Skip advert
Advertisement

evo Icons - Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS driven - Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS driven - page 3

A drive over the Route Napoleon in Southern France introduces us to one of Vauxhall's hidden historical gems

Through alpine curves, the Chevette drives much like a front-wheel drive hatch, albeit one lacking in torque steer. Understeer is the dominant characteristic, and the balance feels front-led. That might change when really exploring the car’s limits – or on a wet road – but Tony Pond and Pentti Airikkala impressions would require plenty of commitment.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Confident in a healthy surfeit of grip over power, it becomes natural to carry a little more speed into corners and get on the throttle earlier than you might in something spikier. The steering is quick to respond and weights up early, the effort required varying in proportion to load.

The brakes need a little more care – tiny discs up front and something called ‘drums’ on the rear axle – but the solid pedal provides reassurance and they’re easy to modulate.  The endearing squeak they generate into downhill hairpins as they warm up is simply part of the charm.

Today, the hot hatch power race has spiraled out of control, but at the time only Chrysler’s Lotus Sunbeam could touch the HS for performance, with its 150bhp Lotus twin-cam.

The Chevette never quite matched the Lotus for kudos, and never touched Ford’s success on the world’s rally stages either, but with Pond and Airikkala at the wheel, it still won the British Opel Rally Championship in 1979 and took the manufacturer’s title in 1981.

If there’s one realm in which the Vauxhall comfortably beats its Ford rival, it’s affordability. While an Escort RS2000 now commands upwards of £15,000 – and Mexicos more than that – it’s still possible to find HS Chevettes at four-figure sums. As homologation specials go, and on the evidence of a drive on some of France’s greatest roads, that’s something of a bargain.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Mercedes-AMG A45 S 2024 review – still a foil for the Audi RS3?
Mercedes-AMG A45 S front
Reviews

Mercedes-AMG A45 S 2024 review – still a foil for the Audi RS3?

Big hitting AMG A45 S hyper-hatch gets the mildest of facelifts but still packs a heavyweight punch 
1 Nov 2024
Audi RS3 2024 review – can it topple Mercedes-AMG’s A45 S?
Audi RS3 – front
Reviews

Audi RS3 2024 review – can it topple Mercedes-AMG’s A45 S?

With no power boost, the new Audi RS3 relies on a host of chassis and drivetrain upgrades to take on the AMG A45 S and Honda Civic Type R
27 Oct 2024
'Renault Sport set the bar for 21st-century hot hatchbacks'
Renaultsport Megane R26.R 24
Opinion

'Renault Sport set the bar for 21st-century hot hatchbacks'

Richard Meaden reflects on the golden age of Renault Sport hot hatches, and what the future might hold for Alpine EVs
27 Oct 2024
Driving Thornley Kelham’s ultra-light, £650,000 Porsche 911 restomod – car pictures of the week
Thornley Kelham Porsche 911 European RS – front
Features

Driving Thornley Kelham’s ultra-light, £650,000 Porsche 911 restomod – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo, we get behind the wheel of Thornley Kelham’s Porsche 911 European RS restomod – these are our favourite shots
27 Oct 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Potential sale of McLaren Automotive imminent
McLaren for sale
News

Potential sale of McLaren Automotive imminent

McLaren’s Bahraini owners could sell to Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings, which already has investments in Gordon Murray Technologies and Nio
29 Oct 2024
Used car deals of the week
Used car deals of the week
Advice

Used car deals of the week

In this week’s used car deals, we’ve sourced everything from a Golf GTI TCR to an Aston Martin DBS
30 Oct 2024
The new Porsche 911 Carrera T is pared back, lightweight and manual-only
Porsche 911 992.2 Carrera T – front
News

The new Porsche 911 Carrera T is pared back, lightweight and manual-only

Porsche’s 992.2 Carrera T is a manual-only, lightweight 911 with bespoke chassis mods – could this be the sweet spot in the range?
29 Oct 2024