1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454

The muscle car era hit its peak at the dawn of the 1970s, and the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 played a major role in that revolution. When General Motors lifted the displacement restriction on midsize cars, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick responded with 455-cid engines producing up to 370 bhp. Chevrolet's answer was a 454-cid V-8, starting at 360 bhp and maxing out at an astonishing 450 bhp. This marked the pinnacle of muscle cars.

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The Chevelle was restyled for 1970, again offering the Super Sport package for both hardtops and convertibles. The SS 396 model, priced at $446, came equipped with a 350-bhp 402-cid V-8, power front disc brakes, F41 suspension, Polyglas F70x14 tires, and a domed hood. Optional fat dorsal stripes were available, but the new $147 cowl-induction hood, featuring a flapper near the windshield that opened at full throttle to deliver fresh air to the engine, was standard.

The new SS 454 package was priced at $503 and came with the LS5, a 360-bhp hydraulic-lifter 454 engine. Then there was the LS6 – a no-compromise 454 featuring an 800-cfm Holley four-barrel carburetor on an aluminum manifold, 11.25:1 compression, solid lifters, four-bolt mains, forged steel crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, and deep-groove accessory pulleys. No factory engine ever achieved a higher horsepower rating.

With mandatory options – including the choice of a Rock Crusher four-speed or special Turbo 400 automatic transmission – the total cost for the LS6 exceeded $1,000. Axles ranged from 3.31:1 to 4.10:1, and Positraction was available for an additional $42.

The SS Chevelle featured a sleek new dashboard, and on the road, it exhibited far more agility than its size and weight would suggest. But it was the LS6 that truly made the car a legend. Sub-14-second quarter-mile times at speeds over 100 mph became routine.

However, the LS6's raw power seemed to mark the end of an era, with muscle cars soon facing decline. Testers sensed the shift. Car Life, after testing the LS6, remarked, 'Without even raising the specters of insurance and social justice, it's fair to say that the Supercar as we know it may have gone as far as it's going.'

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