Perfectly Restored 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Flaunts Rare Factory Option

Chevrolet launched a beefed-up SS model as early as 1964. Only two years later, the SS 396 delivered up to 375 horsepower. By 1970, the Chevelle was the most potent midsize available thanks to the SS 454 LS6, powered by a 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8 rated at a whopping 450 horsepower.

The latter is one of the rarest Chevelles ever built at just under 4,500 units (the figure includes El Camino pickups), but the SS 396 is also scarce when equipped with the right engine and options. The 1969 Azure Turquoise example you see here is one of those cars.

Spotted at the Muscle Cars and Corvette Nationals (MCACN), this Chevelle is one of 86,307 SS 396 cars sold in 1969. Not exactly rare, right? Well, the Chevelle was offered with three different 396-cubic-inch (6.6-liter) mills that year, and this figure includes all of them.

The 325-horsepower L35 was the most popular, as it found its way into 59,786 cars. The L34 version, rated at 350 horses, was selected by 17,358 customers. This leaves only 9,486 examples fitted with the range-topping 375-horsepower L78.

That's still a lot of cars, but this coupe left the assembly line with a rare option. While it may seem fitted with a white vinyl top from a distance, this Chevelle actually rocks a painted roof. It was available under RPO code 959-23 and labeled "two tone color" in 1969. How rare is it? Well, records show it found its way on about 5.4% of all Chevelles. That's more than 21,000 cars.

However, if we were to apply this percentage to SS 396 L78 models, we'd get a much smaller figure. This would mean that only 510 units of 9,450 L78 coupes (Chevrolet sold 36 convertibles) were ordered with this option. It's not the most accurate method to obtain production numbers, but it's the best thing we have in the absence of precise figures.

The turquoise over white color combo likely makes it even scarcer. Again, I don't have numbers to run by, but the owner and our host claim they haven't seen another one like it yet. And both attend car shows regularly. Now, I'm not saying this car is unique, but it's indeed a rare color combo. The other Azure Turquoise cars I found online either have vinyl tops (black or white) or different color interiors (blue or black).

But this post isn't just about numbers and scarcity. This 1969 Chevelle is a fabulous restoration that looks the part from just about any angle. It relies on a spotless, numbers-matching engine, and the interior is as clean as it gets. And turquoise over white is one of the best color combos for a 1969 Chevelle, but I don't mind if you disagree.

Oh, did I also mention that the current owner bought the car in 1972? Yup, that's a whopping 52 years of continuous ownership. Check out this beauty in the video below.