The late 1960s and early 1970s were a tremulous time within the motor industry. Not because of the looming energy crisis, but rather due to the relentless horsepower war in Detroit. Each manufacturer vied for control of the streets with ever larger and more powerful engines in their muscle cars.
One of the winners of this war was undoubtedly the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454. Amazingly, the time had come when the 400cui V8 simply didn’t cut it anymore, so GM decided to up the ante. They took their larger muscle car – the Chevelle – and stuffed the massive 7.5-liter V8 in it, following the old adage, “there is no replacement for displacement”.
The Chevelle SS 454 – with the possible exception of the Mopar Hemi – is one of the greatest muscle cars ever made, not to mention one of the most powerful from the factory. With that, here are eight things most people probably forgot about the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454.
8 It Sat Above The Camaro In The Line-Up
The Chevelle was the big coupe in the Chevrolet line-up and was built on the same platform as the Oldsmobile Cutlass, Pontiac GTO, and Buick Skylark. Where the Camaro was considered to be a ‘pony car’, the Chevelle was a full-fat muscle car.
The Chevelle’s platform was also used for the El Camino pickup truck, which was nearly identical to the Chevelle in terms of drivetrain and body, apart from the bed replacing the rear of the vehicle. Even though the El Camino had the same engines as the Chevelle, they were detuned for more durability.
7 It Had A Huge Engine
This might be a bit obvious, but the Chevelle SS 454 had a huge engine. The first generation Chevelle had a few inline-6 and V8 engines, topping out at 6.5-liters thanks to GM’s engine size restrictions. The second generation Chevelle gained huge 6.6, 7.0, and 7.4-liter V8s, which produced one of the highest horsepower outputs in its class.
The 454 was fitted with the 7.4-liter, which produced 360 hp in standard form, but was available with a performance package and cowl induction, which boosted power. The horsepower outputs didn’t change much during the second generation.
6 It Had An Optional Performance Package
While the Chevelle SS 454 produced 360 hp, it was available with an optional performance package called the RPO Z15, which boosted power to 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. This made the Chevelle SS 454 one of the most powerful cars in the US during this period.
The only other car of its class at the time which could compete was the Mopar Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger and Plymouth ‘Cuda. These cars produced nearly the same power and torque, resulting in mostly the same performance. The difference was, the Chevelle was just a tiny bit cooler.
5 It Was Available As A Sedan
The Chevelle, being based on a popular platform, was not only available as a pickup truck/ute, but it was also sold as the Chevelle Malibu, a 4-door sedan. The Malibu had mostly the same engines as the normal Chevelle but featured the 6.6-liter V8 in non-SS trim.
The Malibu continued to be based on the Chevelle, until 1978 when it completely replaced the Chevelle nameplate. In 1997, the Malibu switched platforms to a front-wheel-drive layout and continued on to where it is now – a bit of a let-down with its inline-3 and -4 engines compared with the big V6s and V8s it used to have.
4 It Was The Successor To The Bel Air
The Chevelle was among the largest of the vehicles sold by GM at the time of production, which was in line with the 2-door Chevrolet Bel Airs of the 1950s and early 1960s. The Bel Air stayed in production until the early 1980s but was mostly available as a 4-door sedan.
The Chevelle continued the tradition of power and comfort, but with a more performance-oriented stance to compete in the horsepower wars which were happening during that era. The Chevelle SS 454 was definitely one of the ‘kings of the road’ when it was in production.
3 It Was Produced In 10 GM Plants
The Chevelle was in production between 1963 and 1977. In most cases, automakers produce a certain model in one specific place and ship them all over the world from there. Chevrolet on the other hand didn’t follow this trend with the Chevelle.
Thanks to the popularity of the Chevelle and its variants, the model was built in ten different Chevrolet plants – eight in the US and two in Canada along with the Acadian Beaumont. Quite the impressive production network to coordinate across the country.
2 It Is A Movie Star
The Chevrolet Chevelle is not only a great muscle car but also a movie star. The Chevelle has starred in movies from – romantic comedies to dark and gritty action movies. Some of the more famous films which starred a Chevelle include the Fast & Furious franchise, Jack Reacher and John Wick.
Hollywood enjoys using big and bad muscle cars in its movies and the Chevelle SS is one of the best, whether it be to shoot a cool action sequence, or just as a replacement for the hero’s other muscle car. Regardless, the Chevelle is always a good choice thanks to its good looks.
1 There Was A Super Special ‘LS6’ Version
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The Chevelle SS was not the most affordable of muscle cars, but the top-of-the-range ‘LS6’ version was by far the most expensive of the range. It was so expensive that GM only ever made around 4,000 units. The ‘LS6’ was an SS 454 with the optional RPO Z15 package already fitted, along with new carburetors and cowl induction.
The ‘LS6’ was considered to be the ‘ultimate muscle car’ and today, we can see why. Where normal Chevelle SS 454s sell for around $60,000, the ‘LS6’ version can easily go for more than $100,000 – making it a proper collector’s car and an investment. The Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 definitely deserves the ‘king of the streets’ nickname.