One of the biggest downfalls for a company in the car industry is when they spend time and money to introduce a new model to the lineup, just to find out that the new vehicle decreased the sales of another model. This is precisely what happened to the Chevy Nova SS when the Chevy Chevelle SS was introduced to the market. In 1964 the Nova sales were down, while the Chevelle sales were up. For the ’64 model year there were only 191,691 Chevy IIs built, with around 10,500 being an SS version. The Chevelle, on the other hand, had approximately 387,000 produced with 76,860 SS versions. The sales figures were definitely in favor of the new Chevelle SS. Even though the muscle car was built by the same company, it hurt sales for the less popular Nova SS.
6 Nova SS Sport Coupe Only Produced Half Of 1964
For some unknown reason, the sport coupes were discontinued for the 1964 Nova SS production year. No real reason was given, but it could have been because sales were not as high as they had hoped because the Ford Falcon was still outselling the Chevy equivalent. Consumers complained to the GM headquarters, and thankfully, they were heard because the powers-that-be decided to add the sport coupe back into the Nova SS lineup. So the Chevy II Nova SS coupe was only available for the second half of the model year.
5 Nova SS Convertible Was Dropped From Production
For the beginning of the 1964 model year, the convertible top option for the Nova SS was dropped along with the sport coupe version. The executives listened to the consumers when they asked for the coupe to be returned to the lineup, but they decided to keep the convertible option off the table. The convertible was never brought back to the lineup through any of the following years, which made the 1963 Nova SS convertible top one of the rarest and most sought-after Nova SSs of all time. Some of the latest auctions show the convertible car going for as low as $31,500, but that sales price is expected to increase as more people realize how rare the convertible really is.
4 1964 Nova SS Had A Great Marketing Ploy
The big three car makers from Detroit fought with each other for sales, but not in a violent way. The marketing departments were tasked with creating some original, catchy marketing ploys to get consumers interested in their specific lineups. The big three also had to contend with the smaller companies, such as AMC, as well as the imports coming in from overseas, so the advertisements needed to isolate the specific car they were trying to push. The 1964 Nova SS never became one of the most prominent selling cars of the year, but the marketing slogan said it all. “It’s a nice, quiet, sturdy, sensible, unpretentious car with teeth.”
3 Nova SS Light Weight Helped Win Races
It is proven that the lighter a vehicle is, the faster it will go. That is why many muscle cars from the ’60s and ’70s were designed with the perfect weight-to-power ratios in mind. The 1964 Chevy II Nova SS 400 came off the production lines weighing a slim 2,560 pounds. The small size, the low weight, and the V8 power could push the Nova SS down the quarter-mile track in under 15 seconds and accelerate from 0 to 60 in 8.5 seconds. The car was a threat on the track when the engine was modified to produce over 350 bhp and could put up a 0 to 60 time in a mere 5.2 seconds.
2 Nova SS Sales Fell Far Short Of Rivals
In 1960, four whole years before the Chevy Nova was even a thought, the Ford Falcon took the market by storm. They became the most sought-after choice compared to the competitors, including the small foreign cars that were beginning to flood the American markets. The 1964 Chevy Nova SS was a fantastic car for the time period, but it was simply a case of too little, too late. In ’64, the Nova had production numbers of around 191,691, while the Falcon came out of the year with over 300,000 with no signs of letting up any time soon. The problem with not being the first to introduce a unique model is that the carmaker is basically following along with the idea of another manufacturer. This leaves the original at the top of the pile, and it shows when looking through all the sales numbers.
1 1964 Nova SS Hard To Find But Still Affordable
As of right now, the 1964 Chevy II Nova SS is one of the most affordable classic muscle cars on the market. The most recent auction at Bring a Trailer shows that the Nova SS can still be bought for under $40,000. This is a steal when you compare it to the 1964 Ford Falcon that has sold for as high as $112k. The average cost of a ’64 Nova SS is around $25,000, so they can be picked up without having to take a second mortgage out on the house. Of course, a model that needs a little work can be picked up for half the price if patient enough to wait for a listing to show up
