General Motors are the owners of the Chevrolet brand, which was founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet and William Durant.

Invariably, the cars are also sold as Opel, Vauxhall, Daewoo, or Holden.

Sadly, the brand was withdrawn from South Africa in 2017, and therefore also Zimbabwe, although support for the cars on our roads will continue for some time. The withdrawal happened at a time when Zimbabweans were beginning to warm up to the brand, ably supported in the after-market by Autoworld, the General Motors Franchisee in Zimbabwe.

However, the used car market and grey imports will ensure that the brand continues its presence on Zimbabwean roads.

The top Chevy was the Trailblazer, a luxury SUV that took on the Toyota Fortuner in both size and looks. The Captiva is similar, but smaller in size. Other models include the small-engined Spark, the Cruze sedan, and Aveo.

The Chevrolet V8 is one of the most enduring engine blocks, the so called “small-block engine”, featuring V8 engines from 4.3L to 9.4L.

The Chevy brand has had a long history in the country, dating back to pre-independence, as General Motors assembled the cars in South Africa. For those who grew up with them, and who could afford the V8’s, the brand is much loved.

The top performer of the brand is the Corvette super car series, powered by a 6.2L V8 engine, with an output of 755HP.