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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