The Chevy II/Nova was a compact car introduced for 1962 to give Chevrolet a conventional rival to Ford's Falcon after the rear-engined Corvair. It grew into a popular rear-drive platform offered in six- and eight-cylinder forms, spawning high-performance SS and big-block variants through the 1970s before the nameplate was retired in 1979. The Nova name returned briefly in the mid-1980s on a badge-engineered front-drive compact built at the NUMMI plant, a joint venture between GM and Toyota based on the Toyota Corolla.
The Nova was a compact car built from 1962 through the 1970s in several body styles, including performance SS versions. A later 1980s Nova was a rebadged Toyota Corolla from the NUMMI joint venture.
64years
2generations
5trims
73–370hp range
SedanCoupe
The Lineage
2 generations · tap any to explore3 trimsClassic (1962-79)
1962–1979
2 trimsFifth Generation (1985-88)
1985–1988
The Story
Why the Nova mattersTrims · Fifth Generation (1985-88)
2 trims · 1985–1988Final Nova generation, the Corolla-based compact built at NUMMI in Fremont, California.
Mad Builds
1 custom build on the NovaNapalm Nova
1972 Chevrolet Nova
454 big-block 1972 Nova burnout machine