Chevrolet’s greatest hits

01 Chevrolet Bel Air

Built from 1949 to 1981 over five iterations, the bulbous original encapsulated the Fifties and the car grew fins then chrome over the decades. The second version was a perfect fit for Chevy’s small block V8, which is still on the go.

04 Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette’s been going since 1953 at a fairly high level, though with some notable dropoffs. Seventies emissions rules hit the third generation badly, but look at the first one and see how much has changed over the decades. Latest is a thoroughbred mid-engine supercar.

07 Chevrolet SSR

Not all nostalgic throwbacks are created equal, but what else could you drive in 2003 and pretend to be running illegal hooch across state lines in Prohibition era America? Exactly. The 5.2-litre V8 and folding hardtop were just a bonus.

02 Chevrolet Impala

Introduced in 1958 as a plush coupe version of the Bel Air, the Impala then spawned a whole range. The SS (Super Sport) arrived in 1960 with what would become Chevy’s go faster badge. Recent 10th gen was more of a rental car special.

05 Chevrolet Camaro

The name was derived from French slang, but Chevy told reporters in 1966 that a camaro was a vicious animal that eats mustangs. The fifth gen car in 2010 was among a wave of nostalgic resurrections across the car world, but showed how it could be done well.

08 Chevrolet Spark

This 2009 car was actually the third generation of Daewoo Matiz, but it coincided with the Korean firm’s bowtie rebrand in the UK. It was cheap feeling, but you could have fun driving the doors off it and it was still economical on petrol.

03 Chevrolet El Camino

The third generation of this car-based pickup in 1968 was a classic late Sixties/ early Seventies. The SS version came with a 6.5-litre V8 engine producing a bonkers 325bhp, and more powerful versions came after. Later models got very kitsch.

06 Chevrolet Suburban

The oldest car name badge still in use, first sold way back in 1935. Now 12 generations in, it started as it meant to go on, with eight seats on a truck body. People say Jeep invented the SUV, but the 1960 Suburban set the template.

09 Chevrolet Bolt

We’ve never enjoyed the benefit of this affordable small 2016 electric hatch in the UK, which is an outrage. It was going to be sold as a Vauxhall, but then Vauxhall itself got sold to Peugeot. The Bolt offers a delightful 240 miles of WLTP range from its 60kWh battery.