The Cavalier was intended by Chevrolet to be a front-wheel-drive compact that would slide into the lineup between the elderly RWD subcompact Chevette and the midsize FWD Citation that replaced the Nova. It hit dealerships as an '82 model and that first generation of angular Cavaliers lasted until replaced by the more aero-looking second generation for 1988.
Mechanically, the second generation of Cavalier was similar to the first: a transverse engine driving the front wheels, MacPherson struts, lower control arms, and coil springs up front (shared with the other FWD Chevys of the era) while the rear was switched from a beam axle to the torsion-beam setup from the more upmarket J-bodies.
While the base Cavalier motor for 1991 was a 2.2L pushrod inline four with throttle body fuel injection, the sporty Z24 got GM's little 60° OHV V-6 with multiport fuel injection. Now enlarged to 3.1L and dubbed the LH0, it could be paired with either a Getrag 5-speed manual or a three-speed slushbox and was rated at 140 SAE net horsepower.
In the 2,738 pound Cavalier Z24, the 3.1L and manual transmission was good for an 8.4 second zero-to-sixty time when Car and Driver tested a 1990 model. The quarter mile took 16.4 seconds at 83mph, and the as-tested price was $12,830 in 1990 dollars, which is roughly $31,700 in today's coin.
This one was photographed in December of 2024 using an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
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