| Chevrolet Celebrity | |
|---|---|
 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity 4-door sedan | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet (General Motors) |
| Production | 1981–1990 |
| Model years | 1982–1990 |
| Assembly | Canada: Oshawa, Ontario (Oshawa Car Assembly: 1982–1987) Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec (Sainte-Thérèse Assembly: 1987–1990) Colombia: Bogotá, Distrito Capital (Bogotá Assembly) Mexico: Ramos Arizpe (Ramos Arizpe Assembly: 1982–1989; 1987–1989, export) United States: Framingham, Massachusetts (Framingham Assembly: 1982–1988) Fremont, California (Fremont Assembly: 1982) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Oklahoma City Assembly: 1983–1989) Venezuela: Valencia, Carabobo (Valencia Assembly) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style | 2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon |
| Layout | Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | A-body |
| Related | Buick Century (fifth generation) Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Pontiac 6000 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 3-speed 3T40 automatic 4-speed 4T60 automatic 5-speed Getrag manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 104.8 in (2,662 mm) |
| Length | Coupe & Sedan: 188.3 in (4,783 mm) Wagon: 190.8 in (4,846 mm) |
| Width | Coupe & Sedan: 69.2 in (1,758 mm) Wagon: 69.3 in (1,760 mm) |
| Height | Coupe & Sedan: 54.2 in (1,377 mm) Wagon: 54.3 in (1,379 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Chevrolet Malibu |
| Successor | Chevrolet Lumina Chevrolet Lumina APV (station wagon) |
The Chevrolet Celebrity is a front-drive, mid-size passenger car line, manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet for model years 1982–1990, over a single generation.
Marking the transition of the mid-size Chevrolet range to front-wheel drive, the Celebrity succeeded the rear-drive Chevrolet Malibu line. Initially marketed between the Citation and the Impala within the Chevrolet model line, the Celebrity was later marketed between the Corsica and Caprice sedans.
The Celebrity shared the front-wheel drive GM A platform with the Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, and Pontiac 6000 in two-door notchback coupe, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon body styles.
After the 1989 model year, the Celebrity sedan was replaced by the Chevrolet Lumina; the Celebrity station wagon was discontinued after 1990, with the Chevrolet Lumina APV minivan serving as its replacement.
The Celebrity and its A-body counterparts became widely known as one of the most transparent examples of corporate product rebadging in the American automotive industry. The four model lines were highlighted on the August 22, 1983 cover of Fortune as examples of genericized uniformity. Hemmings Motor News would later cover the effect of the Fortune article, relating "how a single magazine cover photo changed the course of auto design at GM in the Eighties."[1] Embarrassed by the incident, GM subsequently recommitted to development of divisional brand identity.[1][2][3]
- ^ a b Daniel Strohl (February 3, 2021). "How a single magazine cover photo changed the course of auto design at GM in the Eighties". Hemmings.
- ^ Amy Wilson (September 14, 2008). "Can't tell the Pontiacs from the Buicks? That's the problem". Automotive News.
- ^ Paul Niedermeyer (November 17, 2012). "1983 Fortune: Will Success Spoil General Motors?". Curbside Classics.