We present a chirally symmetric hadronic model for the vector and axial-vector correlators in vacuum. The dominant contributions to these correlators come from intermediate pions, ρ and a 1 mesons which are calculated in one-loop approximation. The resulting spectral functions are compared with the data obtained by the ALEPH collaboration from τ decay. In the vector channel we find good agreement up to q 2 =1<space>GeV 2 , in the transverse axial-vector channel up to q 2 =2<space>GeV 2 , corresponding to the regimes dominated by two-pion or three-pion decay channels, respectively. The longitudinal axial correlator is in almost perfect agreement with the PCAC result.