1969 Chevelle SS 396
STILL FAST, STILL UNDER $ 20K
The year was 1969 and the Big Three, along with American Motors, were doling out horsepower like free candy in a candy store. But it was General Motors who was the volume leader of muscle car sales. The reason was simple: Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac each had something unique to offer customers. Yet it was Chevrolet who led the pack. And while Chevrolet’ s mid-size Chevelle SS 396 shared its platform with the 442, GTO, and Gran Sport, it – along with the rest of the GM lineup – had its own personality.
The Chevelle body was in its
Text by Joe Babiasz, photos by Ryan Merrill
second year of production. A new grille with a horizontal bar separating the upper and lower section gave a wider look to the front end. Parking lamps were moved inboard into the center bumper opening. The body side molding was eliminated and replaced by an optional body side stripe. Larger taillamps and a blacked out center panel gave the rear end a more aggressive look.
For 1969, the Super Sport became an option package, RPO Z25, rather than a unique model as it was in 1968. The SS 396 package included a mild mannered 325-horsepower 396 cubic-inch V-8, three-speed manual transmission, domed hood, black accented grille, power front disc brakes, wide oval tires, and special suspension system. Buyers were required to hand over an additional $ 347.60 for the pleasure of ordering the option.
Inside, the Super Sport was comfortable but not luxurious. The dash sported twin round gauges centered above the steering column. A vinylcovered front bench seat was standard equipment, but Strato-bucket seats could be selected from the option list. The seat cover design was slightly changed from the previous year. Nineteen sixty-nine was the first year for headrests, beating
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