Upon its release, the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS was advertised as the King of Muscle Cars, but was it worthy of this title? And what about now, nearly 50 years later? This review will look at both its performance and its reputation to help you decide if this car belongs in your muscle car collection.

It was the first generation of the Super Sport muscle car model. It featured a 454 cubic-inch V8 engine, which was available with a 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic transmission and was capable of producing between 350 and 450 horsepower depending on engine option.

The Chevelle SS offered that option for those who wanted their muscle car but didn’t want to go through the trouble of putting one together themselves. The car’s popularity helped spawn several other muscle cars during this period, including the Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Challenger.

Here is what we love about the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS.

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Has An Awesome Design

Red 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS on the road
Mecum Auctions

The exterior design of the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS represented a major change from previous years. The long sloping nose with horizontal headlights was dropped in favor of round headlights mounted on either side of a smaller grille.

The grille was extended and moved forward to cover most of each front fender, creating a longer hood. The body sides were sculpted into flying buttress panels that extended down and around to the car's rear end, which gave it an appearance similar to European sports cars.

Vertical taillights were inset into rounded tailfins on either side, making them one inch wider than other models at their widest point. On all models, sport wheels and larger tires were fitted as standard equipment but had been optional features in earlier years.

RELATED: Blacked Out 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS Big-Block Up For Auction

Powertrain And Performance

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
Via: Mecum

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS was Chevrolet’s most powerful and fastest production model, with the 396-cubic-inch V8 engine and the new heavy-duty suspension, heavy-duty cooling system, and heavy-duty brake package.

Among its safety features were four-wheel disc brakes, an energy-absorbing steering column, wheel locks, warning buzzers in the front seat belt retractors, impact-absorbing bumpers, padded instrument panel and steering wheel and safety glass in all windows.

This car was powered by a 400-cubic-inch V8 with 310-hp and 375 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in about 6.4 seconds.

The Chevelle's Suspension was updated for 1970, receiving a new coil spring front suspension to replace the leaf springs from previous years. The live rear axle still used semi-elliptic leaf springs. Also, there were four-wheel disc brakes for 1970 on all models; however, there was a four-wheel power drum option available.

The front disc brakes were 11 inches in diameter with single-channel mechanical brake circuits with optional power assist. Drum brakes were 10 inches in diameter at both axles. An optional performance package included high-performance four-wheel drum brakes with anti-lock control marketed as SureStop. Cars equipped with SureStop featured red-painted calipers on both rear wheels and front wheels plus rear drums) painted body color.

RELATED: Auction Dilemma: Chevrolet Chevelle SS Vs Pontiac LeMans GTO

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Interior

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Interior
via Mecum Auctions

The interior was highly upgraded from previous year's models. New high-back bucket seats with center consoles were introduced. It also featured padded armrests and adjustable head restraints. Additionally, burl wood grain appliques appeared on instrument panels above gauges, while Chevrolet nameplates again appeared above a redesigned steering wheel.

This included smaller horn buttons designed to reduce accidents caused by drivers grabbing them in panic situations like traffic jams or sudden unexpected stops. Under dash, heating vents were provided for cold climates, and thicker foam insulation reduced noise levels significantly.

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS's cabin featured comfortable seating for five along with standard air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, floor carpeting, bucket seats, center console and Rally gauges. The trunk held up to 15 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Overall, it proved to be an excellent machine capable of earning its stripes on both road courses and tracks. It also had plenty of pop for street use yet featured a decent economy as well.

The 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS came with an assortment of seating options available in different colors and upholstery textures. You could opt for a bench seat with a center armrest or bucket seats with padded armrests.

For those who wanted extra style, woodgrain accents were offered, giving owners greater control over their automotive experience than ever before. Upholstery choices ranged from beige to black to blue.

A full range of power accessories was also available, including remote-control side view mirrors, a tilt steering wheel, windshield wipers and even electric trunk shocks. Because there was so much more room on offer in 1970 compared to previous years’ models. It was easy to add all these things without worrying about running out of space at any point during installation.

All Chevelle SS models featured numerous options such as special paint jobs, custom wheels and tachometers for gauging speed on long trips. Those looking for personalization got their money’s worth when purchasing one of these classic cars!