90rocz

Why not the Chevelle, I mean drop the gimpy "Impy" and bring back the Chevelle!...
It could come in a 2-door or 4-door version, as it did in the past. And various performance levels, as it did in the past..
I personally think this is a good car to try that "small" rear door design on, you know the one like a 3rd door on a pickup truck.
Downsize it just a "tad", make it a bit like the new GTO, RWD ,except better looking, and I believe it would be a big hit..A family oriented RWD performance car!..
??????

Darth Xed

IMO, If they bring the Chevelle name back, Monte Carlo would have to go away...

I don't know that bringing a 4-door Chevell einto the fold would be a great idea... I know they were once a part of the lineup, but I don't think that is what people would expect if it were to return.

Pandamonkey

I would be in favor of a new Chevelle as long as it's not on a FWD platform.
It likely would be though............

Darth Xed

With the mini-RWD revolution going on right now... I doubt that would happen.

If the Chevy 2-door large coupe stays FWD, I would think it would remain "Monte Carlo".

If it goes to RWD, I would think "Monte Carlo" or "Chevelle" would apply, depending on how they style it.

90rocz

Well, I was thinking it could be like the "Gran Prix" of Pontiac, sharing a similar platform, as they once did. Available in a coupe like the "GTP", or a sedan like the "GT", only the 2-door Chevelle version might be a an "SS" and the 4-door an "LS" or something more modern...
The 4-door could even retain FWD as long as it carried some V8 punch like the Aurora or Caddy. While the 2-door version could share the GTO/Monaro platform.

I don't think the Monte would need to go, but definitely the Impala, and the Lumina.

Keep the Monte as a 2-door only, as it has been and should be. I think the Monte Carlo should be Chevy's version of the Mustang, "a car the does everything decently, but nothing to extremes." I think it could compete sales wise in this way. There's many possibilities for powerplants and trim levels it could have. From an economical small V6 with std wheel/tires, clean lines and smooth riding suspension to a powerful supercharged V6 hood scoops, ground effects, low profile wheel/tire combo...

But if Chevy needs to thin its herd, I don't think the Monte will be missed nearly as much as the Camaro, so a trade of the Monte, Impala and Lumina for a versital Chevelle in 2/4 door platforms would be a refreshing change...IMO.

guionM

Chevrolet's Chevelle was the mid-size low priced family car till the car's downsizing in 1978 given the Malibu name (formerly trim levels of the Chevelle).

It's pretty amazing and baffling how the names of some cars have been twisted in some people's minds the past few years to the point where cars that were once run of the mill grocery-getters are now known as some type of historic all muscle performance car that has to be brought back from the dead.

Next up:
*Someone writes why can't Ford bring back the Gran Torino or the Ford Granada as a cheap high performance line up or have a new high performance Granada, or replace the Mercury Marauder with the Mercury Monarch! Not to be outdone, another Ford fan wants the Maverick name to return!!

*A Chrysler fan wants Chrysler to bring back it's historic muscle-car, the Dodge Dart and make a special high performance car with the Plymouth name.... the Swinger! Hey, someone else says, what about the Dodge Coronet! Those things rocked on Adam12!

*But wait, let's get Chevrolet to bring back the Chevy Nova and the Chevrolet Chevelle! Those were also uncompromising performance cars too!!

........oh wait.......some people already have.


* Excuse the truckfuls of sarcasm, but after some of the really stupid rewrites of GTO history (1 complete idiot swore GTO was a different body than the Tempest ), and the general amnesia that the Malibu was never a performance car, and another dimwit that felt the Nova was once an all conquering performance car that should be brought back has really made the whole historic car name issue sour to me.

That's without including the Impala name (twisted after Chevy used it on the sinister looking repainted 94-97 Caprice).

Darth Xed

Well, here's my personal take on the only situation that the Chevelle name should be brought back:

Chevy wants to bring into the product mix a 2-door large Coupe, with RWD, and believe it or not, retro-styling. (yes, you just heard this coming from me ).

The Chevelle name has (as I think GTO had, but there were reasons why it could not be done, and I understand that) a unique market position, IMO... it has been "frozen in time" and a retro theme would logically fit with this nameplate without being a "hiccup" in the lifecycle of the moniker.....

PaperTarget

Personally I'd like to see some of the old names come back, as long as they kept with a modern outlook. Retro styling doesn't bother me too much as long as everyone isn't doing it. The Mustang isn't retro to me. While it does have styling cues from three different models of Mustangs, it's a wholly modern car to me. Exterior, interior, drivetrain and chassis are all modern. The PT Cruiser has a "retro" look about it too, but it's also wholly modern.

I don't think bringing back an old name like Chevelle or the possible Ford Falcon that might be showing up soon is a bad thing. The GTO is a nice car and the name is fine, but GM didn't do enough to seperate it from the Monaro in the looks department (I actually think they hurt it's looks more on the front end).

BTW guionM, I'd like to see Buick bring back the GS II with the 455

guionM

The GS was actually a performance car!

Now, if you had said the Skylark was a great performance line, I'd probally be banging my head against the wall at this moment.

Darth Xed

No offense, but if the 2005 Mustang and the PT Cruiser don't look "retro".... I don't know how anything could look retro, short of finding an old warehouse full of actuall 1967 cars and selling them as 2005's...

guionM

I can see Chevelle as a low cost version of a Monte Carlo, because that's basically what a Chevelle coupe was (both had different bodies, but the same interiors). Perhaps even as a low cost 2 door version of the Impala.

The issue I have is that as soon as an idea like this comes up, we're going to have the GTO situation all over again:
*"It's screwed up because it doesn't look like a Chevelle!"
*"It doesn't have Chevelle styling 'cues'! GM screwed up again!!"
*"It should be as fast as a Corvette or it isn't a 'Chevelle'!!!"
....and on, and on, and on....

I think it could easily be done (though I am shocked at you....Retro... Darth?? ), and personally I think even a cheap version of the GTO (with a different grill & taillamps) would be perfect, but like death and taxes, the nuts will certainly come out and start bashing whithout having a clue as to what they are talking about.

It might be easier doing the car with an all new name IMHO.

Darth Xed

Well, I absolutely agree here... I think every manufacturer risks this when they revive a nameplate from the past...

See how open I am to ideas sometimes!


True... though I think the effect would be lost and a lot of inherant value dropped if they did decide to go the retro-route... now, on a clean, modern design... yes... I would agree, a new name could perhaps work better.... but all of this doesn't mean that I would balk at a modern styled Chevelle, though GTO proves that a lot of people would.

But, again, to come full circle... this is where the value of the "frozen in time" theory comes into play...

Omega9

That would be one of the coolest comebacks ever. Chevelle and GTO would once again dominate the streets.

The Chevelle and GTO would be worthy replacements to the Camaro and Firebird.

guionM

Darth, see what I mean!

PaperTarget

Yeah, I see what you mean, but I guess when I see retro concepts, they DO seem retro to me. Production vehicles like the PT Cruiser and Mustang don't really push it too far IMO. The same could be said of "futuristic" vehicles. Mach III, SS, GT90 and several other concepts come to mind that really push the outside of the envelope. But when AND IF those types of concepts make it to production, they are toned down quite a bit to look "modern" or "contemporary". Personally, I still own my 1967 Mustang and I see quite a bit of difference between it and the 2005 Mustang's front end. Here's a bad analogy, but gets my point across. If you're an asian guy, you can probably see all the differences in asian people quite easily. They basically don't look alike to you. But if you're a white/black/red guy who's never seen asians before, they might all look the same to you. I think the Ford guys see the differences quite easily where as the Chevy/Dodge guys don't. JMO.