This Is The Chevy Vega That Cosworth Transformed Into A Hot Hatch Hero

To fully understand and appreciate this week’s quirky classified find, a brief history lesson is required on the Chevrolet Vega. It was one of - if not the worst - American car of the 1970s. It wasn’t terrible to look at, but it was as reliable as your out-of-work uncle and tended to rust at the mere thought of moisture. The Vega only lasted from 1971 to 1977, and if the car miraculously lasted more than a couple years, its weak four-cylinder engine would bore drivers to death. Even for a 1000kg subcompact, it was positively underwhelming.

But then something very curious happened in 1975. A limited number of these miserable little hatchbacks got black paint with gold trim, tweaked suspension, and an all-aluminum 2.0-litre DOHC Cosworth four-cylinder driving the rear wheels through a four-speed manual. It was the first production Chevrolet to feature electronic fuel injection, and though mandated emissions regulations choked the rev-happy mill to just 110bhp, it was still enough to make the Vega something of a hot little racer.

Chevrolet built a total of just 3508 Cosworth Vegas in 1975 and 1976. They were cool cars for the era, but even a Cosworth mill couldn’t stave off the Vega’s reputation for being a pile of crap. When Chevrolet dumped the Vega completely in 1977, few people mourned its passing. That is, except for the Cosworth.

And that brings us to this particular 1975 Cozzy Vega, currently selling on eBay in Plymouth, Michigan for a very lofty $22,900. Whether or not it brings that much is anyone’s guess; its status as both a cool and rare 1970s performance car combined with its terrible lineage leaves this one completely up in the air. That’s especially true when the car is all original with just 24,000 miles, and this one is also listed as a first place Autorama winner. That’s a big deal, because Autorama is one of the most prestigious custom and classic auto shows in the United States. To win there, a car needs to be special, so if any Vega has the chops to bring some respectable coin, this could be it.

I’m still not sure it’s $22,900 special; I’ve seen a few of these cars for sale over the years and they were always in the $10,000 range. Then again, I’ve never seen a Cosworth Vega quite as nice as this one appears to be. And for once we have a seller who understands how to properly sell a car online. There are plenty of great photos, solid vehicle information without going crazy on details, and no extraneous information on classic car markets, how great their dealership is, encyclopedia-length instructions on how to use eBay, and most importantly, no mention of the mythical “Jerry” who once owned 1000 cars.

I’ve always had a soft spot for cars that most people hate. Yes, that means I’d even geek out over a standard Vega in good shape, but the Cosworth Vegas are in a different category altogether. They didn’t just have a stellar engine; the suspension tuning actually turned these subcompacts into amazingly well-balanced sports cars. They were definitely built for enthusiasts - air conditioning and power steering were not available, and by keeping things light, the Cosworth Vega made the most of its decidedly non-traditional engine. As such, these cars were never really hated like their standard Vega siblings, and though I’m not sure it’s loved enough to bring $22,900, the Cosworth Vega has certainly earned its place in performance automotive history.