Chevrolet Make Overview

Co-founded by Louis Chevrolet and William Durant in the early part of the 20th century, Chevrolet released its first car in 1912: the Classic Six. Chevrolet became part of General Motors in 1917.

Chevrolet has some of the most celebrated classic cars, including classic Camaros, Corvettes, Chevelles, Corvairs, and Monte Carlos. Chevrolet has a broad range of cars, ranging in size, speed, and price.

Chevrolet has recently been crowding the airwaves with television commercials for their trucks, reminding NFL viewers that they are the "All-American" car and truck company. Nothing like a little John Mellencamp to erase memories of your favorite team's recent fumble (or-worse-your fantasy team's star running back's recent fumble, recovered by your current opponent's defensive player and returned for a touchdown). But I digress.

Chevrolet's small cars have always been popular with both rental car fleets and with young drivers. The Aveo is the newest addition to these cars, taking over for the relatively blah Metro and Prism. The long-lasting Cavalier was recently replaced by the roomier Cobalt. With the Aveo and Cobalt, Chevrolet has two cars which fit into city parking while allowing enough space for four.

In the mid-size arena, Chevrolet has brought back some old names: the Malibu, Impala, and Monte Carlo. All three models have spent time in the classic muscle car domain, but have since moved into the realm of fun-to-drive mid-size sedans. While not quite as powerful as in days of yore, these three cars still have a loyal following, particularly the Impala, which made its triumphant return at the turn of the century.

Although the classic muscle cars may have been phased out, the Corvette remains among the most popular and storied cars ever. The powerful two-seater has fan clubs all over the world, and the four round taillights (at least on today's models) continue to turn heads. The Corvette's little brother, the Camaro, was sadly phased out in 2002, but is reportedly scheduled to return to showrooms, streets, and racing strips in 2009.

Next we move from the classics to the popular vehicles of today: the SUV's. Chevy offers a full fleet, with the classic Blazer to the luxurious Tahoe to the mammoth Suburban. Blazers have held up very well, and many of the older models can be seen on the roads today, and the Tahoe and Suburban are built to survive for years (even if the roads on which they drive are not).

Chevy also features a couple of crossovers - or, well, featured I guess would be more appropriate. The strange though cultly popular SSR met with the chopping block after a couple of odd, strange years. The Avalanche continues to gain in popularity, as the truck/SUV provides ruggedness and convenience.

The Silverado took over for the C/K in 1989, and has been competing with Ford's F-150 ever since. The durable pickup has fewer trims than its competitor, but not fewer options.

Lastly, Chevy rounds out its fleet with a number of van and minivan options, including the phased-out Astro, Uplander, and Express.

Of course, we haven't even begun to delve into what Chevrolet has offered through the years. Vehicles such as the Bel Air, Classic, or Celebrity still have loyal followings.