Chevy Nova II--Muscle Car

In the 50s and 60s, the muscle car became popular. A muscle car was a 2-door sudan which had been modified for speed and performance. Chevrolet wanted to make a car to compare with other muscle cars already on the market.

Ford had the Falcon/Comet, Chrysler had the Valiant/Dart, AMC the Rambler American and Studebaker the Lark. Chevy wanted a car that would compete with the RWD design, which provided replaceable sheet metal for dents on fenders and the front of the car. They were known as the GM"X" body line. The body design was made by Fisher Body in 1962.

In the fall of 1961, Chevrolet built the Chevy II straight from the drawing board and released it as a 1962 model. They rolled off the assembly line in Willow Run, Michigan. There were three levels of this car included the Chevy II 100, Chevy II 300 and the Chevy II Nova 400. All were available as a 2 and 4 door sudan, 2 and 3 seat station wagon, and also a onvertible.

In 1963, the Chevy II Nova outsold the competition in domestic compact cars. In 1969, the Chevy II name was dropped and referred to just as Nova 350 and Nova 396. For the next 11 years, the body style stayed pretty much the same except for minor designs placed on the outside. The was to cut down on competition with the Camaro, which was becoming popular. Now, we can consider both muscle cars classics.