So today the office closed at 1 PM, as usual on Fridays. It was kind of cloudy, so I wasn’t going to camp out on my postage stamp deck and read a novel with a couple gin and tonics.
So I went to the county building and paid my property taxes. Then over to Disc Replay at the mall, where I found the fourth and fifth seasons of The Rockford Files for less than ten bucks. Such a deal.
Surprisingly, less than two hours later, I saw a fully restored example of Rockford’s famous Firebird Esprit.
Kinda spooky, ha ha. But that’s not the subject of today’s column.
Anyway, tomorrow the AACA is having a regional show with lots of classic, perfectly restored rolling stock. And I’ll be there. But I thought I’d mosey over to the location to see what had arrived so far.
And snuck in. Klockau, that guy’s a rascal, dontchaknow.
And saw lots of great stuff. Including my friend Humberto Garcia’s 1979 Continental Mark V Bill Blass Designer Edition, my friend Wayne Scherer’s black on black, big block 1965 Galaxie 500 two door hardtop, and a simply fantastic 1959 Impala Sport Sedan.
But that’s not tonight’s subject. That would be the ’73 Chevelle SS…station wagon.
I have no idea why Chevrolet decided to do an SS Wagon in 1973. Maybe too many martinis during 3-hour lunch sessions in Grosse Pointe by GM execs? But I love it for its sheer craziness. I knew about them from a small picture hidden way, way, wayyy in the back of the 1973 Chevy wagons brochure. And was intrigued.
I couldn’t find any production records for the SS Wagon itself, but according to my Standard Catalog for American cars from 1946 to 1975, 2500 Chevelle SSs had the 454 V8. Of which this is one.
It’s a certainty that far less than 2,500 SS wagons were built in 1973. But a grand total of 328,533 Chevelles of all types trim levels and body styles were built that year.
Gaze upon it, ladies and germs, and gape at the wild and crazy times of the ’70s. So. Have any of you fine folks ever seen one? This is my first time seeing one in the metal!
Until next time, keep on Broughaming. And always tip your bartender!