- Seller: Bryan D (Contact)
- Location: Kerrville, Texas
- Mileage: 44,237 Shown
- Chassis #: 1V77E5U189739
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.0 4 cylinder Twin Cam
- Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
Here’s a hypothetical scenario: Imagine if Chevrolet had concocted the Cosworth Vega in 1965 rather than introducing it as a 1975 model. Imagine that they didn’t have to submit the drivetrain to the EPA for emissions certification, and instead, Chevy engineers were free to release an unfettered two-liter twin-cam screamer. It’s fun to think about, but the Cosworth Vega as released is still a fascinating piece of engineering that lasted just two model years: 1975 and 1976. The seller of this Cosworth says that it’s number 14 out of roughly 3,500 built (the exact total seems to be a point of debate), and it’s now being offered as a solid Barn Finds Auction in Kerrville, Texas.
The standard Vega was already a great platform in terms of handling and roadability, so what makes the Cosworth example interesting is, of course, the engine, a destroked version of the standard Vega powerplant. Displacing 122 cubic inches, the Cosworth had a special twin-cam cylinder head (designed by Cosworth’s Keith Duckworth, according to the brochure), fuel injection, an exhaust header, a forged crankshaft, and forged pistons. Prototypes cranked out up to 170 horsepower, but by the time Chevy finalized the tune and cleared everything with the EPA, the engine was rated at 110 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 107 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. This car’s engine has a “Hutton Motor Engineering” dual Weber carburetor conversion (they are 40 DCOEs).
Road & Track tested a Cosworth Vega in 1976, and they regretted that Chevy couldn’t have released one of the snorting prototypes that Chevy teased just a few years beforehand. Still, they found that the Cosworth was reasonably quick for a mid-’70s compact, hitting sixty in just over 12 seconds.
The 1975 model had a four-speed manual and 3.73:1 gears out back, so it was bound to be a fun around-town car regardless of the powertrain.
Cosworths also got an engine-turned dashboard and a tachometer with a 6,500-rpm redline. In 1975, they were all painted black with gold accents and special wheels, and most of them had the black vinyl interior seen in our auction car.
The seller says this, “the paint has surface rust, the battery box is rusted and [there is] a spot [of rust] on the inside corner of the drivers door. The floor pans and trunk pans are good.” The car was a daily driver before the seller moved to Texas, and it’s been garaged since 1991; therefore, it will be a fun rehabilitation or restoration project. The mileage sits at 44,237, and combined with the solid (especially for a Vega) body, this car leaves the new owner with plenty of options. If you think the whole concept of the Cosworth Vega is cool, bid now!
If nothing else, the Cosworth engine was worlds better than the stock lump the Vega came with. The rest of the car was still a good rolling commercial of why Americans should buy “foreign”. About a million people bought Vegas. A couple years later, about a million people bought any small car that wasn’t made in America.
The Cosworth Vega being strangled by the basically brand new EPA, shows you just how out of touch non car type govt officials can be. The Vega itself showed what was wrong with the American auto industry. And sorry, a big part of the problem was the UAW.