There aren’t many two-letter combinations in the muscle car pantheon with the ring and allure of the Super Sport acronym that has been stamped on some of the most notorious Chevy products since the 1961 Impala SS. Camaro, Nova, El Camino, Monte Carlo, Malibu – they all had their fair share of performance. However, one Chevrolet stands above all as the meanest SS of them all – the one-year-only 1970 Chevelle.
In full disclosure, General Motors went all in when the muscle car wars peaked on the cusp between the sixties and seventies and gave all of its divisions permission to fire at will. Chevrolet – as the most important brand in GM’s portfolio – by production numbers – took it personally and released a monster version of the Chevelle SS.
1970 Chevelle SS production numbers totaled 62,372 vehicles, but Chevrolet had a trick up its sleeve. Since the corporate ban on displacement and power-to-weight ratio had put a halt on big-inch V8s within the Bowtie division, the largest Chevy motor available at the end of the sixties was the fabled 396 cubic-inch (6.5-liter) V8. Corvette and full-size models were exempted from this edict, but intermediates had to play along.
Out of the sixty-two thousand SSs under the Chevelle umbrella, 53,599 came with the ‘small’ big-block, but 8,773 received the 454 cubic-inch V8. At 7.4 liters of displacement, it wasn’t on the same level as its corporate brethren, the Pontiac 455, the Buick 455, and the Olds (each measuring 7.5 liters). In reality, the difference was a meager 16.387 cubic centimeters, so the 454 actually measured 7.439 liters, while the 455 displaced 7.456 CCs).
Photo: mecum.com
However, for the infinitesimaly little it lacked in volume, the 454 more than made up in horsepower, and this is where Chevrolet deserves the credit as the boldest, bravest, most antagonistic muscle car maker of 1970. While everyone else denounced their horsepower outputs as being lower than what reality said, Chevy came in firing a broadside of barbaric proportions.
The 454 V8 came in two variants, now famous for their Regular Production Option (RPO) codes LS5 and LS6. The latter was built in 4,475 copies – and this detail is important because that particular engine was officially rated at 450 hp and 500 lb-ft (456 PS, 678 Nm).
No other production contemporary passenger car could boast higher numbers (no, Cadillac’s 8.2-litre 500 cubic-inch motor doesn’t count, although its 550 lb-ft / 746 Nm torque stands supreme). Whatever ‘dodge insurance companies’ game Detroit was playing at the time, Chevrolet clearly didn’t want the Chevelle to be a part of.
Photo: mecum.com
The Chevelle LS6 production breakdown is something of a treasure hunt for automotive historians, so there are no definitive numbers regarding how many convertibles, hardtops, four-speeds, El Caminos, or whatever criteria we can throw in were assembled for that model year. Suffice it to say they’re nearly not as rare as the same-year ‘hemicuda’ of its Mopar twin cousin, the Challenger.
But simply because it was built in not-as-low numbers as the notorious Chrysler bros doesn’t mean a Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is any less desirable – or affordable. Granted, the drop-tops might not reach the multi-million-bucks status of the convertible Plymouth ‘Cuda Hemi, but they’re not exactly dirt cheap, either.
Naturally, being the rarest, the convertible brawny Chevelles demand the highest premiums, and just recently, one ragtop brawler raised the bar to $600,000 – the price paid to the seller at the Indy 2024 auction ($660,000 with premium). As for the hardtops, the milestone is slightly lower: one moonshine-running example changed hands for $400,000 ($440,000 with fees).
Photo: mecum.com
So, from this perspective, a quarter of a million bucks would be what – a steal? For a numbers-matching restored example that won multiple beauty contests in the last two decades. The Gobi Beige and black top example changed hands multiple times in the past dozen years.
In 2013, the car was sold for $31k (!!!) with 53,600 miles / 86,260 km on the clock. A decade and five miles (8 km) later, the car was valued at $165,000 by an interested gearhead who bought it in July 2023. Come January the following year, the Chevelle finds a new owner for $137,500.
In May 2023, the highest bid offered reached $190,000, which was below the seller’s demands. In ten months, the car covered 13 more miles (21 km), as evidenced by the odometer’s reading of 53,618 miles (86,289 km). The iconic muscle car is offered for sale on eBay for the not-so-modest sum of $250,000.
Photo: mecum.com
There’s plenty of time to make up your mind should you find a thick brick of Federal Reserve legal tender photos of deceased US presidents lying around. The bid ends eight days from now unless someone clicks the Buy It Now button and takes this Chevelle 454 SS LS6 home.
The car has the aforementioned original motor and an equally original M22 Rock Crusher four-speed manual transmission linked to a 12-bolt 4.10 Positraction performance axle. Some parts aren’t factory-installed but are correct for the car (mostly New Old Stock components installed during the rotisserie restoration). Although its past buyers didn’t seem very interested in this aspect, the seller notes that the car runs strongly and drives well.
