1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Is a Rock Fan's Dream, Once Belonged to Bruce Springsteen

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a car with timeless appeal. More than 40 years after the production of the car ended, the Chevelle still basks in popularity, and it's all due to its simple yet appealing design and its legendary engines.
The mid-sized car spanned three generations from 1963 to 1978. And it was available in a variety of body styles, including two and four-door sedans, convertibles, and station wagons, and plenty of options in terms of engine were available, ranging from a 3.8-liter straight six up to a 7.4-liter V8.

Nonetheless, the two-door version in both coupe and hardtop incarnations made its popularity skyrocket, especially among younger drivers. The car was built on General Motors' A-body platform and became one of the carmaker’s best-selling cars of its time. Backed by a competitive pricing strategy, it challenged popular mid-sized cars, like the Buick Skylark, Ford Fairlane, and the Plymouth Belvedere. The Chevelle outshined them all. 338,286 units sold in the first year alone.

Chevrolet also offered performance versions of the Chevelle, including several big block V8-powered iterations. The Chevelle Super Sport, or SS for short, was one of them and marked Chevrolet’s entry into the muscle car arena.

Built in 1969, the hot-looking Chevelle SS 396 you see here belongs to the second generation that appeared in 1967 and brought significant changes and updates to the car, like an all-new body and a more curved design. It is powered by the 396 cubic-inch (6.5-liter) V8 capable of outputting 325 hp (330 ps) and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) of torque and features various other performance add-ons, such as power brakes, uprated suspension, and wider wheels and tires. But what makes this particular model extra special is the fact that it was owned by famous rock artist Bruce Springsteen.

The Chevelle even has specifications that seem to match the lyrics of one of Springsteen’s songs. The opening lines to the 1978 Racing in the Street hit go like this: “I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a three-ninety-six/ Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor/She’s waiting tonight down in the parking lot/ Outside the Seven-Eleven store.”

Definitely not coincidentally, the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 gets power from a 396 cubic-inch V8 and does have a Hurst shifter for its four-speed manual transmission.

The SS 396 was introduced in 1969 and was no longer offered as a series unto itself but rather as an option package for any two-door model. The SS 396 package turned the Chevelle into a high-performance that benefits from noteworthy upgrades besides the Turbo-Jet 396 cubic-inch V8. As mentioned above, these included heavy-duty suspension, power brakes, a “power dome” hood, wide-oval tires fitted on sport wheels, as well as a limited-slip differential.

In the following years, the Chevelle received other significant updates. In 1970, it got a more aggressive front end and a more muscle car-like appearance, and it was offered with a choice of engine, including the LS6 454 cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, which was good for 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque.

In 1971, the car received a new grille and headlight design, as well as a new engine - the LS5 454 cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 delivering 365 horsepower. Then, the final update came in 1972 and brought a new grille and bumper design.

Bruce Springsteen owned this 1969 Chevelle for several years, from 1981 until 1987, to be more precise. He then gave the Chevy as a Christmas gift to recording engineer Toby Scott, who worked with the singer on several of his albums, including the Racing in the Street song.

The car is currently in pristine condition, and that’s due to the fact that it underwent an extensive rotisserie restoration from 1988 until 2020. It was then displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, along with the surfboard that Bruce himself would put in the back of the car when he wanted to go to the beach in New Jersey.

Under Bruce’s ownership, the car wore a Midnight Black livery, but the paintwork was one of the things that changed during the restoration process. It now sports LeMans Blue paint with era-appropriate white elements, like a white soft top and side stripes, complemented by a white interior.

As part of the restoration process, the SS 396 received some modern features as well, including a new wiring harness, an electronic ignition, MSD tachometer adapter, power disc brakes on all four wheels, a dual exhaust system, ceramic-coated Hooker headers, and a modern radio. The latter is installed in the car but has yet to be hooked up to the vehicle’s electronics.

The car now rides on a set of Chrome Cragar SS wheels covered in BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires sporting white lettering. The inside of the Chevelle also benefitted from extensive rework. It was restored to look almost brand-new with front bucket seats.

The perfectly-restored 1969 Chevelle SS 396 is set to cross the auction block in mid-May and is offered with a letter signed by Bruce himself attesting his ownership of the car, as well as a document from the artist’s mechanic describing acquiring the car. This is not just a Chevelle for car collectors but also for fans of the American rock artist.