The bold and unusual Chevy Vega, which was a General Motors product that first saw the light of day in 1970 and ran for only seven years until its discontinuation in 1977 was car that was never really properly given all the tools it needed to succeed, in the estimation of many an automotive expert.

What was impressive for the day, though, was the Chevy designers and engineers were able to take the car from the drawing board to the showroom in only 24 months, which set a record for speed in a General Motors that was hidebound and slow to react. It sported a variety of 2-door styles, including a panel truck-type version.

Considering the compact nature of the vehicle and the manufacturer’s intent for it, which was that it be an import fighter and a vehicle that would be Chevy’s offering for first-time car buyers who were of limited means, the Vega carved out a place for itself quite ably, even if it wasn’t ultimately deemed a success.

Initially, though, the car itself proved a good-selling machine, making into the top-ten in terms of sales by 1974. Weak engines — both in performance and reliability — proved to be the car’s Achilles heel, though, and a number of issues with the engine’s aluminum block caused more than a few issues in the first few years of its existence. Happily, most problems were fixed over the years.

Eventually, the little 4 cylinder mills that were offered proved to be the car’s undoing due to their poor quality — at least initially — and mediocre performance. Some years into production Chevy began making a similar vehicle called the Monza that was made on the Vega’s platform and soon enough, the company put an end to the Vega, with 1977 being the last call for the little 2-door. The Monza itself was put to bed in 1980.

Today, though looked upon in a better light, many experts say that the Vega was illustrative of the issues that American automakers had in making cars in the 1970s. For its time, the Vega attempted to include many cues which were thought of as being “European” in nature back then, including fuel injection and lighter-weight materials.

The Chevy Vega in all its iterations was a notable vehicle which General Motors was able to produce in only 24 months from drawing board to roll out off the assembly line. Given how long it normally took American automakers to produce any new model back then, it’s perhaps the Vega’s most shining and memorable achievement.