Zip Zap Zoom with Chevrolet 2007
In 1909, William Durant, a successful buggy manufacturer
from Flint, Michigan, asked Louis Chevrolet, a well known race car driver,
to help design a car for introduction to the public. In 1911, Durant
establishes his company. The Chevrolet Motor Car Company enters the
turbulent automobile market on November 3. Durant chose to name the company
after its designer, Louis Chevrolet, because he liked the sound of the name
and because Chevrolet was a prominent name in motor sports.
The bowtie logo of Chevrolet was introduced in 1914. It is said that
the logo was inspired by a pattern of wallpaper in a Paris hotel.
Reportedly, in 1908, Will Durant detached a small piece and kept it in his
wallet, waiting for the day he'd put it to use. The Bowtie became an
advertising icon, and is still the marquee of today's Chevrolet. The year
after the logo was finalized, Chevy released its challenge to the Ford Model
T, the “490”. The year 1918 was a milestone in the history of Chevy – this
is the year when Chevrolet joined General Motors. In 1927, Chevrolet
outsold Ford by topping 1 million units for the first time. In all but four
of the next 55 years, Chevrolet remained the top-selling American nameplate.
The first Corvette appeared at the 1953 Motorama, and Chevrolet was besieged
with requests for a production version. Many skeptics did not believe
Chevrolet could offer such a radical design for mass production. Corvette
became the first series-production car with a fiberglass body. In 1955, the
legendary small-block Chevy V8 was introduced. This innovative engine
became one of the most famous Chevy engines ever. The Impala nameplate
arrived in 1958, designed to provide a Cadillac "big-car' look at a
Chevrolet price. Impala became an instant hit with the American public.
Chevrolet unveiled the Camaro as a 1967 model. It proved to be an
instant hit - so much so that, in a 2.2 million-car year, 10 percent of 1967
Chevrolet sales were Camaros. In 1973, the all-new Monte Carlo is an
instant success, winning Motor Trend's "Car of the Year" award. The award is
again bagged by Chevrolet in 1977 by the Chevrolet Caprice and in 1982 by
the redesigned Camaro. The latter model celebrated its 25th anniversary in
1992.
The trend of innovation continues with the Malibu, the Venture,
the C5 Corvette convertible and the redesigned Impala. For the
2007 model year, Chevy has some more surprises in store for all its
fans.
2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
Chevy's redesigned 2007 Avalanche retains its forebear's midgate magic, but
the entire package has been overhauled as part of GM's full-size truck
platform revamp. Three trim levels are available: LS, LT and LTZ; each can
be equipped with rear, or four-wheel drive. At 221 inches long, the
Avalanche is about the same length as its predecessor and just an inch short
of Chevrolet's extended-length Suburban. A coil-over-shock independent front
suspension replaces the previous torsion bar arrangement. The 5.3-liter V-8
in the four-wheel-drive Avalanche LTZ makes 310 horsepower and 335
pounds-feet of torque. Two-wheel-drive models carry a different version of
the engine with slightly higher output, while a 6.0-liter V-8 is optional
across the board. All three engines come with a four-speed automatic
transmission.
2007 Chevrolet Aveo
Longer, taller and wider than the outgoing Aveo, the new sedan has an
all-new exterior and interior design that gives it a more upscale look. LS
and LT trim levels will be offered and customers can look forward to a wide
range of features, including a two-tone interior color scheme, a radio input
jack for iPods, a power sunroof, a six-disc CD changer, and steering
wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. Built to carry five 6-foot-tall
adults, the larger Aveo also provides 12.4 cubic feet of trunk space, and
that's before the 60/40-split rear seats are folded down. A 103-horsepower,
16-valve DOHC four-cylinder engine is mated to the Aveo's standard
five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission.
2007 Chevrolet Malibu
In the Malibu, a four-cylinder engine and two V-6s are offered. For 2007,
the smaller V-6 gains variable valve timing for an 8 percent power increase.
Other changes this year include standard side curtain airbags on all models
(they were previously standard only on top-level Malibus), a passenger
sensing system for the front airbags and available turn-by-turn directions
with GM's OnStar service. Trim levels include the base LS, as well as the LT
and LTZ. Compared with its predecessor, the current version has a slightly
wider stance. Mounted on a 106.3-inch wheelbase, the Malibu is 188.3 inches
long overall. LS models ride 15-inch tires, the LT gets 16-inchers, and the
new LTZ rides on 17-inch rubber. LTZ models feature aluminum wheels.
2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer
The 2007 TrailBlazer offers a standard 4.2-liter inline-six-cylinder engine
as well as an optional 5.3-liter V-8 both working with a four-speed
automatic transmission. The latter engine includes General Motors' Active
Fuel Management technology, which deactivates four cylinders under light
loads such as highway cruising. TrailBlazers come in base LS and step-up LT
trim levels. A high-performance SS model packs a sport-tuned suspension and
a 6.0-liter V-8 from Chevrolet's Corvette sports car. The TrailBlazer rides
a 113-inch wheelbase and measures 191.8 inches long.
Over the Last 95 years, Chevrolet has become a part of the American
landscape. It's in our songs. It's in our movies. It's on our roads. Maybe
that's because Chevrolet has always worked hard to build performance, style,
and quality into dependable, long-lasting cars and trucks that go the
distance. |
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