Chevy switched it up pretty drastically in the Chevelle's design from 1967-1968. Not only did they widen the wheel base from 115 to 116 inches, but they also opted for a sloping, semi-fastback roofline, that made it look a touch sleeker than the previous model. Many experts believe that this was a key factor in the Chevelle's sales that year, which jumped up significantly. As a result, Chevy produced over 400,000 of them, which is probably why they are one of the top choices for muscle car restorations in Los Angeles and the west coast.
Another reason for their popularity is power. Chevy reintroduced the SS 396 series engine which kicked out an impressive 375 horsepower. Rebuilding these engines is relatively easy and REALLY fun. We had one at our auto restoration shop not too long ago that got around 420 lbs of torque when we did a chassis dyno testing. Of course this one had a custom exhaust and a custom ground camshaft built in, but you get the idea.
Back in '68, the Chevelle had a base price of around $2800 and today at auction we've seen restorable ones go for about the same. Fully restored Chevelles, on the other hand, can fetch almost $40k!
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