by Thanos Pappas
- GM launched a new Chevrolet Vintage division to restore classic models.
- The Omega features Irmscher tuning and a 3.6-liter inline-six engine.
- The restoration included dynamic testing at GM’s local proving grounds.
As part of its centennial celebrations, General Motors has launched a new heritage program in Brazil that gives classic Chevrolets a second life. The newly formed Chevrolet Vintage division is focused on restoring locally built models and selling them to benefit charity.
First in what’s set to become a full series is a fully refurbished 1994 Chevrolet Omega, which recently sold for R$ 437,500, or about $80,000 at current exchange rates.
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GM calls the Omega “the most luxurious national car of all time,” built for buyers who expected top-tier tech in the early 1990s. The Brazilian version mirrored the Opel Omega and Vauxhall Carlton sold in Europe, and it even shared roots with the rare Lotus-tuned performance sedans of that era.
American buyers may remember it in another form, the Cadillac Catera, sold in the US from 1996 to 2001, was essentially a rebadged Omega with a few Cadillac flourishes
The South American-market Omega remained in production from 1992 to 1998 before being reintroduced as a rebadged Holden Commodore imported from Australia.
Inside the Restoration
The specific car restored by GM Vintage is a 1994 Omega CD that came with a few extra touches from Irmscher, the German tuning house with a long history of tweaking Opels.
According to Chevrolet, the car originally belonged to a senior executive in Brazil’s financial sector. Despite its good condition, it was treated to a full factory-style restoration aimed at bringing it back to showroom quality.
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The project began with a full teardown of the vehicle. Every component was inspected to determine whether it could be preserved or needed replacing with original factory parts.
After reassembly, the car even went through a series of dynamic tests at GM’s proving grounds to make sure it felt and functioned just like it did three decades ago.
The body received a fresh coat of paint, the lights were restored to factory clarity, and the interior was reupholstered in period-correct materials.
The car still wears its signature digital dashboard, a high-tech novelty in its time. Under the hood is a 3.6-liter inline-six engine tuned by Irmscher, delivering about 200 horsepower. Power goes to the rear wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission.
What Did It Sell For?
The charity auction took place on December 6 at Brazil’s Carde Museum. The final hammer price of R$ 437,500 ($80,000) puts it just shy of the starting cost for a new Chevrolet Silverado in Brazil, currently listed from R$ 483,900 ($88,200).
More restorations are in the pipeline. GM says the Omega will be the first in a series of revived classics that includes a rally-spec Chevrolet S10 pickup, a modified Opala, a Monza, and a Kadett GSi—all set to receive the same level of attention from the Chevrolet Vintage division
