The bold and unusual Chevy Vega, which was a General Motors product that first saw the light of day in 1970 and ran for only seven years until its discontinuation in 1977 was car that was never really properly given all the tools it needed to succeed, in the estimation of many an automotive expert.

It was notable, though, in how quickly it was brought from concept to final product, taking only two years, which was a record for GM back in those days. It also came in a number of 2-door body styles, including a notchback wagon and even a panel express delivery truck.

Considering the compact nature of the vehicle and the manufacturer's intent for it, which was that it be an import fighter and a vehicle that would be Chevy's offering for first-time car buyers who were of limited means, the Vega carved out a place for itself quite ably, even if it wasn't ultimately deemed a success.

Initially, though, the car itself proved a good-selling machine, making into the top-ten in terms of sales by 1974. Weak engines -- both in performance and reliability -- proved to be the car's Achilles heel, though, and a number of issues with the engine's aluminum block caused more than a few issues in the first few years of its existence. Happily, most problems were fixed over the years.

Eventually, the little 4 cylinder mills that were offered proved to be the car's undoing due to their poor quality -- at least initially -- and mediocre performance. Some years into production Chevy began making a similar vehicle called the Monza that was made on the Vega's platform and soon enough, the company put an end to the Vega, with 1977 being the last call for the little 2-door. The Monza itself was put to bed in 1980.

Though looked upon a little more favorably today, most auto experts believe that the Vega was emblematic of much of what was wrong with American automakers back in the seventies. As a statement of its time, though, the Vega tried to show off many styling cues which were believed to be European in nature. Also, it eventually offered fuel injection, which was relatively rare for American cars back then.

The Chevy Vega in all its different styles proved consequential in a number of ways for the company and its parent, General Motors. It made it to market in only 2 years from conception, which was quite impressive for an age when it could be several years before a model might see the light of day. This is probably the signal achievement of the once-notable Vega.

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