Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS
Ronald JUSSIANT / Severine CHUPIN (B/B)

Category	SLOWLY
Year	1979
Group	4

 

 

Yesterday : Simon EVERETT / Willy LUX - Hunsrück Rallye 1982

When it came to finding a replacement for the Vauxhall Magnum, Bill BLYNDENTEIN, Vauxhall Dealer Team boss, came up with the idea of transplanting the 2.3-liter 16-valve engine into a Chevette. As this shared the chassis with the Kadett GT / E which had proved its worth in competition, it was possible to take over the running gear. But building the 400 production units needed for Group 4 homologation was hardly part of Vauxhall's plans. Mysteriously, while no production car had yet been produced, the Chevette obtained its homologation on November 1, 1976. The rallying commitment of the HS was quickly crowned with success, AIRIKKALA winning in 1977 the Welsh and the Manx Rally. But the first production cars did not come out until the spring of 1978. It was then that journalists realized that they only had a Vauxhall cylinder head (while the racing car was homologated with a Lotus cylinder head), while the gearbox was a Getrag and not a ZF. The homologation had to be reviewed, but Vauxhall was nevertheless allowed to keep the ZF gearbox. The Chevette was never successful in the World Championship, but AIRIKKALA won the 1979 British Open Championship behind the wheel and Mc RAE (Jimmy), POND and BOOKES had many European Championship successes.

Very young, Ronald JUSSIANT fell in love with the Vauhall Chevette during the Bianchi Rallye. That day, a special was going on in the street where he lived and he swore to himself if the opportunity presented itself and if his means allowed it, to have one someday! His dream came true in 2017 when he was able to buy a car in England that would