What is the best year Chevelle to buy?

The right year depends on what you want the car to do: hold its value, be easy to authenticate, or cost the least for the most car. The four choices below cover nearly every buyer.

1966 and 1967: easy to verify

The SS 396 was its own series, so the VIN starts with 138 and a clone is simple to spot. The 1967 added the safety and driving upgrades: front disc brakes became available, a dual-circuit master cylinder and collapsible steering column were fitted, and the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic was offered with the SS 396 for the first time. If you plan to drive the car, that makes the 1967 the better pick of the pair. The differences are set out in 1966 vs. 1967.

1968: the new body with the old certainty

1968 brought the second-generation body on a shorter 112-inch wheelbase for coupes and convertibles, and it is the last year the SS 396 is in the VIN. It tends to cost less than a 1969 or 1970.

1970: the peak

This is the year of the SS 454 and the 450 hp LS6, and it is the most expensive Chevelle year by a clear margin: in public auction results the typical 1970 sells well above a 1969 or a 1971, often by a third or more. The catch is that nothing in the VIN or trim tag identifies a 1970 SS, so documents carry the value.

1971 and 1972: the value years

These share the 1968 to 1972 body but sell for less than a 1970, and the 1972 is usually the least expensive year of the second generation. The 1972 has one advantage for a careful buyer. The fifth VIN character is the engine code, and a W means a factory 454, which could only be ordered with the SS option. The 1972 page shows what they sell for now.

Whatever the year

• Buy the best body you can afford. Rust repair costs more than mechanical work.
• Pay SS money only for a car that proves it. See how to tell a real SS from a clone.
• A well-kept Malibu is a sound car at a lower price, and the buyer's guide lists what to inspect.