Chevrolet Chevelle SS

Chevrolet Chevelle at a glance

Introduced in August 1963 under Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, the Chevelle was built on GM's rear-wheel-drive A platform with body-on-frame construction. It sat between the compact Chevy II and the full-size Chevrolets and was offered as a coupé, convertible, saloon, estate and the El Camino coupé utility. The Chevelle was built in three generations from the 1964 to the 1977 model years, after which the Malibu name took over. Chevrolet's performance tradition continues today with cars such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Corvette C7, which are in the Chevrolet catalogue.

The SS story year by year

1964–1965: Malibu SS and the Z16

The first SS was a Malibu SS with a badge on the rear quarter panels. The base engine was a 283 cu in V8 with a four-barrel carburettor and 220 hp, and from mid-1964 a 327 V8 with 250 or 300 hp was available. For 1965 a 350 hp 327 (RPO L79) was added. In 1965 Chevrolet also built 201 Z16 SS 396 cars, all two-door hardtops with the big-block 396 and a wide-ratio Muncie four-speed gearbox. Of these, 200 were production cars built in Kansas City, and the prototype came from Baltimore.

1966–1969: SS 396 as its own model

From 1966 the SS 396 was a separate series with 325 hp as standard and 360 or 375 hp optional. Late in 1967, 612 cars received the 375 hp engine. For 1968, the second-generation Chevelle brought a new body on a 112-inch (2,844 mm) wheelbase for two-door models. The SS 396 sold 60,499 sport coupés and 2,286 convertibles, with another 5,190 SS 396 El Caminos. In 1969 the SS 396 lost its series status and became an option for any two-door model, fitted to about 86,000 Malibus.

1970: the SS 454 and the LS6

The 1970 Chevelle received revised sheet metal with a stronger "Coke bottle" shape and a redesigned interior, and production expanded to GM's plant in Arlington, Texas. Only the Malibu sport coupé, Malibu convertible and El Camino could have the SS option. Two packages were offered:

The ZL2 cowl-induction bonnet opened a flap at the base of the windscreen under full throttle, feeding the engine cooler, denser air; it came with bonnet and boot stripes and functional bonnet lock pins. According to the old 1cars text, the SS coupé weighs about 1,480 kg. Inside it offered either a front bench with a floor-mounted gear lever or bucket seats, a heated rear window and a radio with rear speakers. The LS6, with 4,475 built, is the most sought-after Chevelle today.

1971–1973: detuning and the end of the SS

For 1971 compression ratios were lowered so that engines could run on lower-octane fuel, which reduced the big-block ratings: the SS 396, now actually 402 cu in, was rated at 300 hp and the LS5 454 at 365 hp. The LS6 was dropped. The 1971 Chevelle also received a redesigned front with new headlamps, and the SS became mainly a trim option available with any optional V8. By 1972 the top SS engine was rated at 270 hp under the new net system, and the 454 cowl induction option ended. The Colonnade-bodied 1973 Chevelle offered the SS only on the Malibu, with a 350 or 454 V8 and a four-speed manual or Turbo Hydra-Matic. 28,647 cars had the SS option, 2,500 of them with the 454, and there was even a one-year SS estate with the 454. The SS was then dropped, and for 1974 the Laguna Type S-3 took its place, with 15,792 built in its first year.

Body, dimensions and the El Camino SS

Second-generation Chevelles (1968–1972) used two wheelbases: 112 inches (2,844 mm) for two-door coupés and convertibles and 116 inches (2,946 mm) for four-door saloons and estates. In 1969 a coupé was about 197 inches (5,004 mm) long, while estates reached 208 inches (5,283 mm). From 1970 the SS package was limited to two-door body styles and the El Camino. The Chevelle-based El Camino coupé utility shared the SS performance: in 1968 it was the only year in which the El Camino had its own SS 396 series designation. In 1970 it was one of only three Chevelle body styles that could be ordered with the SS 396 or SS 454 package. The third-generation Colonnade Chevelle of 1973 was about five inches longer and one inch wider than its predecessor, and the SS option was offered on it for only one year.

Why the Chevelle SS matters

The Chevelle SS shows the whole arc of the American muscle-car era. It went from a dressed-up Malibu in 1964, through big-block power in the late 1960s, to the extreme LS6 of 1970 and the rapid decline that followed new emissions rules and fuel changes. In 1970 it competed directly with the Plymouth Road Runner, Dodge Charger, Pontiac GTO, Ford Torino and Buick GS. The car also appears in modern popular culture. According to the old 1cars text, a 1970 Chevelle SS is driven by Dominic Toretto in the film Fast & Furious (2009) and features in several Need for Speed video games.

Production and numbers

Collectability today

Original 1970 SS 454 Chevelles, especially LS6 cars with documented history, are among the most valuable muscle cars. Values depend strongly on the engine, gearbox, originality and documented history, so buyers check build records carefully. Other classic muscle cars of the era, such as the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 1967, are covered in our catalogue.