Chevrolet Chevelle Z-16

The Chevrolet Chevelle was born during a tumultuous time in the history of American cars. Debuting in 1964, the initial plans for the car were reasonable and sensible. It was to take on the Ford Fairlane and take on the roll of the old ’55-’57 Bel Air as a fairly inexpensive way to have a modest amount of fun. But, 1964 would later see the introduction of the Ford Mustang and the Pontiac GTO, cars that changed the whole American automotive industry and put an emphasis on performance in such a way that it had never been before.

Chevrolet reacted by first offering the option of a 327 engine in the Chevelle, one just barely allowed under GM guidelines at the time that restricted cars in this segment to engines under 330 cubic inches. But, Pontiac had a 389 in the GTO, and it soon became clear to Chevrolet that playing by the rules wasn’t going to get them anywhere. So in 1965, Chevy made a special 200-unit limited run of “unlisted” Chevelle Malibus with the new 396 engine. Thus was born the Z16 SS396, easily one of the hottest of the early muscle cars, and a rare object of desire still to this day.

Continue reading to learn more about the Chevrolet Chevelle Z-16.

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