Chevrolet Cruze d'occasion

Louis Chevrolet was a Swiss-born racing driver, and William Durant was the man who had just been thrown out of General Motors. Together they founded Chevrolet in Detroit in 1911, Durant used its success to buy GM back, and the bowtie went on to become the most American of American badges.

The small-block V8 of 1955 powered everything from the Bel Air to the Corvette and is still, in spirit, under the bonnet of the Camaro and the Silverado. The Corvette, launched in 1953, is the longest-running sports car nameplate in the world, and its eighth generation finally moved the engine behind the driver.

In Europe, Chevrolet now means one thing: the Corvette Stingray, Z06 and E-Ray, sold in right-hand and left-hand drive through a small network of specialist dealers. Everything else, from the Silverado to the electric Equinox and Blazer, arrives as a grey import or not at all.