Chevy Chevelle - Pure Muscle From Chevrolet

By today's standards, the Chevelle was quite large. In the 1960's, however, all cars were huge and the Chevelle was a rather small two-door coupe in its most popular form (it was also sold as a 4 door sedan and even a station wagon, uggh).

The SS package was originally the Chevelle Malibu SS in 1964. In other words, it was an option on the top trim level of the Chevelle. To avoid confusion, the 1966 performance model was simply called the Chevelle SS. With engine options up to a 396 V8, this was the definition of a muscle car: a small, inexpensive chassis with a large engine stuffed under the hood.

The light weight and powerful engine made the Chevelle a feared vehicle on the street. It was not a sports car in the same realm of the Corvette, and it was not a powerful luxury car like the Impala SS, it was simply muscle.

The legendary LS-5 and LS-6 engines were offered for the 1970 Chevelle SS. Those cars go for a hefty price these days, and for good reason. The LS6 engine was not only an expensive option, but it was very powerful as well. The Chevelle SS 454 would go down in history as one of the most powerful production muscle cars ever made. It made General Motors rethink what it would allow its engineers to make, citing public safety.

The oil crisis and the demand for smaller and more fuel efficient cars would lead to the demise of the Chevelle and the Chevelle SS in particular. The model line would be dropped after 1977.