Chevrolet Kadett
Encyclopedia
The Chevrolet Kadett is a small family car produced by Chevrolet
and originally designed by German company Opel
.
and Opel Kadett
were known as the Chevrolet Kadett in South America
. The range was made up of three- and five-door hatchbacks, as well as an estate model.
in 1985, largely due to its aerodynamic body styling, which was advanced for its time. The 1984 model was also developed into a more conventional three-box design
with a boot (trunk), badged as the Vauxhall Belmont in the UK and the Opel Monza in South Africa
. A convertible version was also available, for the first time in 1987, built by Bertone of Torino/Italy. For the 1984 model, capacities were raised to 1400, 1800 and a new 2000 cc engine, again used on the GSi and Vauxhall Astra GTE. In 1988, a 16-valve twin-cam version was developed for a high performance GSi/GTE model, yielding 156 hp (115 kW) in manufactured form. But there was competition in the front weel drive class for the superboss, the toyota conquest 1300cc would proof to be faster and more reliable , with less power output, at 80kw the conquest broke every record the superboss ever made. The conquest even broke records created by mazda rotery engins.
The Kadett E has been seen as a grey import in the UK, however it was not as popular as the Vauxhall Astra
.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, South African Kadett GSis were nicknamed the Superboss, equipped with a more powerful 2 L engine developing 125 kW, and were successful in touring car competitions in that country.
The Kadett E was introduced in Brazil
as the Chevrolet Kadett, but the three-door station wagon variant of the model was called the Chevrolet Ipanema.
It formed the basis of the Daewoo LeMans (later known as the Daewoo Cielo, Racer and Nexia
) in South Korea
, and also as Heaven in Chile (Nexia being the HB version), which was sold in the United States
and New Zealand
(!) as the Pontiac LeMans
, and in Canada
(initially) as the Passport Optima. LeMans sales ended in 1993]. The Nexia is still being produced at UzDaewoo plant in Asaka, Uzbekistan
. The Cielo is still being produced at a semi-independent (from GM) plant in Craiova
, Romania
(the license will however expire in fall 2005).
's name for the Kadett, Astra
, for the replacement car which débuted that year, for Europe. Only in South Africa did the Kadett name continue on the first Opel Astra hatchback, until 1999, when all models took the Astra name.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
and originally designed by German company Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
.
Kadett D
The Vauxhall AstraVauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
and Opel Kadett
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...
were known as the Chevrolet Kadett in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The range was made up of three- and five-door hatchbacks, as well as an estate model.
Kadett E
The Kadett E was introduced in 1984, and was voted Car of the YearCar of the Year
Car of the Year is a phrase usually considered to have been invented by Motor Trend magazine in the 1950s for their annual award for best American automobile...
in 1985, largely due to its aerodynamic body styling, which was advanced for its time. The 1984 model was also developed into a more conventional three-box design
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
with a boot (trunk), badged as the Vauxhall Belmont in the UK and the Opel Monza in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. A convertible version was also available, for the first time in 1987, built by Bertone of Torino/Italy. For the 1984 model, capacities were raised to 1400, 1800 and a new 2000 cc engine, again used on the GSi and Vauxhall Astra GTE. In 1988, a 16-valve twin-cam version was developed for a high performance GSi/GTE model, yielding 156 hp (115 kW) in manufactured form. But there was competition in the front weel drive class for the superboss, the toyota conquest 1300cc would proof to be faster and more reliable , with less power output, at 80kw the conquest broke every record the superboss ever made. The conquest even broke records created by mazda rotery engins.
The Kadett E has been seen as a grey import in the UK, however it was not as popular as the Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, South African Kadett GSis were nicknamed the Superboss, equipped with a more powerful 2 L engine developing 125 kW, and were successful in touring car competitions in that country.
The Kadett E was introduced in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
as the Chevrolet Kadett, but the three-door station wagon variant of the model was called the Chevrolet Ipanema.
It formed the basis of the Daewoo LeMans (later known as the Daewoo Cielo, Racer and Nexia
Daewoo Nexia
The Daewoo LeMans/Racer is a subcompact car, first manufactured by Daewoo Motors in South Korea between 1986 and 1994. It was replaced by the facelifted Daewoo Cielo—a car mechanically identical to the LeMans, differentiated only by its modified styling cues...
) in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and also as Heaven in Chile (Nexia being the HB version), which was sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(!) as the Pontiac LeMans
Pontiac LeMans
The Pontiac LeMans was a model name applied to compact and intermediate-sized automobiles offered by the Pontiac division of General Motors from 1962 to 1981. The LeMans was replaced by the downsized Pontiac Bonneville for the 1982 model year...
, and in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(initially) as the Passport Optima. LeMans sales ended in 1993]. The Nexia is still being produced at UzDaewoo plant in Asaka, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. The Cielo is still being produced at a semi-independent (from GM) plant in Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
(the license will however expire in fall 2005).
Kadett F
In 1992, GM Europe decided to standardize model names across its two brands, and Opel adopted sister company VauxhallVauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
's name for the Kadett, Astra
Opel Astra
The Opel Astra is a small family car engineered and manufactured by the German automaker Opel since 1991.It is branded as Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom, the Buick Excelle XT in China and the Chevrolet Astra/Vectra in Latin America...
, for the replacement car which débuted that year, for Europe. Only in South Africa did the Kadett name continue on the first Opel Astra hatchback, until 1999, when all models took the Astra name.