Chevrolet Chevelle
Mid-sized Chevrolet produced from 1964 to 1977.
The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet from 1964 to 1977 across three generations. Built on the GM A-body platform, it became one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates, offering coupes, sedans, convertibles, and station wagons. The Malibu was the top-of-the-line model through 1972 and replaced the Chevelle nameplate with the downsized 1978 model year.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- Chevrolet (General Motors)
- Model years
- 1964–1977
- Class
- Mid-size car
- Platform
- A-body
- Layout
- FR layout
- Successor
- Chevrolet Malibu
Facts from the source article.
Second generation (1968–1972)
The 1968 Chevelle received an all-new sculpted body with tapered front fenders and a rounded beltline, adopting a long-hood/short-deck profile. Coupes and convertibles rode a 112-inch wheelbase, while sedans and wagons used a 116-inch wheelbase. Hardtop coupes featured a semi-fastback roofline influenced by the Camaro. Top-trim models included the SS 396 and new luxury Concours, which featured GM's Hide-A-Way wiper system. The entry-level Chevelle 300 was available as a pillared coupe or station wagon, while the 300 Deluxe and Nomad Custom added a 2-door hardtop. The Super Sport became its own series, with Chevrolet producing 60,499 SS 396 sport coupes, 2,286 convertibles, and 5,190 El Caminos in 1968, the only year the El Camino received its own SS396 series designation.
Third generation (1973–1977)
The 1973 Chevelle underwent its most extensive redesign, prompted by proposed federal rollover standards. Convertible and 4-door hardtop models were discontinued; the 2-door hardtop was replaced by a pillared coupe called the "Colonnade Hardtop," which featured a semi-fastback roofline, frameless door glass, and fixed B-pillars. Despite controversy, the Colonnade models became a sales success. The Monte Carlo coupe was the biggest seller of the Chevrolet A-body line. Federally mandated 5 mph front bumpers added to the car's length. Wheelbase remained 112 inches for coupes and 116 inches for sedans and wagons, but bodies were five inches longer and an inch wider. The station wagon featured a new counterbalanced liftgate. Plans to release the updated A-body lineup for 1972 were delayed by a strike at some GM assembly plants, extending the 1968-era generation. The redesigned A-bodies had European influence in their design, developed while John Z. DeLorean was Chevrolet division chairman.
NASCAR
The third-generation Chevelle was extensively used in NASCAR competition from 1973 through 1977. The Chevelle Laguna was particularly successful, enabling Cale Yarborough to win 34 races and earn the first two of three consecutive Grand National championships. The Laguna S-3 was considered a limited-edition model by NASCAR and was ineligible for competition after the 1977 season. In 1973, Benny Parsons drove his Chevelle to the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National championship after a third-place finish at Talladega Speedway in early May. Cale Yarborough won the 1976 championship in his #11 Junior Johnson/Holly Farms Chevelle, winning nine races. He won the 1977 Daytona 500, pulling away from Benny Parsons' Chevelle in the final laps, and dominated the season with nine wins in 30 starts, finishing 386 points ahead of runner-up Richard Petty.
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