Tuesday 6th January 2015

Vauxhall Chevette HS: Spotted

Vauxhall's forgotten rally car pops up in the PH classifieds

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Well here's something you don't see every day. A Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS. Vauxhall's homologation special for Group 4 rallying, a vision in silver with tartan upholstery, up for sale at £15K.

Coolest boot font ever?

The story of the HS is another Ford against Vauxhall rivalry. The former had established itself as a strong rallying force by the mid-70s with the Escort and Vauxhall wanted a slice of the action. So the little Chevette was gifted a 2.3-litre 16-valve lump, a five-speed gearbox as well as axle, brakes and suspension from the European Kadett GT/E. Homologation rules said 400 had to be made but the mega Chevette was so costly that Vauxhall struggled to sell them. The limited edition HS-X was introduced and the last 40 or so were developed into the even faster HSR.

And it was a success. The Chevette was rallied by Pentti Airikkala, Jimmy McRae and Tony Pond, taking the British Open Rally Championship for drivers in 1979 and manufacturers and manufacturers in 1981.

Furthermore, it has a decent reputation as a road car. When an Escort RS2000 had 110hp, the Chevette had 135 and that's more. Still not quite a match for the 150hp Lotus Sunbeam but certainly enough for fun. And look at that engine. Stunning, isn't it?

Best like tartan

If the Talbot makes Escorts seem expensive then the Vauxhall is conspicuously good value. This standard, low mileage (68,000 miles) car is £15K. The advert isn't the most detailed but after five years of ownership the vendor should have plenty more information. How much for a comparable Escort? This RS2000 has nearly another 20,000 miles and is £20,000. It is fantastic though.

Maybe that's the Chevette's problem. It's fast, interesting and has competition provenance but arguably isn't an icon like that damn old Ford. Think 70s rallying and you think Escort, don't you? But for someone wishing to skirt the obvious option, this little Chevette looks great.

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VAUXHALL CHEVETTE HS
Engine: 2,279cc four-cyl
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 135@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 134@4,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1981
Recorded mileage: 68,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £15,995

See the original advert here.

[Source: Droopsnoot Group]

[V8 FOU]

Big Wibble. Brilliant car. Beats an RS2000 any day. Just hope the oil pump is OK as they are NLA.....

[DMN]

I vaguely know the owner and have seen (and heard) this car in the flesh. Its been very well looked after and sounds lovely.

[s m]

That looks in great nick - never that common even when new

[The Don of Croy]

Tempting, but not at 15k. Still an interesting motor - guy I knew many, many moons ago was building his own version but based in a Viva estate body shell. Each to their own etc.

The Sunbeam Lotus would be my pick.

[wideangle852]

I actually had one back in the day, living on the backroads of Essex, it was a hoot. Black interior, blacker than coal hole. I have very fond memories . . with a girlfriend or two . . . and after quite a few tweaks through the Dealer Team Vauxhall sports department at my local garage (new exhaust, cam, stage 2 head, Yokohama rally tyres) it was pushing 160+bhp, a real Escort RS2000 and Capri 3.0 killer, very predictable and loads of drifting fun . . but alas the lad in me at the time also had applied every conceivable available DTV go faster strip or decal . .including a large griffin on the bonnet! . . They must have added at least 2mph! Alas it got stolen one night and was wrapped around a street lamp in the next town and went to the Vauxhall graveyard in the sky . . along with the young car thief as well unfortunately . . a timely lesson.

[mightymouse]

that is all I can say
On my wish list

[pozi]

Back in the day when I was running Firenzas and Magnums spares support to keep them going was always the biggest problem.

I mean the Droopsnoot Group are great but in comparison you can practically build an entire Escort Mk2 with new parts readily available off the shelf.

[Housey]

Of an era no question. RS2000, HSR, Lotus Sunbeam, all cars that take me back to my youth. I think if money were no object having one of each would be rather nice.

[Athlon]

All those name checks of drivers and not a mention of Russell Brookes who was THE driver of the Chevette.

I always looked forward to seeing the Andrews car come thought the forest, rarely damaged, always fast.

[welshjohn]

There's are of tony mason being driven round a stage in the snow in one.damn well can't find it though...

[mr2man]

I had the ex Dealer Team Display HSR used by Dave Harris to get and set umpteen wins and records in hillclimbs and sprints. An absolute animal.

Ended up with one of the last Cosworth Development heads, built up by John Noble, and what sounded like a lot of power back then - but now nothing special, at c.260 BHP - but with light weight is such a help 125mph through the timing gate at Aintree. Only trouble was the bankruptcy it fed on. Nearly as bad as the ICE Motorsport Lotus Sunbeam that did utterly ruin me, but that's another story!

Still look special even today.

[andyps]

For me this is a much more desirable car than an Escort, although the Lotus Sunbeam would be my choice of the three. I can't understand the prices Escorts command, and even this seems pretty steep in many ways.

[Mr Tidy]

I had a Mk2 RS2000 many years ago but would have loved one of these or a Chevette HSR.
They were just so rare, probably even rarer now.
I suspect one of these would make a standard RS2000 feel pretty ordinary but with prices where they are now I won't find out, barring a Lottery win!

[bobby joylove]

Alas it got stolen one night and was wrapped around a street lamp in the next town and went to the Vauxhall graveyard in the sky . . along with the young car thief as well unfortunately . . a timely lesson.

Damn shame.....about the car that is.

[pmr01]

I think it would be ford 3rd, shuvvit and lotus in joint 1st. I had a magnum 2300 for a year and nearly bought a magnum sportshatch set up for hill climbs...vulcan engineering stage 3 head if memory serves - 170hp. unbelievably fast estate...now looks comedy.guy from dunfermline.

[thegreenhell]

Wasn't its Escort rival the RS1800 rather than the RS2000? The RS2000 just had the standard Pinto engine, but the RS1800 was the one with the Cosworth BDE and was used as a basis for the works rally cars.

[Mr Tidy]

Yes, the RS2000 had the Pinto engine so the RS1800 was a more direct rival - what do RS1800's cost now?!
RS2000 was a more affordable road car for young yobs (in the day) like me!
With hindsight the best Escorts were the Mk1's - RS1600 or Mexico. The Mk2 Mexico just had a 1600 Pinto which has as limited tuning potential as any RS2000.
But in the early 80's I had to have the latest model I could af-Ford!

[defblade]

Used to road rally a Shove-it at Uni

Only a 1256, but with a big bore head, a bloomin' great Dello'Orto twin carb, 2" almost straight through exhaust, 2 litre Cav brakes, Bilstein branded solid iron rods passing for suspension, cage, buckets and harnesses.

Kings. Of. The. Road.

Well, when it made it to the end of an event!

Happy days


(Always preferred Mantas to Crapis, too...)

[Slippydiff]

Athlon said:

All those name checks of drivers and not a mention of Russell Brookes who was THE driver of the Chevette.

There's a reason for that, you seem to have rather conveniently "forgotten" a chap by the name of Antony Pond Esq.
Pond and the Chevette on Tarmac were far more impressive than "Stumpy", mind you Pond was impressive on the loose in the Chevette too. Actually, come to think of it Pond was THE superior driver of the Chevette. Period.



As for the road car, well sorry to p*ss on any/everyone's chips, but in standard form it was hopeless. Over tyred, hopeless Stromberg carbs, wobbly engine mounts, dire exhaust manifold, cr*p seats and a rubbery, vague gearchange for starters.

I had one for six months, and was glad to see the back of it. A few years later I bought a damaged one of these and put it back on the road :



Properly sorted 144hp fuel injected engine, proper close ratio Getrag 'box (and a decent change), proper LSD, decent suspension (not like a Pogo stick) decent Recaro seats etc etc.
Quite how Opel got it so brilliantly right and Vauxhall (part of GM too remember) got it so desperately wrong, always remained a total mystery to me.

[J4CKO]

pmr01 said:

I think it would be ford 3rd, shuvvit and lotus in joint 1st. I had a magnum 2300 for a year and nearly bought a magnum sportshatch set up for hill climbs...vulcan engineering stage 3 head if memory serves - 170hp. unbelievably fast estate...now looks comedy.guy from dunfermline.

My uncle had a Magnum 2300, drove it a couple of times, similar power to the HS (had some tuning done), at the time it felt properly quick, very torquey engine for the time and the coupe (Firenza) shape was gorgeous on the right wheels