Geo Tracker. All photos from wikipedia.com

Sure, we know that Geo was actually a subdivision of Chevrolet, but all of the models manufactured under the marque were joint ventures with Japanese carmakers. Isuzu manufactured the Storm and Spectrum under the Geo name. Suzuki produced the Metro and Tracker with Toyota handling the Geo Prizm building duties.

Launched in 1989 to help Chevrolet compete with the compact and subcompact import market, the company was merged back into Chevrolet eight years later when the compact car market stalled.

The Geo Storm had a short run from 1990 through 1993. Designed as the sportscar of the lineup, it was discontinued when Isuzu dropped their car lines in favor of truck and SUV manufacturing. The Storm was Geo’s performance vehicle in the stable and its departure may have hurt the marque.

A Geo Storm.

Chevrolet’s Spectrum subcompact was sold as a Chevy model from 1985 through 1988. When Geo was launched, the Spectrum was rebadged as a Geo and placed in the lineup between the Metro and the Storm. It was only offered in 1989 as a Geo product and was replaced by the Geo Storm hatchback.

Even though the marque was absorbed by Chevrolet in 1997, many of the car models continued on. The Metro was produced from 1989 through the 2001 model year, with all the models as four-door sedans sold to fleets only.

A 1992 Geo Metro.

The four-door compact Prizm, which was suppose to be the successor to the Chevy Nova, soldiered on through 2002. Despite earning several awards from the automotive industry, the Prizm was routinely outsold by other platforms, including the annual best seller, the Toyota Corolla. Competing against its own stablemate, the Chevy Cavalier for dealership space, the Prizm was burdened by the Geo name.

Geo Prizm

The Geo Tracker, also introduced in 1989 as a compact SUV, was offered as an inexpensive alternative to the Jeep Wrangler. Eventually the two-door model was dropped from the line in favor of the four-door version. It was produced to 1998 under the Geo name then manufactured under the Chevrolet title until 2004, making it the longest manufactured Geo model.

While the market for compacts may have caused the brand’s merger back into Chevrolet, there were a lot of Geo vehicles on the road for a full decade. This makes it a shoe-in for our top five Chevy captive imports #2 spot.