CHEVROLET

Chevelle

The Chevrolet Chevelle was launched for the 1964 model year as Chevrolet's answer to a rapidly changing market, slotting into the new intermediate or mid-size class between the compact Chevy II and the full-size Impala. Offered from the start in a wide range of body styles, including the Series 300 sedans and wagons, the Malibu coupe and the Malibu convertible, the Chevrolet Chevelle quickly found its calling as a performance car. The legendary Super Sport, or SS, began as a dressy trim package on the 1964 and 1965 cars, and 76,860 of the 1964 cars were built as SS variants. The Chevrolet Chevelle truly became a muscle car icon when the big-block 396 cubic inch V8 arrived, and from 1966 the SS 396 became a standalone model rather than just an option. The golden moment came in 1970, when GM lifted its engine-size limits and the Chevrolet Chevelle SS could be ordered with the colossal 454 cubic inch V8, the mighty LS6 version of which produced a thunderous 450 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful muscle cars of the entire era. A restyled third generation arrived in 1973, but tightening emissions rules and rising insurance costs gradually tamed the breed. Across its run the Chevrolet Chevelle came in coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon and even El Camino pickup form, and today the muscular 1968-1972 SS 396 and SS 454 cars are among the most collectible and valuable American classics.