No this blows up fuel economy
To my knowledge, there is no jurisdiction where that is remotely street legal.

It's also extremely unsubtle.

(I favor the 4.3 or 3.8 turbo in a Chevette, or a {Simca} hemi-converted 153ci flatty in an Anglia or Prefect, because it looks stock.)
I don't think a gas tax would be sufficient in the early 70's. Gas prices went from $.50 per gallon to $2.00 in Louisiana, then dropped to around $1.00 after the Oil Crisis. This barely reduced gasoline consumption for the decade.
That said, tho, the national panic did seem to provoke a move toward smaller cars. I'm not sure LA can be called "anecdotal", but I'd want stronger evidence one way or the other before deciding.
You needed to get the American manufacturers and consumers to change their mindsets.
No argument on that. For me, it's
how, not if.
By 1970, US automakers were building or introducing the Gremlin, Pinto and Vega. They were worried about VW and Japanese competition on the low priced lines. The trigger had been pulled.
Okay. I had the sense it took longer--but maybe I'm judging on date of appearance & forgetting lead time. I do think a popular Type 1 could move a maker to try smaller before OTL. (The Metropolitan was a bit too much, but... Maybe the proposed Ford compact that ultimately became the
Vedette. Which has the advantage of being able to use the Simca Brazil-developed hemi.


Better still, it would mean lots more flatty parts stay available.

)
If GM had decided that each make could build their own variant of Opel or Vauxhall, or take Buick's tack of importing Opels, you may have seen the money poured into the Vega go into locally producing and improving these smaller models. GM did this worldwide, just not in the USA.
I could happily have GM importing & badge-engineering Opel sedans, or Vauxhalls; it's only the duplication that I find dubious.
Pinto and Vega had problems related to poor design, corporate greed and basic inexperience building a small car, as opposed to a cheap car.
I won't disagree. It was a clusterf*ck.
Vauxhall had problems related to the British labor crisis of the 60's and 70's, quality control, and inadequate rustproofing. If built in the USA, and modified for local conditions, these cars should have been better than Pintos and Vegas.
That works for me.
Why Ford and GM failed to build at least one of these models in the US confuses me. In addition, no four door model was considered for Pinto or Vega. Who builds a 2 door wagon, and ignores a four door variant?
Yeah, there was plenty of stupid to go around.
Chevette was used only by Chevrolet and Pontiac.
I've seen the name attached to
a Vauxhall, which appears to be the same platform. It's this styling approach IMO GM should've used, across the line, including a Buick & Olds:
(I'd also have imported/local-built the pickoupe
Next size up to replace the oversized/overweight Nova
Noted.
Remember Buick had Opel. Chevy had Vega. Pontiac was stuck with Chevy's hand me downs. If built in the US, they are not doomed by the German Mark rising in value, causing Opel prices to skyrocket.
Buick and Oldsmobile can choose which car they wish to build.
I'm not opposed to building in U.S./Canada (or even Mexico). I'm just thinking, treat 'em like the G-bodies, & facelift/badge-engineer, don't build a ton of different types.
Chevrolet South Africa stuffed a Camaro Z28 302 into a Firenza, Viva based coupe. Holden stuffed V8's into Commodores, a Rekord derivative. Yeah, the 60 and 90 degree V6's fit.



Now get somebody at the factory to do it... New VP for Product Development Don Yenko?

(

) (I suspect poaching Shelby form Ford would be hard.

Maybe Jim Hall?)