By 1973 the Chevrolet Nova was one of the oldest American cars on the market, but General Motors did give it some modest updates and a new hatchback. That would prove to be the only body style that the automaker would add to its otherwise starved compact platform between 1968 and 1979.
Even with the hatchback, the Nova lineup was a shadow of its former self. From 1962-67 Chevrolet usually offered a full range of body styles, such as a two-door hardtop and convertible as well as a four-door wagon.
All of those body styles went away when the compact — then called the Chevy II — was redesigned in 1968. Presumably GM was more interested in moving buyers into higher-profit cars such as the Camaro and Chevelle.
The hatchback was a relatively simple lift
Designers basically took the Nova two-door coupe and carved out a hatchback door. This took a lot less effort than AMC’s Hornet hatchback, which sported mostly new sheetmetal from the B-pillar backwards, thereby presenting a considerably different persona than its two-door sedan sibling.
The Nova hatchhack was offered in base and Custom series, although you could also order an SS package.
To upgrade from a coupe to a hatch cost around $150 in 1973. The base model was priced at $2,528, which was $79 more than the Hornet hatchback.
The hatchback sold well initially but petered out
Around 91,000 hatchbacks left the factory in 1973. That represented almost 25 percent of the Nova’s roughly 370,000 total production. However, for 1974 hatchback output fell to under 81,000 units, which was roughly 21 percent of total production.
Then in 2975 hatchback production dropped to under 32,000 units and 12 percent total output. And in 1976 hatches were down to roughly 26,000 units and 8 percent of output.
Meanwhile, four-door sedans saw their proportion of Nova production soar from only 23 percent in 1973 to 46 percent in 1976 — even inching past the coupes. That may have been a product of an oil embargo that led to some car buyers downsizing their family cars.
1973 Nova given first updates of production cycle
The Nova soldiered on without sheetmetal changes for five years. Then, in 1973, its updates mainly involved adding beefier bumpers to accommodate new federal standards. That necessitated a different grille and taillights.
One other relatively minor stylistic change was a reshaping of the rear-quarter windows. That allowed a partial vinyl roofline that stopped at the leading edge of the C-pillar.
It wasn’t a bad job as facelifts went. And while the bumpers did make the car look bulkier, they were arguably better integrated than some other cars of that era.
Just enough to get by — but nothing more
These modest changes would be just enough to keep the Nova reasonably competitive with other compacts (go here for further discussion). However, the Nova was slow to add more luxurious models.
That may have been partly because by 1973 the Chevrolet shared its platform with entries from Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick. And unlike with GM’s mid-sized and big cars, its compacts shared so much sheetmetal that they were unusually hard to tell apart. Which raised the question: Why pay a Buick price for a Chevrolet?
All that said, one could laud GM for at least adding a hatchback. My problem is that when I look at our featured car I wonder how much better the Nova could have sold during the 1970s if it had fielded a full range of body styles and trim levels. That might have cannibalized some Chevelle sales, but it also might have helped GM better compete against a rising tide of imports.
NOTES:
Product specifications and production figures are from Flory (2004, 2013), Gunnell (2002) and the auto editors of Consumer Guide (1993, 2006).
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Flammang, James M. and Ron Kowalke; 1999. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1976-1999. Third Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2004. American Cars, 1960-1972. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- ——; 2009. American Cars, 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year. McFarland & Co.
- ——; 2013. American Cars, 1973-1980. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised Fourth Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- oldcaradvertising.com: AMC Hornet (1973)
- oldcarbrochures.org: Chevrolet Nova (1973)
Although the 1973 Nova was classed as compact by US standards, its length was within millimeters of that of the standard wheelbase Mercedes W116 S-Class.
Just like parts of the 1964-1968 Mustang were derived from the Falcon and parts of the Valiant were repurposed for the Baccaruda, the Nova platform became a template for the Camaro. Improvements to the 1967 Camaro structure wound up in the new Nova platform for 1968 and continued until the 1975 platform improvements which resulted in the Seville variant. As the owner of a 1973 Nova Custo nom coupe, the car was powerful (but thirsty) with the 350-cu.-in. V-8. My brother had a 1974 Nova coupe with a 350 and an occasionally sticking throttle (!)…a solid car but not the Falcon competitor introduced for 1962 with a lumpy four and the 194-cu.-in. six. Like almost cars in the late 1960s, vehicles became heavier with more components and emission controls that increased complexities with computerized fuel injection not yet quite ready for prime time.
2 speed power glide for six cylinders until 1974. That pretty much says it all.
I loved that Nova body, at least the 2 door version, from the 1968 model through 1972. Those hideous fat bumpers that came in 73-74 just ruined the look, IMHO. I did like the generation that followed, particularly the highly contented Concours version. Of course I would rather have a Seville on the reworked Nova platform!
After hitchhiking from Norfolk to Charlottesville for two years, my parents helped me purchase a 1973 Nova Hatchback. It was the base model, with a 3-speed manual transmission and vinyl flooring instead of carpet, for $2,450. But it had one remarkable advantage that no other car of any price or design could rival: a full-sized cooler of beer could nestle perfectly against the back seat, making it easy for back seat passengers to reach through and pass cold beers to the front seat passenger and the driver alike. I was in a fraternity, and we’d take road trips to various girls’ schools back in the day. Drunk-driving laws were a decade away. I will add that I never had an incident while driving, nor have I ever lost a fraternity brother to an accident. I do recall the gas shortage at the time, and to save money and gas on the return trip, I’d coast the Nova down the Blue Ridge mountains with the engine off. Dangerous I know, but at the time it made sense. I loved that very basic car.