Chevrolet Chevelle

Chevrolet Chevelle at a glance

The Chevelle belongs to our Chevrolet catalogue; its SS versions are in the golden age of the American muscle car guide. The 1970 SS coupé has its own article: Chevrolet Chevelle SS.

The first Chevelle and the Malibu SS (1964–1967)

The Chevelle arrived for 1964 on a 115 in wheelbase with a broad range of bodies: two-door hardtops and convertibles, four-door sedans and station wagons, and in the cheapest 300 series also a two-door sedan and wagon. The El Camino returned after four years as part of the line. The top model was the Malibu, and the Malibu SS carried its badge on the rear quarter panels in 1964 and 1965.

Engines began modestly. The 283 four-barrel V8 had 164 kW (220 hp), and from mid-1964 the 327 was offered with 186 or 224 kW (250 or 300 hp). In the first year 294,160 Chevelles were built, including 76,860 SS models.

For 1965 Chevrolet built about 201 Malibu SS 396 "Z16" cars, 200 production cars and one prototype, as the first Chevelles with the new big-block. From 1966 the SS 396 was a series: the 396 V8 came with 242 kW (325 hp) as standard and 268 kW (360 hp) or 280 kW (375 hp) as options. The middle engine was rated at 261 kW (350 hp) from 1967, and the 280 kW (375 hp) version was not available until late in that model year.

The SS 396 years (1968–1969)

The second generation of 1968 split the range: coupés and convertibles on a 112 in wheelbase, sedans and wagons on 116 in. The SS 396 kept its three engines, 242, 261 and 280 kW (325, 350 and 375 hp). In 1968 Chevrolet sold 60,499 SS 396 sport coupés, 2,286 convertibles and 5,190 El Caminos. For 1969 the SS became an option package for any two-door Chevelle.

The 1969 Chevelle was also the base of the COPO cars. Under Central Office Production Orders about 323 hardtops received the L72 427 V8 with an 800 cfm Holley carburettor, rated at 317 kW (425 hp) at 5,600 rpm and 624 Nm at 4,000 rpm. 99 of them went through Yenko Chevrolet in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

SS 454 and the LS6 (1970)

The new 454 V8 arrived for 1970. The LS5 version was rated at 268 kW (360 hp). The LS6, with solid lifters and high compression, was rated at 336 kW (450 hp) gross at 5,600 rpm and 678 Nm at 3,600 rpm. 4,475 LS6 Chevelles were produced.

For 1971 the LS6 was dropped early in the model year, and there are no records of 1971 Chevelles built with it. The 454 LS5 was rated 272 kW (365 hp) gross or 213 kW (285 hp) net. In 1972 the top SS engine had 201 kW (270 hp, SAE net), and it was the last year of the cowl-induction option. That year Chevrolet built 49,352 Chevelles, 290,008 Malibus and 54,335 station wagons.

Colonnade Chevelle (1973–1977)

The third generation of 1973 was the most extensive redesign in the car's history. Convertibles and four-door hardtops were dropped, and the two-door hardtop became the pillared Colonnade coupé. The SS option was fitted to 28,647 Chevelles in 1973, 2,500 of them with the 454, and the Laguna appeared above the Malibu. The Laguna Type S-3 coupé was built 15,792 times in 1974 and 9,100 times in 1976.

In NASCAR the Laguna was successful: Cale Yarborough won 34 races with it and the first two of his three consecutive championships, and Benny Parsons won the 1973 title in a Chevelle. After 1977 the Chevelle name was retired, and the 1978 mid-size Chevrolet was called Malibu. The Chevelle's rivals from GM and the other makers are compared in our muscle car power ranking.

Photo gallery