High performance Chevelles, 1964 – 1972
Posted by Dale Edward Johnson on Dec 28th 2022
When Chevrolet introduced the mid-size Chevelle for the 1964 model year, it was an immediate sales hit – and would also quickly be a very strong contender in the emerging muscle car wars.
The Chevelle was Chevy’s answer to the mid-size Ford Fairlane. The Chevelle filled the gap between the compact Chevy II and the full-size Chevrolet. The Chevelle sat on a 115-inch wheelbase and was 193.9 inches long, making it 11 inches longer than the Chevy II and 16 inches shorter that the full-size Chevrolet models.
The Chevelle was offered the widest possible range of body styles of any Chevrolet: two-door hardtops, two- and four-door sedans, two- and four-door station wagons, a convertible and even a pickup version, reviving the El Camino style.
No wonder the Chevelle attracted so many buyers. In its first model year, there were 338,286 Chevelles sold (plus 32,548 El Caminos), putting it ahead of the chief rival and target, the Ford Fairlane.
A new engine option – displacing 327 cubic inches – introduced mid-way through the first year, offered more performance, producing either 250 hp or 300 hp. This meant the Chevelle was competing with other mid-size performance cars, called muscle cars.
This market segment really began with the Pontiac GTO, a high-performance version of the Pontiac Tempest – a car that just happened to share a body with the Chevelle, as well as the Buick Skylark and Oldsmobile Cutlass. The Chevelle was the least expensive of the four intermediate GM models.
For Chevelle’s second year there was a mild restyling, and a new model was offered, the Malibu SS, available only as a two-door hardtop or convertible. The SS included bucket seats, a console, a blacked-out grill and special wheel covers. With the muscle car wars heating up, a mid-year engine option was a 396 cubic inch V-8 that produced 375-hp.
Chevelle sales increased to 343,884 – exceeded only by full-size Chevrolets, Fords and Pontiacs.
For 1966 there was a major restyling and sales grew to 412,680 units. For 1967 sales were down about 10% but industry sales down, Chevelle’s market share actually increased.
There was a major redesign for 1968. The Big Three each offered brand new intermediate models. All GM intermediates now had two-door models on a 112 inch wheelbase, which was three inches shorter than before, while sedans sat on a longer 116 inch wheelbase.
The high-performance SS 396, available as a convertible or sport coupe, had a blacked out grill, a black rear panel, plus red stripe tires. The base engine was again the 230 cubic inch in-line six. The next step up was the 250 cubic inch six. The base V8 was the new 307, and options included the 327 with 250, 275, or 325 hp. The 396 was available with 325 hp, 350 hp or 375 hp. It turned out that 1968 was Chevelle’s best for sales, with 428,099 unit sold.
There was a minor facelift for 1969 and sales continued to increase, peaking at 500,900 units. A few 1969 Malibus were ordered with the very rare Corvette L72 aluminum head 427 V8 producing 405 hp.
For 1970 there was a major restyling with completely new front and rear ends. The big news was the new Chevelle SS 454, producing 360 hp and 500 pound-feet of torque in base form, but the LS6 version cranked out 450 hp.
But the muscle car wars were starting to come to an end in the early 1970s, largely because of skyrocketing insurance rates and the economy was sliding into a recession.
Many high-performance car buffs switched to smaller, less powerful vehicles with V-8s like Dusters, Mavericks, Novas, and other compacts.
There were minor cosmetic changes for the 1971Chevelle with a move to single instead of double headlights. The design was largely carried over for 1972, the last year for Chevrolet hardtops and convertibles – and the end of the era of hot Chevelles.
