I was racking my brain trying to come up with a good Friday Top Ten list when I had an inspiration. Why not go through the major American manufacturers one-by-one and list my favorite Top Ten cars from each? I started thinking about the lead-off, and Chevrolet had the most models come immediately to mind.
So, in that vein, my Top Ten Favorite Chevrolet vehicles:
1. 1957 Bel Air. I think I've expended enough electrons already waxing poetically about the beauty, grace, and iconic stature of the '57 Chevy. Here's another... The fins, the two-tone paint, the fender darts, every single design facet of this car contributes to it being one of, if not the, most recognizable car ever made.
2. 1970 Chevelle 454 SS. What's not to love about a 4,000 pound car with a 0-60 time of 6 seconds flat? The truism "There's no replacement for displacement" more or less hit its apogee in the LS6 Chevelle. 450 horsepower and a ¼ mile time normally only seen with "altered" versions made this Chevelle the king of the muscle cars.
3 1981 Corvette. This is my favorite Corvette body, bar none; not even the legendary split window '63 comes close to epitomizing the Corvette's sleek lines IMHO. The hideaway door handles, the T-roof, even the rims looked good on this car. Bonus points for the '82 Collector edition with the first hatchback.
4. 1986 K5 Blazer. A sentimental favorite, as a good friend had one of these back in the early 1990s. Nothing like popping the top off and cruising the beach with some tunes on. Of course, the tunes were coming out of a crappy AC Delco GM factory tape deck...
5. 1972 Camaro. The original "bitchin' Camaro". The second generation Camaro is, and forever shall be, my favorite. I always thought the first generation was too blatant a rip-off of the 'Stang, another instance of GM coming late to the party. The second generation gave the Camaro a more aggressive stance. And T-roofs.
6. 1992 Suburban. You've just got to respect a vehicle that has been in production since before WWII... The Suburban is my standard response to the imbeciles who claim that SUVs are a recent phenomenon. There's just something about a nine passenger behemoth that can tow a trailer in the wintertime... The model year is fairly irrelevant, although I do prefer the models with a full four doors...
7. 1955 Nomad. Once again, I have to love the odd. The Nomad was an interesting design concept - have the utility of a station wagon in a more sporty coupe form. The station wagon, the prototypical family car until supplanted by the minivan in the '80s, has historically been the redheaded stepchild of the automotive world. Few songs are sung about station wagons; even fewer teens aspire to own one. The Nomad, for a brief shining moment, made wagons cool.
8. 1968 El Camino. While the El Camino was, yet again, GM playing catchup with FoMoCo, the styling of the El Camino beat the Ranchero all to hell. The Cam shared its underpinnings and some sheet metal with the Chevelle/Malibu and later the Monte Carlo, and several versions were produced as "SS" models. Gotta love a hauler that hauls ass...
9. 1994 Impala SS. "Lord Vader, your car is ready". The '95 Impala SS makes the list only because of the time period in which it was made. The 1970s saw the death of the muscle car, as fuel shortages and emissions controls strangled the horsepower out of American engines. The 1980s were awash in bland boxes and turbochargers, with very little from GM standing out in the way of power. The Impala SS signaled a (much needed) return to the old ways.
10. 1966 Nova SS. The Nova, long ridiculed for the Spanish translation FAIL of the name, got its start as a compact (HA!) model available as an entry-level Chevy with modest four- and six- cylinder engines available. Later models would incorporate V8s, and the smaller body - and lighter weight - made the Nova an ideal platform for race-modding and hot-rodding.
So there's my list of favorite Chevy models. Models span the 1950s through the 1990s; body styles from trucks to cars to wagons and sedans all made the list. Pretty good showing for a full-spectrum manufacturer.
What's your favorite Chevy?
That is all.
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12 comments:
Jay,
Good list. I've got a top contendor for when you run the Oldsmobile list -- 1970 Cutlass 442 with the "W30" option package. One of only a very small handful of NATURALLY ASPIRATED cars to make more than 500 lb-ft of torque.
-- Brad
1965 Impala SS Coupe with 327 and 4bbl carburetor. Automatic transmission, but a floor shifter. Bucket seats, too!
Great car, except for the craptastic GM motor mounts. Which, under hard acceleration from a stop would allow the motor to lift up from the mount and shift the transmission into neutral. In the middle of intersections.
Fun times.
What! No 1982 Chevy Chevette??
I've always had a weakness for '59s. And, of course, the '72 Cheyenne parked in my yard.
Obviously I'm not the biggest of Chevy fans, but I guess I at least have decent employees. 3 of your 10 (the '57. the box nova, and the el camino) are owned by guys working here.
I am thinking Black Corvette C6 convertible with z51 package and a 6 speed.
I've no major quibbles with the list, but I would sub out the anemic 80s vette for a proper '67. And by "proper" I mean the (now worth over a quarter mil if you can find it) L88 package.
Yeah, enough horsepower that they lied about it in the dealer materials so young dumb hotheads who jump only at the biggest power number they can find wrap a few less 570hp monsters around telephone poles, mustangs, busloads of nuns, etc.
Granted, the L88 appeared in '67, '68, and '69, but I love me that C2 body.
The '81 Vette is pure aesthetics. For pure performance, the C6 pretty much kicks the snot out of anything offered before, but it simply has no soul...
*1986 K5 Blazer* I've been running an '83 for the last 9 or 10 years. Not full time, but it's handy during the occasional Denver blizzard. Rust is standard equipment.
What, no Monte Carlos?
The car I had in high school was a very well maintained, all-original '71 Monte with the 402 big block. Lost my virginity in that car. Almost lost my life a couple of times in that car. Never lost a race in that car, either.
Biggest mistake of my life was selling the Monte when I went into the Army. Our neighbor bought it for his stepdaughter, who was just starting high school...and she killed it. You don't want the details. I still cry just thinking about it.
-- Wes S.
For style (if you're leaving out the 63 split window), I like the 72 Vette.
As for the "someday I wanna own one of these" car... 1969 Chevy Camaro http://www.1hd1.com/images/69%20CAMARO%20Z11/69%20Z11%20CAM%201.jpg
72 Camaro. Blue. Purple Horny Headers. High School. Had some miles on her but she was pristine.
Got caught drag racing and got grounded three weeks.
Those were the days.
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