1962 Chevrolet Chevy II Series

The Chevrolet Nova was in production for a combined twenty years, beginning in 1962 and continuing through 1979, and then from 1985 through 1988. At its introduction in 1962, it served as the top model in the Chevy II lineup in the compact class, a position it would hold through 1968. Chevrolet dropped the 'Chevy II' portion of the compact car's name in 1969, and it became known simply as the Chevrolet Nova. Production of the rear-wheel-drive Nova ended after 1979, and was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Citation.

When the Chevy Nova was revived in 1985, it was a front-wheel-drive subcompact model built in collaboration with Toyota and similarly styled to the Japanese market Toyota Sprinter, which itself was a badge-engineered version of the Toyota Corolla. This final Nova left the assembly line on August 18th of 1988.

1962 Chevy II Nova
Ford introduced a compact car called the Falcon in 1959 and initially, was a sales success. Chevrolet responded with the Chevy II, resting on a 110-inch wheelbase, compared to 109.5 for the Ford Falcon. Development had been brief, taking a mere 18 months to go from preliminary designs to production, making it one of the fastest new-car development programs in General Motors history. At the time, Chevrolet had the rear-engine Corvair but consumers preferred the conventional Ford Falcon, prompting Chevrolet to build a replacement. The goal was simple: a utilitarian, minimalistic vehicle that was functional, economical, and would attract buyers back into the Chevrolet dealership showrooms. Within the Chevy II lineup, the Nova was selected as the top-of-the-line trim level.

The 1962 Chevy II Series 100 came with a heater and defroster, 6.00 x 13 tires, oil filter, electric windshield wipers, front foam cushions, and cigarette lighter. Body styles included a two and four-door sedan priced at $2,000 and $2,040 respectively, and a two-door station wagon priced at $2,340. The six-cylinder versions added approximately $60 to the base price.

The 1962 Chevy II Series 300 was also offered as a two- and four-door sedan, and a 9-passenger, two-door station wagon. The 2-door sedan was priced at $2,080, the sedan at $2,120, and the wagon at $2,515. Additional exterior brightwork included side windows, bodysides, and rear deck panel moldings, along with slightly better interiors.

The 1962 Chevy II Nova was available as a 2- and 4-door sedan, sport coupe, convertible, and station wagon. All were powered by a six-cylinder engine and rode on 6.50 x 13 tires. Inside, there was carpeting, special interior upholstery and trim, and rear foam seat cushions. On the exterior, there were Nova rear fender nameplates, window moldings, side body moldings, rocker sill strips, full wheel discs, deck lid trim, and front fender windsplit moldings.

The overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine displaced 194.4 cubic-inches and offered 120 horsepower. Pricing began at $2,200 for the 2-door sedan and rose to nearly $2,500 for the station wagon.

The combined sales of the entire Chevy II Series included 139,004 four-door sedans, 59,886 four-door station wagons, 59,586 two-door Sport Coupes, 44,390 two-door sedans, and 23,741 convertibles. The total production of all 1962 Chevy II models was 326,607. The total Chevy II sales of over 326,600 units accounted for approximately sixteen percent of Chevy's total production but fell short of the Ford Falcon's sales of 396,129 units by approximately 69,500 vehicles.

Sales of the Chevrolet Chevy II remained strong in 1963, rising to a combined (approximate) 375,600 units. The Super Sport (RPO Z03) option joined the Nova lineup, adding special badging and emblems, wheel covers, a floor shifter, bucket seats, and sporty instrumentation.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2018