image: gmphotostore
Lt.BrunoStachel linked to this picture in a comment, professing to be stumped by it, despite being a self-professed GM expert. Here’s his comment:
Speaking of Chevy mills under Poncho bonnetts. I found this pic many years ago. I’m a GM expert but the story behind this pic has me baffled. http://www.gmphotostore.com/1970-Chevrolet-Chevelle-SS-Coupe/productinfo/53217423/
It’s a 70 SS with a 250 straight six under the hood. Looks like it was hot rodded by the Chevy skunkworks from the looks of the painted air cleaner.We all know the 350/2V was the base motor in the SS so who knows what this concept was trying to prove.
I can’t explain it properly either, because in 1970, the only Chevelle SS models were the 396 and 454 (no 350). And that red “painted air cleaner” is not the air cleaner, which is the black round thing, looking very stock. I can’t make out just what that red painted thing in the front right is, though; it’s not stock. Based on the way this car is “dressed”, I’m guessing some of the Chevy guys decided to have a little fun and slap an SS badge on a Malibu six. Anybody got a better theory?
This is a pre-airbrushed version of the photo. I remember this ad and it definitely didn’t show a six. Photo shoot cars were often cobbled together out of whatever parts they had lying around. It would not have been visible after airbrushing.
I figured in this crowd, someone would know; but I didn’t think it would be quite so fast!
With some fantasy from our imagination, we could imagine some “mule” or prototype of a Chevelle SS using the late OHC 6 from Pontiac or a supercharged version of the old inline-6. 😉
Yes, and it would have just about equaled the performance of a 307 or 350 2 barrel at much greater cost.
There was an article in a magazine a couple of years ago, Hemmings maybe, that documented these photos, the pics were taken in mid 69 on a Hollywood studio backlot, its the same car they used for the “tied down” Chevelle SS ad too. The car was a 6 made up to look like an SS.
I did a little googleing and found this blog by the guy responsible for directing many of the shots of this car that sports Malibu 350 badges on the drivers side while carrying the SS badge on the passenger side. Driver’s side. http://oldchevyads.blogspot.com/2009/01/1970-chevelle-ss-experimental-photo.html Passenger side http://oldchevyads.blogspot.com/2009/01/1970-chevelle-magazine-ad-layout.html If you look at the brochures at oldcarbrochure.com and period ads only the passenger side is shown in them. Can’t find any Malibu shots in red though.
“What’s wrong with this picture?” Well the car has teeth for starters! 😉
+1!
What’s wrong with this picture? The pharmaceutical trends of the late ’60s finally made their way into Mad Men country. Reminds me of this dumb shot of a ‘Cuda wearing a, um, necktie?
http://www.lhmopars.com/MOPAR_Ads/1970_plymouth_cuda_ad1.html
Necktie or paisley tongue? Hmmmm…!
Is the red box perhaps a battery? Not sure why it would be angled, but isn’t that where the battery would live in a GM car of that vintage?
I checked; it’s on the left front corner (facing car), and down a ways. That red thing is something else; who knows?
In some ways it looks like a windshield washer reservoir but it could be part of the lighting equipment used for this shot of what is reported to be the same pre-production car used in all the advertising and brochures.
Yeah, this shot is from the same series, it has the “standard neighborhood” back ground backlot from every TV series.
Check out the blog I linked in response to your post above, gives lots of details about this “experimental” photo shoot.
It’s a foreshadowing of today, where every jackass with a Chevy built between 1966 and 1976 slaps SS badges on the car.
Thank you for my morning belly laugh. We must not forget the Rally wheels.
AMEN! I am always surprised when I see a ’67 Malibu as cruise-ins that has the correct rather than an SS hood on it.
I wish I had that car…even WITH the 6!
Another shot of the car showing the driver’s side dressed as a 350 powered Malibu.
My uncle had a light green ’68 base Chevelle with I6 and three on the tree. But it was a post coupe, and I am sure would have made a good drag racer or street mahcine.
OK I got the year wrong for the SBC SS. I do know the 350/2V was the base motor for the 71-72 SS. Anyway that orange(Chevy engine red) box looked like a ram air snorkel to me which is why I say air cleaner. Who knows? Maybe a water injection reservior for the turbo hiding in the shadows? You know this car wouldn’t have been the first 6 cylinder SuperSport model that Chevy offered. Remember the 63 Nova? I’ve been kicking around the April Fool’s theory too. Too bad the guy in the Hemmings links doesn’t offer enough insight on these photo prop models.
You know I just remembered another 6 cylinder SuperSport conspiracy. I’ll see if I can dig up a link or two. This was about 5 years ago. Apparently Chevy was slapping SS emblems on everything in sight. Remember the Silverado SS? (Hey Paul that’s a hint for another DS) Remember the 06 Malibu SS? Somewhere there was a press release where the PR peeps at GM were ashamed that low-po models were sporting the SS emblems and they said that the Malibu SS would be cancelled because the 3.5 wasn’t exactly a model worthy of the name. I guess somebody forget to tell them the 240HP 3.9 was the only motor available on the SS.
It was a pre-production car that likely went to the crusher not all that long after the materials were in the can and approved. Look at some of the other pictures I posted or linked too. The art director says in some of the posts that he could make it either a 396 or 454 car at least if it’s a shot of the passenger side if it’s of the driver’s side it’s a 350 powered Malibu.
Ever since the first 1961 Impala SS rolled off the line, many of the cars that got the ‘SS’ moniker had weak engines. I think they all at least had to have a V8 from the factory, though, even if it was the lowest-rated one available.
No there were full size SS cars with 6 cyls. The Super Sport package started out as purely an appearance package.
Maybe you missed this: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/rarest-1965-chevrolet-model-16567-super-sport-convertible-six-and-what-was-the-last-big-chevy-six/