1991 chevy lumina (nascar)

The **Chevrolet Lumina** is an automobile that was marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1989 to 2013. Introduced to consolidate the Chevrolet mid-size nameplates under a single product range, five different generations of the Lumina were produced. The first two generations were sold nearly exclusively in North America, with successive versions sold in other markets worldwide.

The first generation of the Lumina replaced the Chevrolet Celebrity and Chevrolet Monte Carlo under a single nameplate; the mechanically unrelated Chevrolet Lumina APV minivan served as the successor for the Celebrity station wagon. The model line was based on the front-wheel-drive GM10 platform (later designated the GM W platform), shared with Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. For 1994, the second-generation Lumina was introduced, serving as a substantial exterior revision of the previous generation (the two-door coupe was renamed the Monte Carlo). For the 2000 model year, the Lumina was replaced by the Chevrolet Impala; the model line would retain the W platform through the 2016 model year.

Throughout its production, both generations of the Lumina were produced by General Motors Canada at Oshawa Car Assembly (Oshawa, Ontario). For markets outside of North America, the Chevrolet Lumina was derived from other large GM sedans. From 1998 to 2013, the Lumina was marketed in the Middle East and South Africa as a Chevrolet-badged version of the Holden Commodore produced in Australia. From 2005 to 2006, GM Philippines sold the Lumina as a Chevrolet-badged version of the Buick Regal (sharing much of its body with its American counterpart).

The North American Chevrolet Lumina was based on the mid-size GM W-body, which was shared with the Pontiac Grand Prix, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (later Intrigue), Buick Regal, and Buick Century (after 1996). Although the Lumina became a popular seller, GM was widely criticized in the motoring press for being late to the game in introducing a direct aero-designed competitor to the Ford Taurus. The "Lumina" name was considered by Ford in the pre-production stage of the Taurus. The Chevrolet Lumina's first generation ended production in August 1994, making this the shortest-lived generation of the first-generation GM W-body cars.

Chevrolet Lumina in NASCAR in 1994

In 1989, the Lumina became the nameplate under which Chevrolets were raced in NASCAR, more than a year before the model was available to the public. As a result, NASCAR received many letters complaining about the unfair advantage of Chevrolet racing an "aluminum" car.

Chevrolet signed a deal with Disney-MGM Studios to make the 1990 Lumina the company's Official Car. Early Lumina ads included Disney animated characters from *Fantasia* under license from Disney; In return, the Lumina was made the official car of Disney World. In one sequence, advertising the car’s spacious interior, cartoon hippopotami were used to demonstrate the Lumina's wider rear door swings which Chevrolet claimed made for easier access to the rear seat area. While popular, the ads were soon cancelled when focus groups revealed that they remembered the Disney characters better than they remembered the car itself.

### Engines

* 1990–1992: 2.5 L (151 in³) *Iron Duke* I4
* 1993: 2.2 L (134 in³) 122 I4
* 1990–1994: 3.1 L (191 in³) *LHO* V6
* 1991–1994: 3.4 L DOHC (207 in³) *LQ1* V6

### Lumina Z34

1991–1994 Chevrolet Lumina Z34
Starting in 1990, Chevrolet offered a high performance version of the Lumina, the **Lumina Z34**. It came standard with the FE3 sport suspension package, the 210 hp LQ1 V6 engine shared with the **Lumina Euro 3.4** (sedan), the five-speed Getrag 284 manual transmission, dual exhaust, and four-wheel anti-lock brakes.

The Z34 also featured cosmetic changes to go along with the performance enhancements such as unique front and rear fascias, side skirts, a rear spoiler, a louvered hood, a unique steering wheel and sport bucket seats. Performance figures included a 0-60 mph (0–97 km/h) time of 7.2 seconds, a 1/4 mile (~400 m) time of 15.0 seconds, a (limited) top speed of 130 mph (209.21 km/h), a 60-0 mph (97–0 km/h) distance of in 153 ft (47 m), and a lateral acceleration of 0.79 g (7.7 m/s²). A Bose stereo system and automatic transmission, which lowered the horsepower rating to 200 and 0-60 time by .5 seconds, were optional. The only paint colors available for the Z34 were white, red, black, gray, silver, and light blue. In 1995, the Lumina Z34 was replaced with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34.

## Trivia

Roxannne Ravencroft owned a 1991 chevy lumina nascar in silver.