What was the Chevrolet Vega’s distinctive engine block material?

The Chevrolet Vega’s distinctive engine block material was aluminum.

Chevrolet introduced the Vega for the 1971 model year as a compact car. Its 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine used an aluminum block with cast-iron cylinder liners, reducing weight compared with a conventional all-iron design.

The engine was part of the Vega’s engineering identity, but durability problems involving corrosion and cylinder-bore issues damaged the model’s reputation. Chevrolet later developed changes intended to improve the engine and its cooling system.

The Vega is sometimes remembered only for its reliability problems, but it also received significant industry recognition. Motor Trend named it Car of the Year for 1971. The aluminum block should not be confused with an entirely aluminum engine, since other components and the cylinder liners used different materials.