Chevrolet Nova History

Compact car · 1962–1979

Catalog record

Photography for this nameplate has not yet cleared the archive’s licensing and identity checks. The researched text below remains available while the page stays out of search and advertising inventory.

History

Introduced for 1962 as the 'Chevy II', this compact line adopted the 'Nova' name (originally its top trim) as the model name; the two are the same car line.

The Nova became a budget performance favorite — V8-powered Nova SS models, including the rare 1968–1970 SS 396, made it a giant-killer at the drag strip.

Production of the original Nova ran through 1979; the name was later reused for a 1985–1988 Toyota-built compact, a separate and unrelated vehicle.

Body styles

Notable special editions & performance variants

Related models

Collect the nameplate

Find a scale model of the Chevrolet Nova

Search Amazon across available years, colors, and scales. Exact releases vary, so confirm the listing before ordering.