When the Chevelle appeared in 1964, its main aim was to tackle the intermediate sized sedan segment of the market in which Ford's Fairlane had been scoring heavily since 1962. Of course, the Chevelle came with a wide variety of body styles and engines and, of course, there was a performance package among the options. The performance models were known as the Malibu and SS. During the 1960s, both sales and horsepower of the Chevelles embarked on a steep upward curve. In the best Chevy tradition, the performance models always ran V8 engines, ranging from a 220bhp 283 cubic incher in the 1964 models to a massive 454 cubic inch motor with a 450bhp in the 1970 SS-454. This latter machine could turn in six-second 0-60mph times and quarter-miles of under 14 seconds. But somebody had to spoil the fun, even if it was for a good reason. As unleaded gasoline became mandatory, so the Chevelle's horsepower came down. For 1971, the power losses were noticeable; for 1972, performance was down again; and after that, the high-performance Chevelle effectively ceased to exist. This book celebrates the golden years of the Chevelles, when the range contained muscle cars which offered affordable high performance motoring and fun by the ton. Today, the Malibu and SS models have a strong enthusiast following, and there can be no doubt that a read through these pages will make even more converts to the cause. Included are road & comparison tests & new model reports. Featured are Chevelles, Malibus & El Caminos, including SS versions powered by 230, 283, 327, 350, 396 & 454 engines. 176 pages including 24 in colour. SB.

 

Publisher: Brooklands Books

Status: Out of Print (No Stock)

Number of pages: 176

Colour images: 30

Black & white images: 250

Binding: SBD

Language: English

Origin: CHN