Chevrolet Cavalier


The Chevrolet Cavalier is a line of compact cars produced by Chevrolet. Serving as the replacement of the Chevrolet Monza, the Cavalier was the second Chevrolet model line to adopt front-wheel drive. Three versions of the Cavalier have been sold, including three generations sold in North America from model years 1982 to 2005, a version produced by SAIC-GM for China from 2016 to 2021, and a SAIC-GM version produced for Mexico since the 2019 model year.
The Cavalier was among the inaugural vehicles of the GM J platform. One of the first "world cars" of General Motors, the J platform was developed for use by each North American GM division, alongside international models for Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden. Though sharing chassis underpinnings, J-body cars from Europe and Australia used slightly different body designs and different powertrains; in Europe, the Vauxhall Cavalier and Opel Ascona were marketed as mid-size cars. Initially a divisional counterpart of the Buick Skyhawk, Cadillac Cimarron, Oldsmobile Firenza, and Pontiac J2000, the Cavalier was primarily marketed alongside the Pontiac Sunbird.
The 1982–2005 Cavalier was produced by multiple GM facilities across North America; all models from the 1990s on were made at Lordstown Assembly, which became synonymous with the Cavalier and compact Chevrolet models in general from the earlier Chevrolet Vega all the way to the Chevrolet Cruze. For 2005, the Chevrolet Cobalt replaced the model line in North America.

Predecessors

The Cavalier began development in the late 1970s, as Chevrolet sought to replace the compact Monza with a front-wheel drive model line sized between the Chevrolet Chevette subcompact and the front-wheel drive Nova replacement. Serving as a replacement for the Vega, the Monza was offered as a 2-door notchback coupe, 3-door hatchback, and 3-door station wagon. Initially developed for the stillborn GM Wankel rotary engine, the rear-wheel drive Monza was reengineered to accommodate V6 and V8 engines up to.
Marketed as one of the smallest and lowest-price American cars, the Chevette hatchback was closer in size to the Volkswagen Beetle, competing primarily against subcompacts from Japanese-brand manufacturers, including the Honda Civic, Datsun B210 and Toyota Corolla. Following the introduction of the Dodge Omni and Ford Fiesta, American manufacturers began transitioning towards front-wheel drive in compacts and subcompacts, through both domestically produced vehicles and the use of captive imports.
Along with developing up-to-date chassis underpinnings to replace the Monza, GM sought to expand the market appeal of the new model line by expanding the number of available body styles. The notchback coupe and three-door hatchback would make a return, joined by a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon.

First generation (1982–1987)

The first-generation Cavalier first went on sale in the United States in May 1981 as a 1982 model. The Cavalier name originated from GM's then-British subsidiary Vauxhall, who applied it to badge engineered variants of the Opel Ascona, the third generation of which was the first J-body car to be released.
Initially, the 1.8 liter carbureted L46 inline 4 was the only available engine, and it could be mated to either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission. The Cavalier came in four body styles: a 2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, and a 4-door station wagon. Available trim packages were the entry level Cadet, mid-level Base, and the upscale CL, which could be optioned with two-tone paint, accent stripes, and aluminum alloy wheels. The suspension was shared with the Citation and Celebrity, and consisted of MacPherson struts, lower control arms, coil springs, and a front stabilizer bar. The rear suspension was unique to the Cavalier and featured a solid beam axle, trailing arms, and variable-rate coil springs.
For 1983, the 2.0 liter throttle body fuel-injected LQ5 inline 4 replaced the previous L46 engine, and a 5-speed manual transmission was offered. A convertible model produced by American Specialty Cars was added late in the model year; initial production totaled fewer than 1,000 units. This was the first convertible from Chevrolet since the Caprice convertible had been discontinued in 1975.
For 1984, the Cavalier's styling was lightly refreshed, with a new grille and four rather than two rectangular sealed-beam Headlamps. The Type 10 package, previously available only on the hatchback, was offered on the coupe and convertible models. 5,161 Cavaliers built at the South Gate Assembly plant were festooned with an Olympic special appearance package to celebrate the 1984 Summer Olympics.
For 1985, the 2.8 liter LB6 V6 was added as an optional engine. It was meant to debut with the Z24 package, but the Z24 package was delayed until 1986. The V6 was available as an option on all trim levels.
For 1986, the Z24 package was added as on option for the coupe and hatchback models. It featured digital gauges, sport wheels, a ground effects kit, and a specific front fascia. The Type 10 package was discontinued and replaced with the RS package, which was now available on all body styles.
For 1987, both available engines were refreshed. The LQ5 four-cylinder was updated to the LL8 designation, gained 5 horsepower, and the distributor was replaced with a coil pack ignition system. The LB6 V6 gained aluminum cylinder heads, different fuel injectors, and electronic spark control.
CoupeHatchbackSedanWagonConvertibleYearly total
198238,58934,90678,36843,194-195,057
198345,20025,86986,13560,756627218,587
1984103,20444,146200,318109,4575,486462,611
1985106,02125,508179,98368,1324,108383,752
1986147,67625,776193,02159,8435,785432,101
1987132,92110,815150,55246,1405,826346,254
Total573,611167,020888,377387,52221,8322,038,362

Engines

  • 1982: 1.8 L L46 carbureted OHV I4
  • 1983–1986: 2.0 L LQ5 TBI OHV I4
  • 1987: 2.0 L LL8 TBI OHV I4
  • 1985–1987: 2.8 L LB6 MPFI OHV V6

    Second generation (1988–1994)

The Cavalier was restyled in 1987 for the 1988 model year. The 3-door hatchback was dropped, while the coupe, sedan, wagon and convertible carried over. The sedan and wagon were unchanged from the doors back, while the coupe's exterior was completely redesigned. This resulted in different trunk designs for the coupe and sedan. Three trim levels were available for 1988: VL for Value Leader, RS, and Z24. The convertible was only available as a Z24, and the dashboard unit from the Type 10 was installed in coupes and convertibles with the Z24 appearance, while the VL and RS used the dashboard unit shared with the Sunbird and Cimarron. The VL and RS came standard with the 2.0 L OHV L4 engine, now upgraded to throttle-body injection, or TBI, producing, while the 2.8 L V6 producing was optional on the RS and standard on the Z24. With two-door models, a 5-speed manual transmission was standard and a 3-speed automatic was optional, however the 3-speed automatic was made standard on sedans and wagons. An electronic dashboard was available with the RS and Z24 trims, while the front suspension carried over from the previous generation and the rear suspension adopted the torsion-beam rear axle, along with coil springs and rear stabilizer bars from the discontinued Buick Skyhawk, Oldsmobile Firenza and Cadillac Cimarron.
For 1989, the steering column was redesigned. The new self-aligning steering wheel was designed so as to reduce injuries in a collision by bending to conform to the driver's chest. Also, rear shoulder belts became standard on all models. RS and Z24 custom cloth seating received a new style of front bucket seats with integral headrests. The optional V6 was retooled to 130 hp.
For 1990, the base engine was enlarged to a 2.2 L OHV L4, and power increased to. Door-mounted automatic front seatbelts were added due to US passive restraint legislation. The optional V6 engine was also upgraded to the 3.1 L V6 and 140 horsepower. The convertible was dropped from availability to prevent internal competition with a planned Beretta convertible. However, the Beretta convertible was shelved at the eleventh hour, before a 1990 Cavalier convertible could be prepared.

Facelift (1991)

The 1991 Cavalier got a more extensive restyling that involved a new hood, bumpers, headlights, taillights, wheel covers, and a redesigned interior; however, the body style remained unchanged. Most notably, the cooling system was redesigned to draw air from the bumper, giving it a Ford Taurus-style bumper and grille-less nose. The new bumpers were unpainted, with the option to have them colored grey, black or white, the latter only available on white-colored models. The RS and the Z24 eschewed this for a color-keyed body package. Z24 models also gained the options for a height-adjustable driver's seat and a CD player. The platform and trim lines were carried over. Since the Beretta Convertible ended up not being produced, the Cavalier convertible was brought back mid-year, in RS trim only with the V6 engine standard.
Minor changes for 1991 also included the Alpha Tech ignition lock cylinder, which incorporated a dual-bit key that was larger and thicker in size in comparison to the old single-bit lock cylinder system that had been used for years. The lock system was intended to be a stronger deterrent to vehicle theft, but constant problems were reported with the lock jamming. It was dropped after an improved dual-bit single key system was introduced for the 1995 model year and redesign.
For 1992, the 2.2 L OHV standard engine adopted multi-point fuel injection, or MPFI to improve output to, however unlike the SFI version of the 2.2L in the Chevrolet Corsica. The convertible was now available in both RS and Z24 trims, with the V6 standard in the Z24 and optional with the RS. Anti-lock brakes were added as a standard feature, as Delco Moraine had managed to develop a low-cost system. Power locks were also standard, and were designed to automatically lock when the car is shifted out of park, or if the car is traveling at least 8 miles per hour in manual transmission equipped coupe models.
Model year 1993 brought minimal changes to the Cavalier line. The convertibles received a glass rear window, allowing rear window defrost as an option. Also, the RS trim received a minor styling change, doing away with its grille slot.
The 1994 models were also carryovers, as a redesign of the Cavalier was in development. Both of the wagon's trim levels—the VL and RS—were dropped, but the body style continued to be marketed in an unnamed base trim that was essentially the same as the VL. The 2.2 L OHV L4 was now converted to the SFI version found in the Corsica, which delivered an output of 120 horsepower. Additional changes included a slightly redesigned climate control interface and the power locking system being again redesigned: the doors would still lock automatically when put into gear, but they would also unlock automatically when the ignition was switched off.
CoupeSedanWagonConvertibleYearly total
1988158,098126,29029,8068,745322,939
1989227,433107,56928,54913,075376,626
1990185,071103,38422,046-310,501
1991171,759125,71323,4935,882326,847
1992126,11770,78619,6859,045225,633
1993127,22996,54519,2078,609251,590
1994147,52898,96618,1497,932272,575
Total1,143,235729,253160,93553,2882,086,711