The second-generation Chevrolet Chevelle SS spans model years 1968–1972. The SS 396 is associated with 1968–69, and Chevrolet added the SS 454 for 1970. Engine ratings and available details vary by year; notably, 1972 horsepower figures use net ratings, so they should not be compared directly with earlier gross figures. For buyers, a market benchmark is context—not an appraisal—and the individual car’s condition, originality, configuration, and documentation matter.
What changed across the 1968–1972 Chevelle SS years?
The years covered here are the second-generation Chevelle SS model years 1968 through 1972. The broad engine progression below comes from CLASSIC.COM’s secondary market overview, not a complete set of factory specification sheets. Chevrolet’s archive lists factory information kits for all five years, but the specific factory details established here are limited to 1968 and 1972.
| Model year | What the available sources establish |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Chevrolet’s factory information kit identifies SS 396 body styles and lists the optional L78 396-cubic-inch V8 at 375 hp. CLASSIC.COM’s overview also reports L35 at 325 hp and L34 at 350 hp for 1968–69. |
| 1969 | CLASSIC.COM reports the SS 396 L35 at 325 hp, L34 at 350 hp, and solid-lifter L78 at 375 hp for 1968–69. The exact factory engine table for 1969 is not stated in the sources cited here. |
| 1970 | CLASSIC.COM says the SS 454 arrived with LS5 rated at 360 hp and LS6 at 450 hp, alongside SS 396 offerings. Exact factory 1970 engine details beyond this overview are not stated here. |
| 1971 | CLASSIC.COM characterizes 1971 as part of a period of lower reported power and transition in horsepower reporting. A year-specific factory engine list is not stated here. |
| 1972 | Hagerty reports that the SS could be ordered with 350- or 402-cubic-inch V8s and that the SS 454 LS5 was rated at 270 hp and 390 lb-ft. Its horsepower figure is a net rating. |
For the 1968 entry, Chevrolet’s kit was issued October 15, 1967, and says its specifications reflect the date compiled and are subject to change. It lists the SS 396 in a two-door sport coupe, two-door convertible, and two-door sedan pickup. That kit entry verifies the L78 option; it is not a complete 1968 engine-options list. Read Chevrolet’s 1968 Chevelle information kit. CLASSIC.COM’s broader model progression is summarized on its second-generation Chevelle SS market page.
What engines came in a Chevelle SS?
SS 396: the 1968–69 emphasis
CLASSIC.COM’s overview associates the 1968 and 1969 SS 396 with three performance levels: L35 at 325 hp, L34 at 350 hp, and solid-lifter L78 at 375 hp. Chevrolet’s 1968 factory kit independently confirms the optional L78 396-cubic-inch V8 at 375 hp. Treat the CLASSIC.COM values as a secondary summary and consult the relevant year’s factory kit when validating a specific car or configuration.
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SS 454: introduced for 1970
For 1970, CLASSIC.COM reports the arrival of the SS 454, with LS5 at 360 hp and LS6 at 450 hp, while SS 396 offerings remained. These figures distinguish the headline 454 options in that overview; they do not provide a complete factory option list for every 1970 SS.
1972 ratings require a different comparison
Hagerty’s August 27, 2024 report says a 1972 SS could be ordered with 350- or 402-cubic-inch V8s and gives the SS 454 LS5 a rating of 270 hp and 390 lb-ft. Chevrolet reported net horsepower in 1972, while earlier figures often used gross output. Because the rating methods differ, placing 1972’s 270 hp beside an earlier gross figure as if both were measured on the same basis can mislead. See Hagerty’s 1972 Chevelle valuation report.
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What is the difference between a 1970 Chevelle SS 396 and SS 454?
The clearest distinction supported by the available sources is engine family: the SS 396 used a 396-cubic-inch engine, while the SS 454 introduced a 454-cubic-inch option for 1970. CLASSIC.COM’s overview names two 454 levels for that year, LS5 at 360 hp and LS6 at 450 hp, and says SS 396 offerings were also available. The source does not establish every equipment, body-style, transmission, or factory-price difference between the two, so an individual car should be assessed by its year-specific documentation rather than inferred from the badge alone.
How much is a 1968–1972 Chevelle SS worth?
There is no single price that reliably values every 1968–72 SS. CLASSIC.COM displayed a $87,219 Market Benchmark for the second-generation Chevelle SS when its page was accessed in 2026. The figure is a market-data benchmark, not an appraisal or a guaranteed sale price; the site itself notes that a particular car’s value depends on factors such as condition. Listings shown on the page are asking prices, not necessarily completed transactions.
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A dated condition guide for a 1972 SS 454 LS5
Hagerty’s report published August 27, 2024 gives the following guide values for a 1972 Chevelle SS 454 LS5 sport coupe. These are report-date values for that specified model and condition category, not current guarantees or automatic valuations of other years and configurations.
| Condition category | Hagerty guide value in its August 27, 2024 report |
|---|---|
| Concours | $76,800 |
| Excellent | $60,700 |
| Good | $48,600 |
| Fair | $30,500 |
The same Hagerty report displays a generation-level highest sale of $1,265,000 and most recent sale of $119,700. Those are report-displayed market records, not representative prices for ordinary examples; the unusually high recorded sale especially should not be treated as a typical value.
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How to compare two Chevelle SS prices
Compare like with like before deciding whether a price is persuasive. A benchmark, a guide value, an asking price, an insurance value, and a completed sale are different kinds of evidence and should not be substituted for one another.
- Model year and engine: Separate SS 396 configurations from SS 454 versions and verify year-specific claims against documentation.
- Body style and transmission: Match the coupe, convertible, or other documented configuration and transmission where the records establish them.
- Condition and restoration: Evaluate the car’s present condition and restoration quality rather than relying on a model-wide figure.
- Originality and numbers documentation: Look for supporting documentation for claimed original or matching-numbers components; a badge or seller description alone does not establish them.
- Provenance: Consider the car’s documented history as a separate part of the comparison.
- Evidence type and date: Check whether the number is an asking price, completed sale, insurance value, or guide estimate, and note when it was published or accessed.
What documentation should you check?
Start with the factory information kit for the car’s specific model year, then compare its claims with the vehicle’s records and physical details. GM’s Heritage Archive index lists downloadable vehicle information kits for 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972. A year-specific kit is a useful reference, but the details established above do not fill every year’s engine table or verify every individual car.
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For a purchase or restoration, make the claimed year, engine, body style, and originality part of the documentation check. This is especially important where a broad secondary overview supplies a model-year progression but the year-specific factory specification has not been established here. Browse GM’s Heritage Archive vehicle information kits.
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