Archive for category Chevrolet
The History of Chevrolet, An American Product
Posted by in Car History, Chevrolet on July 13, 2011
Few products have come to symbolize the American lifestyle like the Chevrolet automobile. In the 1950s, singer Dina Shore urged us to “See the USA, in your Chevrolet”, while Don McLean’s despondent teenager drove his “Chevy to the levy” in McLean’s 1971 classic hit, “American Pie”. While Americans’ love affair with Chevrolet vehicles cannot be denied, it should be noted that Chevrolet cars and trucks are manufactured throughout the world, and have been since 1923. In that year, Chevrolet’s parent company, General Motors, opened its first European assembly plant in Copenhagen, Denmark. Americans should know that Chevrolets are just as popular on the streets of Manila and Sao Paulo, as they are on the freeways of Los Angeles or the byways of Albuquerque.
LOUIS CHEVROLET
Any discussion of Chevrolet history must begin with the vehicle’s founder and namesake, Louis Chevrolet. Chevrolet, of French descent, was born the son of a watchmaker in Switzerland in 1878. Young Chevrolet cared little for school, preferring to tinker with all things mechanical. As a young man, Chevrolet repaired and raced bicycles, developing a local reputation as a competitive racer. As Chevrolet honed his mechanical skills, his interest in bicycle racing waned in favor of automobile racing, a sport then in its infancy. After working as a mechanic in Paris, and then in Montreal, Chevrolet arrived in New York City in 1900. Chevrolet was eventually hired as a race car driver by Fiat, and he began to achieve an impressive number of victories on the racing circuit. Chevrolet’s reputation as a race car driver continued to grow, and for a short time he held the world’s land speed record of 119 miles per hour.
BIRTH OF AN ICON
A series of victories with the Fiat racing team catapulted Louis Chevrolet to celebrity status in America, capturing the attention of William C. “Billy” Durant, a successful horse drawn carriage manufacturer and founder of General Motors. Durant hired Chevrolet as lead race car driver to promote a new line of motor cars called Buicks, and Chevrolet, although often injured in crashes, continued to win races.
Automobile manufacturing was considered a risky investment in the early years of the twentieth century, and in 1910, Durant, over extended and unable to obtain credit, was ousted from his management position at General Motors. Free to pursue other endeavors, he teamed with Louis Chevrolet, William Little, and his son-in-law, Edwin Campbell to form the Chevrolet Motor Company, in November of 1911. The company was so named in order to capitalize upon the well known name of Louis Chevrolet. The Chevrolet automobile they designed and built was an expensive 6-cylinder luxury vehicle, intended to reflect the speed and European elegance associated with the name Chevrolet. The Chevrolet Series C Classic Six automobile was capable of speeds of up to 65 mph – a dizzying speed in those days. Louis Chevrolet was pleased with the sleek, fast, but expensive vehicle built on European design. Billy Durant, however, had different plans for the Chevrolet. Read the rest of this entry »
Chevrolet Z71
Posted by in Chevrolet on July 13, 2011
The word “Z71″ may be the RPO code granted to some special off-road package offered by General Motors to buyers. This option was used the very first time on the GMT400 trucks which were manufactured between 1987 and 1998. Later, the same package was adopted on the Chevrolet Blazers and also the two-door Chevrolet Tahoe.
The Chevrolet Z71 package included a four wheel drive system, an automatically locking rear differential, color-coded bumpers, on and off-road tires, fog lamps, five spoke aluminum alloy wheels and “Z71″ badges. Being an optional feature was available the two wheel drive system.
The Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 was manufactured for that fist time in 1999 and was available in both on and off-road driving and terrain versions. This Tahoe Z71 is dependant on the redesigned Silverado pickup platform. The 2000 Z71 was designed with a four speed automatic transmission with overdrive and its original price was of $38,894. With regards to its size, this Chevrolet Z71 is 199.6 inches long, 76.8 inches wide and 72.4 inches high while the weight of the Tahoe is about 5,300 lbs. Getting the SUV look, this car uses a digital power-assist system which helps the motive force handle the car and a transmission electronic control.
Underneath the hood, the 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 hosts a 5.7 liters V8 engine which could produce 255 horsepower at 4,600 rpm. In addition to this, the engine features a 4.0 inch bore along with a 3.5 inch stroke. The 2000 Tahoe Z71 uses a multi-point fuel injection system and its gas tank has a 30 gallons capacity. The fuel consumption for that 2000 car is of 12 miles per gallon when you drive within the city as well as only 16 miles per gallons on the highway.
The interior from the 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe Z71 feels safe and spacious. The fabric accustomed to cover the inside from the 2000 Tahoe is leather. The conventional interior includes power locks, front and back power windows, a rear window wiper, an online trunk release and power steering. To improve comfort the Chevrolet Z71 comes with height-adjustable seat belts for the front and the rear seats, an illuminated entry system and power height-adjustable seating for the driver and the passengers. Additional features that improve the interior of the 2000 Z71 are the lockable glove box, the front seat cup holders and the standard cruise control. The entertainment space is well accentuated through the AM/FM radio that is designed with a CD player and eight speakers. Read the rest of this entry »