1965 Chevrolet Chevy II Series

1965 was the final year of the original, 'first generation' Chevy II before all-new styling was introduced for 1966. They were positioned between the redesigned Corvair and the mid-size Chevelle in terms of sales.

The Chevy II / Nova was produced in five generations from 1962 through 1979, and 1985 through 1988. The top trim level in the Chevy II lineup was the Nova, through 1968. After 1968, the Chevy II nameplate was dropped and the Nova continued in production from 1969 through 1979. The first generation of the Chevy II was built from 1962 through 1965. It had semi-unibody construction with a bolt-on front section joined to its unitized rear trunk and cabin section. Body styles included a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan as well as a station wagon and convertible. Initially, three series and five body styles were offered, including the 100 Series, 300 Series, and Nova 400 Series. A short-lived 200 series was part of the lineup but quickly abandoned.

For 1965, the Chevy II and Nova were given front-end styling updates that included a full-width grille with new integrated headlight bezels. The parking lights were relocated to the deep-section bumper, and sedans were given a new roofline. The rear cove, taillights, and backup lights were restyled. Trim levels included the entry-level 100 and the more luxurious Nova 400. The Super Sport, available only as a Sport Coupe, had a new brushed-chrome console with a column-mounted three-speed manual transmission. A floor-mounted four-speed manual or PowerGlide automatic was optional. The dashboard contained an ammeter, oil pressure, and temperature gauges. The bucket seats were clothed in textured vinyl trim. Six engine options included six-cylinder or V8s. A four-cylinder was offered only in the 100. The Nova SS performance was given a dramatic boost with the introduction of the 327 cubic-inch V8 which delivered up to 300 horsepower. Introduced mid-year, a 283 CID with dual exhausts delivered an impressive 220 horsepower.

For 1965, a total of 122,800 examples of the Chevy II / Nova were built, which accounted for just over 5% of Chevrolet's 2,382,509 sales. 9,100 examples were Super Sports.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2019