Just Cool Cars: Cosworth Vegas was GM's hot tamale

CARMEL VALLEY, Calif. -- Chevrolet Vegas were never known as great cars. But outfitted as the Cosworth Vega, that's another matter.

Adding the overhead twin cam engine and other performance touches turned the stock Chevrolet Vega compact car into one mean and costly machine, says Barry Connally of Oceanside, Calif., who brought one of his 1976 Cosworth Vegas to the Quail Motorsports Gathering here over the summer. General Motors could charge twice as much for a Vega.

One thing is for sure, the car is quick and responsive.

"It handles like it's on rails," Connally says.

Sure, Connally acknowledges that Vegas had a rotten quality reputation after their launch in the early 1970s. But by the time 1976 model year rolled around -- close to the end of production -- Chevy had "worked all the bugs out." .

For Connally, however, the car was more a labor of love. He says he bought a new Cosworth Vega in 1976 after having read about them in car magazines. He says he had to give up the car in order to ship out to Japan in 1982 -- and knew he wanted another.

He also has another Cosworth Vegas that he is restoring as a racing version.