I recently came across a photo of my grandma’s 1990 Chevrolet Beretta (see photo above, with my mom posing by it) and it prompted me to poll a few of my friends about what vehicles their grandmothers drove. I have vivid memories of getting picked up at Hillcrest Elementary in Logan, Utah, in grandma’s black-on-black Chevy. Her license plate frame said, “My Grandkids Are Cuter Than Yours.” I’ve already shared a little of my “family car history” when discussing my grandpa’s Buick Special and my dad’s Chevy Nova.
Now, it’s Grandma’s turn.
Beretta Backstory
The Beretta coupe was sold from 1987 to 1996, sharing the General Motors L-body platform with its four-door counterpart, the Chevrolet Corsica. A wide variety of engines (six, in fact) were offered throughout the car’s 10-year production run. On paper, the sportiest Beretta was the 1990-93 “GTZ,” which employed the 2.3-liter Quad 4 engine rated at 180 horsepower and came standard with a Getrag five-speed manual transmission.
The Beretta’s appearance was penned by none other than Jerry Palmer, the same designer responsible for the iconic C4 Corvette. The Beretta employed an aerodynamic shape for its time—especially considering the fact that most 1980s cars were boxy (see: Chevrolet Celebrity). One of its noteworthy exterior features was its vertical door handle design, later used on other cars like the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and the Pontiac Grand Prix.
Noteworthy Trivia
The car’s name was the subject of a trademark dispute that ended up being settled out of court in 1989. Italian firearms manufacturing company Beretta (or more formally, “Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta”) took issue—understandably—with General Motors’ use of the name. The matter was eventually resolved when GM donated $500,000 to a Beretta-sponsored charity. Chevrolet also gave a car to Beretta. I wonder where that unit ended up?
As its top claim to fame, a Beretta was featured as the official pace car of the 74th Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 1990. I was able to find a full race broadcast of the Indy 500. The car driven by General Manager Jim Perkins was in fact a customized convertible, although it did retain the use of a B-pillar.
Get In the Game!
Much like with any other automotive make and model, there is a community of Beretta enthusiasts out there. Members even get together for an annual even called Berettafest, similar to what I’ve done with my Acura Legend and Acura NSX families.
Berettafest 2025, coincidentally, just concluded. The event was held in Watkins Glen, New York, from June 25-29. If you didn’t make it, there’s always next year! Speaking of, there’s a 49-mile (!) yellow Beretta Indy for sale on ClassicCars.com. (Click here to view the listing). You’d be the talk of the event if you showed up in that time capsule next year.
Your Turn
I’d love to hear it from our audience: What did (or does) your grandma drive?