Chevrolet 1700
The Chevrolet 1700 was a passenger car built by General Motors Korea between 1972 and 1977, it was a reworked version of the Australian market 1971 Holden Torana.[1]
| Chevrolet 1700 | |
|---|---|
 The Holden Torana (LJ), which the 1700 was heavily based on. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Motors Korea (GMK) |
| Also called | Holden Torana (LJ) |
| Production | 1972-1976 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Holden Torana |
Background
[edit]After Toyota abandoned the joint venture between them and Shinjin Motors, General Motors stepped in to form General Motors Korea with Shinjin Motors. The end result was a slightly reworked version of the LJ Holden Torana, production commenced in 1972, lasting until 1976.
It would be the first Korean car presentation, along with the GMK Rekord, at the Westin Chosun Hotel in 1972.
Unlike the original Holden Torana, there was a 5 door station wagon that was never sold by Holden.[citation needed] Competition was expected to be fierce, but it sold poorly compared to its domestic rivals, Kia's Fiat 124 and Hyundai's Ford Cortina. Poor fuel economy during the 1970s contributed to its lower than expected sales.[2]
The low ground clearance was also a problem. The minimum ground clearance of 163 mm was lower than that of the Hyundai Cortina (180 mm), and even the company’s mid-sized car, the Record 1900 (187 mm). In South Korea, where the road pavement rate was incomparably lower than today, a car that would frequently scrape the ground caused disappointment among customers.[2]
Currently, the only known surviving example of a Chevrolet 1700 is a yellow taxi owned by collector Baek Joong-gil in the Kumho Classic Car collection.[3][better source needed]
References
[edit]- ^ "The 1972 Chevrolet 1700: Meet GM's First Small Chevy With Daewoo Ties". MotorTrend. 2011-10-13. Archived from the original on 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ a b https://autoen.entermedia.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=6524
- ^ "금호클래식카 ::: 영화, 방송 촬영용 차량의 모든것". www.kumhoclassiccar.com. Retrieved 2025-04-28.
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