Nova Streaked Into the Pumpkin Run

In 1960 the Ford Falcon was an instant success, immediately dominating the burgeoning small car market and quickly sweeping past Chevy's bold new rear engine Corvair. Designers at Chevrolet quickly got to work on a conventional small car to do battle with the Falcon. What they developed was the Chevy II which came out in 1962. The car was launched in three different trim levels, the 100, 300 and Nova 400. The Chevy II was never the success General Motors executives had hoped. Given its two year head start the Falcon easily outsold it. But the competition the Chevy II faced wasn't just from Ford or even Chrysler products. Chevy still had the Corvair which was competing for the same market and then introduced the mid sized Chevelle which also ate into sales. By 1968 Chevy pretty much dropped the Chevy II and left the Nova as their small car competitor. By then the Nova had become something of a small muscle car having gotten its first V8 engine in 1964. From 1968 on sales increased each year as the Nova became a staple in the firm's line up until the end of the 1974 model year. A number of proud Nova owners brought their prizes to show off at this past season's Pumpkin Run Nationals. Here are some of them.