The second-generation Chevrolet Chevelle is one of the best-looking muscle cars of its era, although not all model years were created equal. To say that earlier cars were more handsome than later ones is by no means controversial. To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with the updated front fascia and coke bottle styling of those 1970 and 71MY Chevelles.
Alas, we’re here to discuss a 1969 example, which we found up for grabs at auction. In 1969, the Chevelle was only a year removed from having been completely redesigned to feature a more sculpted body with a sleek long-hood profile.
Together with the “kick-up” rear end, the Chevelle looked planted and aggressive, and those recessed front fenders gave it sort of a “shark nose” when viewed from the side. Unfortunately, Chevy switched things up with their sheet metal revisions in 1970, but again, they didn’t ruin it or anything – it was just a little bit different.
Back to the 1969 model year, that’s when they introduced that thin chrome bar connecting the quad headlights at the front. Meanwhile, the taillight lenses were larger and more vertical. The changes were minor, to say the least, but still noticeable.
At that point, the Chevelle had already earned the name “America’s most popular mid-size car”, and there was certainly no shortage of awesome specs you could purchase thanks to a wide range of available Big-Block V8 engines.
The thing is, this particular Chevelle isn’t powered by any of them, but rather a 496 ci stroker V8, built using aluminum square-port heads, a hydraulic roller cam, lifters, pushrods, SRP pistons and more. The power unit also benefits from electronic ignition, a custom intake manifold, Hooker tubular exhaust headers, a Holley four-barrel carburetor, and Yenko-branded finned valve covers.
According to a dyno sheet provided by the seller, this car sends approximately 575 horsepower to its rear wheels via a Muncie four-speed manual transmission with a DFX clutch. Meanwhile, the 3” Magnaflow dual exhaust system will take care of the soundtrack.
Photo: Bring a Trailer
In terms of visuals, this Chevelle used to be Frost Green, but was repainted metallic blue during its refurbishment process. Other exterior highlights include the black grille, white stripes, Yenko badging and graphics, chrome bumpers, and a set of 15-inch American Racing wheels with BFGoodrich Radial T/A white-letter tires. Power steering and front disc brakes are also available.
As for the interior, you get the black vinyl front bucket seat and rear bench combo, a color-coordinated dashboard (same for the headliner and door panels), a center console, Hurst shifter, lap belts, Yenko SC-branded headrests, an aftermarket amplifier and subwoofer, Kenwood digital stereo, and a woodgrain steering wheel mounted to a tilting column.
Also included in the sale is a set of 15-inch Rally-style wheels, which you, as the buyer, will probably keep ignoring seeing as how the AR wheels fit the look of this Chevelle perfectly.
Sergiu got to experience both American and European car "scenes" at an early age (his father drove a Ford Fiesta XR2 supermini in the 80s). After spending over 15 years at local and international auto publications, he's starting to appreciate comfort behind the wheel more than raw power and acceleration. Full profile
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