Chevy II: Like An Exploding Star

            With the obvious exception of the Corvette, Chevrolet has pretty much been the division of General Motors that offered up affordable, entry level cars aimed at the masses. When Chevy decided to go after the successful compact Ford Falcon it took them only 18 months from green light to cars actually rolling off of the assembly line.

            Introduced in 1962 as the Chevy II, this 110 inch wheelbase model was built on the X Body platform came in five body styles with the most expensive, the Nova 400 convertible, costing under $2500. When it was introduced the Chevy II offered up the option of either a 153 cubic inch four cylinder engine or a 194 cubic inch inline six. Before long, though, the Nova version of the Chevy II was being offered with a 195 horse power V8. Eventually a 328 V8 was also made available.

            The Chevy II went through five generations with the first running from its 1962 introduction through the 1965 model year. The first car pictured here is a 1964 first generation model. This was the first year that the factory V8 was first made available.

            But 1964 marked something of an interesting turn for both Chevy and the Chevy II. Sales of this compact model suffered when a competitor for the low cost compact car buyer was introduced. That competitor didn’t come from Ford or Chrysler or even one of the independents such as AMC. Not, the competition that bit into the sales of the Chevy II was from the stables of Chevrolet itself. It was the Chevelle. While the Chevelle was built to compete against the Ford Fairlane, the folks at Chevy realized that it was actually drawing away from Chevy II buyers.

            While the 1965 Chevy II was drastically updated with new styling as well as under the hood, the introduction of the Chevelle sent the engineers and designers scrambling to try to re-make the Chevy II. That led, in 1966, to the second generation of the car.

            Based somewhat on a concept car that had been dubbed the Super Nova, the new skin of the Chevy II was noticeably different. It featured a dramatically new grille, a “semi-fastback” roofline and updated fenders that looked more like the larger cars in the Chevy line. Also, buyers who wanted a little more flair could upgrade to the Nova SS or Super Sport line. By 1967 this top of the line version, while still classified as a Chevy II, was only badged with the Nova SS name.

            1968 saw the introduction of the third generation of the Chevy II with extensive re-styling and a slightly longer wheelbase. This made the Chevy II compact just one inch shorter than the mid-sized Chevelle.

            By 1969, after another dramatic fall off in sales, Chevrolet dropped the Chevy II handle altogether. Now their compact car was known only as the Chevy Nova.

            The third generation of this car line would continue through 1974 with the fourth generation being introduction for the 1975 model year. By 1979, though, Chevrolet made the decision to pull the plug.

            But the Nova wasn’t quite dead yet. In 1985 a front wheel drive subcompact car bearing the Nova brand was introduced. Sharing a 1.6 liter four cylinder engine with the Toyota Corrolla as well as using the Japanese five speed manual or three or four speed automatic transmission, the Nova was an experiment in cross manufacturer sharing. The problem was that the basic new Nova cost well over $7000 and that, especially by Chevrolet standards, was a high price for such a car and it only lasted through the 1988 model year.

            Still, the car wasn’t officially dead. Chevrolet simply slid the Nova into its new Geo line and branded it the Prizm.

            These days the Chevy II and the Nova, especially the Nova SS, can be seen at car shows where enthusiasts continue to run them and show them off.