it's even rarer that we get one that is so well preserved and stock, so when this one arrived both my test driver and I ran to drive this example. It fired right up and ran beautifully at idle but we noted the tachometer and heater blow both did not function. Once moving, the car cornered like it was on rails, and had great acceleration. It did not drive like a 49 year old car. Also a good cruiser, with a smooth ride that brought a smile to both mine and my cohort crack decoder's face. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
It did not create the phenomenon of the GTO, however what it did do was create a rare classic that still survives thanks to an astute consigner. Beautiful exterior panels, snappy Cosworth 2.0 overhead cam engine, and simply brilliant interior, this one will not last long, as there will be plenty of collectors sniffing around real quick. Blimey!
1V77E5U206994
1-Chevrolet
V-Vega
77-2 Door Hatchback
E-2.0 DOHC I4
5-1975
U-Lordstown OH Assy Plant
206994-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price.
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