The fifth generation subcompact 1985 to 1988 Chevrolet Nova was a rebadged Toyota as part of a joint operating agreement between General Motors and Toyota called the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. -- also known as NUMMI. Chevrolet attempted to revive the Nova nameplate after the fourth generation ended in 1979. Chevrolet applied the Nova badge to the upscale version of the Toyota Corolla, the Sprinter.
NUMMI
General Motors, like the Chrysler Corp. and Ford, struggled in the early 1980s to develop compact economical cars. The gasoline shortages of 1973 and 1978 wreaked havoc on the automotive industry and the Japanese automatics flooded the market with fuel-efficient low-cost cars. To take advantage of Japanese technology GM collaborated with Toyota. Chrysler and Mitsubishi joined and Ford partnered with Mazda. GM and Toyota established NUMMI to manufacture cars at GM's Freemont, California assembly plant. In 1984, the first Toyotas rebadged as GM cars rolled off the assembly line. GM exploited the Nova nameplate by trading on its late 1960s and early 1970s popularity as a compact alternative to the Camaro and Chevelle.
The New Nova
NUMMI brought two advantages to GM. It brought back the Nova and it established greater quality control and better produced cars. It was a front-wheel-drive car based on the Toyota Corolla AE82 platform and equipped with a 1.6-liter engine capable of delivering up to 35 mpg. A poor advertising campaign and the public's inability to accept a subcompact Chevrolet doomed the future of the Nova. The Nova also had a relatively high price tag compared to other Chevys.
Power
The 1985 to 1988 Chevrolet Novas were equipped with the 1.6-liter in-line four-cylinder engine with a 2.99-inch bore and 3.46-inch stroke. It had a 9.4-to-1 compression ratio to generate 90 horsepower and 96 foot-pounds of torque. GM boosted the horsepower output to 112 in 1988. A five-speed manual transmission with overdrive was standard equipment, while the three-speed automatic was optional.
Size
NUMMI placed the Nova on a 95.7-inch wheelbase. The Nova's overall length was 170.3 inches, it was 65.2 inches tall and 52.2 inches wide. The front track width was 56.3 inches and the rear track width was 55.5 inches. The interior featured adequate headroom at 38.4 inches, with the rear headroom measuring 36.4 inches. The front and rear legroom were 40.9 inches and 31.6 inches, respectively. The front shoulder room measured 53.2 inches, and the rear shoulder room was 52.7 inches. Front and rear hip room was 49.7 inches and 53.7 inches, respectively. Its turning diameter was 31.5 feet. The Nova sat on 155/SR13 tires mounted on 13-inch steel wheels. A four-door sedan and five-door hatchback were the available options.
Chassis
The Corolla/Sprinter/Nova featured independent front suspension, with MacPherson struts in the front and coil springs in the rear. The steering system was a rack-and-pinion type.
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