Yes, the Malibu is a "trim" level on the Chevelle. I belive it was the base trim level. But its the same car, 2,4 or wagon.

 

Not to rain on you or anything, but practically everything in that article pretty much was available in this part of the cz28.com board over the past year or so in fits and starts and tidbits. A look around the forums would confirm this. Do a search, this board is a wealth of information - even on something so sketchy and hard as the rumoured 5th gen Camaro to get any info on.

Not to plug another board, but Cheers and Gears has also been a hotbed of Camaro tidbits with an insider releasing styling "what ifs" that spawned the graphic study featured in the article; and others. You will also find members there, who are members here as well, so cross-pollination of info does occur which helps fill in some of the void as far as official info goes.

 

Actually the article said the loans need to be repaid by 2010. This was going to have to happen regardless of GM closing St. Therese, ending production of the F-bodies, or hell freezing over. The fact that St. Therese is now a pile of rubble (good riddence) may come into play on a future Camaro... or not. I think it will give GM a heck of a lot more leeway in their negotiations for the next CAW contract. Don't forget, GM actually bent over backwards to find a buyer/alternative use for St. Therese. They didn't just simply walk away.

Once the new contract is negotiated, THEN expect the floodgates to open.

 

It was not the base trim level. The base trim level depended on the year. Here is a reference:

Chevelle Model Codes

Here is another good source:

Team Chevelle

The gearheadracing.com site is correct in that most Chevelles produced were 2 doors.

Randy

 

Wasn't Malibu an upscale trim, most years?

 

Yes. Typically it went like this:

1. Chevelle 300
2. Chevelle 300 Deluxe
3. Chevelle Malibu
4. Chevelle SS

4 doors and wagons could not be had with the SS option, but may have had their own trim levels.

Randy

 

Does anyone know when the new negotiations will happen?

 

Randy...you are correct in the names for the early Chevelles. (also, wagons in certain years had their own series names...such as Nomad (what were we thinking???) Greenbrier, Concours, and Concours Estate.

My recollection is that people in the late 60s and early 70s, if they were driving coupes or convertibles would say "I drive a Malibu.." or "I drive an SS-396/454/etc".....not "I drive a Chevelle"....yes, tons of coupes were built, because that's what the buying public preferred. I think one of my friends in Texas put it just right:
"When I hear Chevelle, I think 'hey hon, I'm gonna pack up the kids in the Chevelle and go to the laundromat to warsh some diapers!" (Implying Sedan or Wagon...)

Just my 2 cents.

No....the SS concept will not go into production. Period.

 

Red has given us a scoop, havent seen this mentioned anywhere else.

 

Correct SS Concept will NOT go into production. But that doesn't mean the next "Camaro" won't use styling cues from it.

 

Actually, the philosophy behind the original Chevelle/Malibu was creating a basic form of transportation at a very reasonable price.

Any idea that the Chevelle/Malibu was created with performance in mind from the start is completely and totally wrong. GM (was actually taking performance OUT of cars, and withdrawing from racing when they redid their midsize cars for 1964, and Chevrolet's midsize line was the last to get "big" performance engines at GM.

Sorry to burst the bubble.

 

Camaro & Firebird were not supposed to be built there till 2015.

I researched & wrote that article.

It's in the current "September" edition.

 

Ahhh!

FINALLY.....someone else old enough to remember what these and other cars really were.

It's so ridiculous at times reading the posts from some of these people who have a pretty warped (to say the least) view of what most all of these 60s era cars actually were.

The current Malibu is exactly what the Chevelle was in the 60s & 70s. As soon as a firebreathing supercharged Malibu SS hits the streets, you will have a carline that is very similar to those days in mission & market.

I will always remember the moron who said Nova was a muscle car, or the even bigger moron who said GTO's had different bodies & looks than a Pontiac Tempest.

 

NO...?

It is very likely the next gen of mid-size two door will be rwd, be it called a Monte Carlo or a Chevelle, larger than the next iteration of the Camaro.



Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesTKirk41
I would say that the evidence that the SS concept will turn into a Chevelle is pretty strong. From the Chevelle shown in the intro the the fact that in the description the SS is called "the family SEDAN with muscle". The philosophy behind the original Chevelle/Malibu was just that; offer the father a family car with performance.


Actually, the philosophy behind the original Chevelle/Malibu was creating a basic form of transportation at a very reasonable price.

Any idea that the Chevelle/Malibu was created with performance in mind from the start is completely and totally wrong. GM (was actually taking performance OUT of cars, and withdrawing from racing when they redid their midsize cars for 1964, and Chevrolet's midsize line was the last to get "big" performance engines at GM.

Sorry to burst the bubble.



Sorry, I was refering to "original" in the sense of the first line of cars to carry the name (i.e. the Malibu of the 60's-70's not the Malibu of today), not the first model years of the 60's era Chevelle/Malibu exclusively. I would definately argue that the 300, 300 deluxe, Malibu, SS lineup definately provided a nameplate that catered to every need including performance.

 

And so was Guy.

Red's right of course. Back in the day folks did simply refer to them as SS396, SS454, etc... and not Chevelle.
While true, do you actually expect that in today's world, one all purpose Chevrolet model with multiple trim levels satisfying everyone, from the tree-hugger wanting an econobox; to the soccer-mom wanting a grocery getter; to the RWD V8-loving performance enthusiast wanting a new Camaro SS; would actually be cost effective for GM to build and sell well enough to keep it in production?

I don't think so. There are too many other choices in the market for folks to accept this type of blandness. There can be at most two "trim" models for the new Chevy Coupe, not including a special edition ultra performance version of course.