Vauxhall T car - Grumett & Chevrolet Chevette in Uruguay, Ecuador & Argentina

The General Motors' T Car story in Uruguay is extremely complicated and also difficult to accurately compile information because, at least until the mid 1980s, the operation was very much an "ad hoc" affair that was intergral with the fledgling car inductry in Ecuador. Basically the history can be split into two distinct parts - the glass-fibre Grumett models built by Autopiezas Esposito up until 1982 when Grumett production stopped and the more "normal" production vehicles bult by General Motors Uruguay.

In 1976 Grumett introduced its first version of the T Car, the 250M Rural. This was basically a Kadett C Estate built in glass fibre but curiously with metal doors. This filled a niche in the market as even GM Brazil did not produce a Chevette Estate. It was sold in Uruguay as well as being exported to Ecuador, Honduras, Argentina and Guatemala and was co ordinated by Esposito Export Company Ltd. of Uruguay. In 1977 the earlier Isuzu Bellet based Coupe was replaced by the more modern looking Isuzu Gemini based Grummet Sport Coupe. All models after 1976 used the imported GM Brazil 1.4 ohc engine. The Coupe filled another gap in the market that was not covered in Latin America by GM, however exports to Argentina stopped due to high import taxation. In Ecuador sales were about 130 per month where the car was sold under the Condor brand. In 1980 the 250M was updated in order to try and compete with more modern imported cars. The front end design was similar to the Brazillian Chevrolet Chevette and the car was renamed the Grumett Color.

Autopiezas Esposito, or Autoparts in English, continued to export both finished vehicles (and technology) in numbers to other South American countries, particularly Ecuador up until the early 1980s. Proof of this was the fact that the Aymesa Condor Coupe and Gazelle Estate used body parts supplied form Uruguay or imported fully assembled. The Grumett Coupe was available in Standard and Sport versions mainly built in in Uruguay and also exported to Ecuador fully built as well as supplying moulds and technical assistance to enable some limited local production. The economic crisis that Uruguay suffered and the currency devaluation in December 1982 meant sales slowed to trickle New Helvetia plant, which employed 180 people - all women, closed leaving only Autopiezas production of SA In Paysandu and Barbato in Montevideo Germán (now ACU). The brand disappeared completely from the market in 1982 when the owners moved to Spain.

The third generation Grumett pick up was introduced in 1979 and the production effectively replaced the void from the glass-fibre HC Viva Estate based Grumett Indiana model. The new pick -up based on the T car blueprint was part designed at Luton because a Vauxhall Chevette pick-up was seriously being considered at the time and is dealt with in another section of vauxpedia. Unlike the Indiana before it the prototype from Vauxhall was made from glass-fibre and was shipped out to Uruguay where moulds were then made in order to produce the vehicle locally in glass-fibre. It was available as before in two trim levels - Standard and SL - and also after 1980 a Uruguayan designed double cab version.

Mechanically it was powered by a 1.4litre OHC engine supplied by Chevrolet Brazil. Some of the later versions used the same front design as the Brazillian version of the Chevette. This style of front end design was also used for the saloon versions sold in the Uruguayan market. It was also badged as a Chevrolet in certain markets.

The pick-up Grumett SL was alos available with a cargo box which gave the following dimensions: 1,700 mm long X 1,400 mm wide X 400 mm high.

The decision to export the Grumett pick-up to to Esposito SA Argentina was for two main reasons: The first was the taxation of commercial vehicles being measured on carrying capacity and not engine displacement. The other reason was that in Argentina they were able to sell vehicles with a 30% profit margin

in Uruguay By having a lower customs duty Grumett could pay 25 % profit to dealers and sell to the public at a price of $12,500 in 1981 for a vehicle with a vehicle 500 cubic inches of cargo capacity. Esposito SA was putting about 20 vehicles per month in the Argentine market in early 1981 and were promised two dealerships of the General Motors network in Argentina . One in Greater Buenos Aires and the other in the province of Entre Rios. The reality, in January 1981, was that the dealer had only Chesab SACIFI and M Avenue Juan B. 5946 Fair of Buenos Aires to sell the Grumett. The biggest problem was the infux of Japanese models which swept across the market.