One Year Only SS 454 Wagon! 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle
One-year only cars of any significance always draw attention in the automotive world. While GM made plenty of big block wagons in the 1970s, there was only one year it could be combined with the Super Sport or “SS” package. This shiny red 1973 Chevelle SS 454 Station Wagon in southwest Iowa is one of those rare beasts of burden, and this show-winner can be yours for $25,000. Running and driving details escaped the listing here on Craigslist but the seller indicates that the air conditioning “blows cold,” so that’s promising. Neither the “original interior” nor the mighty 454 cid (7.4L) big block are depicted so we must interpret the listing as a teaser for local purchase. Thanks to eagle-eyed reader Ikey H. for spotting this unicorn.
Chevy brought a complete overhaul to the popular mid-sized Chevelle for 1973, though the rear lights echo the outgoing 1972 Malibu for continuity. The white interior, probably with black carpet and dash, makes a dashing alternative to black and other darker colors of the day. It would be no surprise to see a trailer hitch out back, as pulling a camping trailer with a rig like this would be been 100% American in the mid-’70s. In fact trailering could make the perfect excuse to justify the four-barrel Turbo-Jet 454’s 245 HP and 375 lb-ft of torque when debating with your spouse.
At first glance I suspected aftermarket wheels or incorrect hub caps grace this SS Wagon, but you’re looking at 1973 Turbine I wheel covers shown in the factory brochure. Thanks to Motorologist for some details.
We’ve about run out of pictures so here’s another one of the left front. One respray in base coat / clear coat freshened the Super Sport at one point, and if the interior, engine compartment, and undercarriage check out as well as these pictures, this would be one fine specimen. At a reported 88,000 miles, this Chevy should have plenty of life to give. Had you heard of Chevy’s SS 454 Wagon?
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Comments
Truly unique and rare. If it’s as advertised the price is fair.
The seller should have included more pictures, they are hamstringing their efforts by not doing so.
Steve R
Those are the wheels are not wheel covers. They are in face called Turbine I (Monte Carlos featured Turbine II). They are polycast wheels. Stylized rubber adhered to a steel wheel.
Put a set I had of those wheels on my ‘76 Ventura back in the early’80’s. Extremely rare then( unlike the similar but different Monte wheels). I suspect impossible to find now.
Would be so cool if it had swivel buckets and a console shifter!
Did the buckets swivel on the four-doors? Seems like the way the car was laid out they’d swing your left knee right into the B-pillar. Add in a low expected take rate for buckets on a midsize sedan and wagon in the early ’70s and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were set straight-ahead only when someone did order that combo.
I went to school with someone whose parents bought a new Laguna Estate wagon equipped with swivel bucket seats and console.
I was young in the USAF and stationed in South Dakota about 1978. I worked in the Individual Equipment Unit in Base Supply. One of our customers had one of these in blue, bucket seats, and console. Not sure if they were swivel or not. He told me he ordered it, original owner. I SOOOOO wanted that car, but I already had and still have my 71 SS454 El Camino.
The Trans am had the same type wheels in 72, they were a nightmare to balance as they got older and started to “twist”
Excuse me!!! I beg to differ about the 1972 Trans Am wheels.
Those wheels were never available on a Trans Am. They had either the rally 2 style wheels or honeycomb wheels.
Is this real? Dod GM really make this?
according to this 1973 Chevrolet brochure, it was not.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet-Wagons-Brochure/slides/1973_Chevrolet_Wagons-12-13.html
These were real, but rare. The picture of a page from a brochure that doesn’t highlight a niche model isn’t proof of anything.
Steve R
This site has featured 1973 Chevelle SS wagons several times in the past. A quick search of this site will find them.
Steve R
According to that same brochure, but on pages 16-17, the SS was an option for the wagon. See for youself.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet-Wagons-Brochure/slides/1973_Chevrolet_Wagons-16-17.html
Jay b & Steve R, there absolutely was a one year only (1973) option for a Super Sport wagon. Jay b, the link you supplied is good, but does not picture an SS, and on pages 16-17 of that same sales brochure the SS option is listed.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet-Wagons-Brochure/slides/1973_Chevrolet_Wagons-16-17.html
It got a one-line mention in the Chevelle line brochure.
http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet/1973-Chevrolet-Chevelle-Brochure/slides/1973_Chevrolet_Chevelle-10-11.html
These were on fact actually produced. Anyone who says otherwise is incorrect! (I don’t care what Old Cars Weekly said!) I was in A Chevy dealership every weekend and most of my summers during the 70’s as my Father sold new Chevrolet’s from 1962 to 1981. These were a one year only (1973) SS wagon and could be ordered with a 454. I used to have a showroom stock display from the dealership that showed the colors (and stripe colors) as well as the interior choices available. It was tossed when we moved to a new house in the summer of 1975. I wish I still all my old showroom signage and displays, they’d be worth a mint now but I’d want to keep them myself!
You should have gotten to read the very back of the brochure. It lists all the options and engine/transmission combinations. Among the options is the SS decor group. Sorry to bust your bubble, besides the fact that I know the dealership my Dad had a stake in sold at least 2 73 Malibu SS wagons when new.
Yes. Only year for Chevelle SS Wagon.
It’s pretty good, but it’s alright.
I had no idea there was ever an SS wagon.
Is this real? Dod GM really make this? Just watched the Mendard youtube episode. It looks like he may have some sale docs. Too cool. My buddy learned to drive on a crappy base one of these.
I had “a crappy base model”. 1973 straight 6, 3 on the column, radio and rear window air deflector, dark green, $3073.00. It was good until it rusted out nearing 70,000 New England miles.
I had the mint green, but w a 350. At 63K miles, and from Massachusetts, I had to replace the floorboards in 1993 when I bought it for $2100.
$25K for this certified beauty sounds like a steal
like this and the malibu classic wagons (a lill to big 4 both tho) but even more the turbine wheels (here 25 ‘spokes’). Again, a lill different: the dodge/ford 11 spoke wheel.
Brochure shows thrift 6 cylinder made 100 hp, the 307 really only put out 115? WOW!
You can thank government regulations for smog,and a change in engine ratings for this. The70’s were the slippery slope to the decline of american cars
No question that this was the beginning of the end of the time that GM would retain 68% of the U.S. market. When I was a youngster( longer ago than I’d like to admit),My family and all of my friends parents had domestic vehicles. Now it seems that the domestic cars are the rarity, Mostly because of the inability of the big three to build a bulletproof small car like a Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic/Accord,Nissan Sentra ect. And the reliability of those vehicles. Pushed would be buyers away from domestic cars. The fuel crisis in ‘74 didn’t help. It’s not that the Japanese came in and took the market, we actually handed to them. Now Korea is following the trend and the Japanese are having a tough time keeping up because Koreans can build a less expensive car and offer more value. Only time will tell of a Kia or a Hyundai will last for 300,000 miles like Toyota Corolla.
the ratings were taken from the rear wheels after 1972,all ratings before that did not include power loss due to driveline power loss.
73 SS wagon came with 14″ wheels, and either the 350 or 454 (don’t think the straight 6 cylinder was an option) As with other Chevys, SS wasn’t necessarily a high performance package.
I like the swivel seat option. Wagon here looks very clean.
It was featured in a Youtube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBxpkP9baAU
First time reading about one of these – deserves to be checked out for legitimacy. I do recall a brand new ’73 Laguna 4 door sedan (SS?), similar paint scheme as this wagon, but with a 400 ci motor, 4 speed, console and bucket seats, fully loaded otherwise.
I worked next door at the Ford Dealer and thought everyone but Ford had the ‘cool cars’ by the time 1973 rolled around! Lincoln-Mercury dealer up the street even had the Pantera! Mustang II was on the horizon.
I have never actually seen one, however Chevrolet had a artist rendering of this car in the 1973 Chevelle sales brochure. I really never thought that they would sell any because of the totally different buyers that a Super Sport vs.a wagon would attract. Really interesting car.
I would drive this all day , needs old school crager wheels.
Man, don’t put Cragars on this. Those Turbine I wheels are rare and cool. Like ‘60-‘70s concept car wheels.
Back in the ‘80s some codgers used to drive around Louisville in the spruce green twin to this. Dad had the ‘73 Estate with wood, three seats, a 350 and ridiculous levels of toxic outgassing! Some kid was always getting sick in it! A neighbor had the metallic blue Laguna Estate…a step up with the cool color and nicer front end. And then there was that green SS. Probably the only one I’ve ever seen.
I still own my first car I bought at 17, a base 1973 chevelle Malibu, repaired all the rust mentioned above, put a crate 383 in it, all original around that, only seen a few others, most were crushed.
Lets see the trim tag to verify if it’s the real deal. Personally I think it is a fake. Many of the brochures show options that in actuality were not available on a particular model. The factory would not print corrected brochures. It was up to the dealership sales staff to inform the customer.
If you go back in time you’ll find more years that the SS options were offered. Try 1965
Nice looking car. It’s the best year of the Colonnade style Chevy Malibu. If only more pictures were posted on Craigslist. When selling a car, the more pics that can be shown, the better.
This one sold for $7,400 in 2014…
https://barnfinds.com/1973-chevelle-ss-454-wagon/
If he gets anywhere near the ask, that’s an investment that would have put Bitcoin to shame. Unfortunately I don’t think the market for these has gone up that much.
What??
Towards the end of 2014 Bitcoin was trading at $315. Today it is trading at just over $32000.
So this SS wagon would have to be about $751,000 to even equal Bitcoin. I’m not sure he will see that price.
I agree with checking the trim tag andnother codes and confirming it’s authentic, especially at 25 large. That would probably be a record sale price for a Colonnade.
But this was a model that was built and at least four of them have been featured on Barn Finds. It’s unusual but probably not that rare.
I don’t either
I have only ever seen one in person, and it was a beat-up one in a mall parking lot in the mid or late ’80’s.
Chevy did not offer swivel bucket seats on wagons in ’73, as they did in later years. Not sure about ’74, but I know they did in ’75 and ’76, maybe ’77 too, as I detailed a lady’s ’75 Malibu Classic Estate with swivel buckets and console in the late ’70’s.
There are some ’73 SS wagons online with swivel seats, but those were added later.
It is very rare, only 71 were made. Record for Colonade was set in July 2020 at $31,500+ 10% buyers premium at Vanderbrink auction in Granger Iowa. It was reported that it was beat in 2021 at another big name auction. Not sure how high that one was.