1971 Chevrolet Chevelle – Auction Car of the Week

There is, so we are reliably informed, no replacement for displacement. This 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle with its thumping great 454cui big-block V8 is perhaps, then, the embodiment of that idiom. With an estimated 550bhp on tap, this is without a shadow of doubt, the most muscular of muscle cars. Unapologetic, brash, loud, snarling and about as good on the liquid stuff as Oliver Reed. But that’s not where the story starts and ends. No, you see, this particular Chevrolet Chevelle has also been built to pro-street specification, making it perfect for the bidder looking to dominate on the 1/4 mile. Fasten. Your. Seatbelts.

As a model, the Chevelle has been around since the ’60s. However, it was the early ’70s when it became a big player in the muscle car wars of America. With Dodge, Ford, Pontiac, Plymouth and others all looking to satiate the appetite of pre-oil crisis America, it was a tough market. Chevrolet continued to build on its SS, or Super Sport line. Cars built with big engines, big power and big attitude. Today, the Chevelle SS is an icon. A pop culture legend thanks to starring roles in Fast & Furious, Faster, Jack Reacher and many more silver screen smashes. It’s a car people need. 

As we touched on earlier though, this 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle is not like this others. This one was built to pro-street specification back when it was still on American soil. What’s pro-street? In a nutshell, it’s a car that still looks like it did when new, like a street car, but with a tubbed rear end and fat meats. Think of it as a full-size Hot Wheels car. Tubbing, which is the art of cutting the rear out of the car and fitting massive wheel tubs, allows for – in this case – massive Mickey Thompson tyres to be fitted onto deep Weld racing wheels. Wide meats mean one thing – traction. And on the 1/4 mile, grip is everything. You can have all the power in the world, but without traction, it’s worthless. That’s not the case here.

It’s not just about grip though. The 454 engine in this Chevrolet Chevelle produces over 500bhp, sent through a Turbo 400 three-speed auto transmission with B&M shifter. The engine has an upgraded race cam, an Edelbrock intake and a four-barrel carb. The engine bay has been lined with sheet aluminium, there are braided hoses, upgraded cooling and more. It’s a proper street machine. The owner describes it as a “real weapon” and we can well believe him.

Inside, you have bucket seats, harnesses, shift light, race tach, fire extinguisher and a bespoke centre console. The rear has no seats due to the tubbing work, but it’s not bare metal – it’s all carpet lined and is actually very comfortable. That was the point of pro-street cars – they were fit for the, you know, street. Race on a Friday night, drive it to work on Monday morning. It even has a modern stereo head unit so you can play ‘Fuel’ by Metallica at full blast. And rightly so.

Outside, the bonnet, or hood to use the correct vernacular, has a massive power bulge. The body has been restored, and gleams in flawless gloss black. The requisite white double stripes running over the car are present, the chrome is all excellent and all the badges are in place and twinkle keenly in the sun. It’s a work of art, it just happens to be art that could rip your face off without too much provocation. Is it economical? No. Is it at sensible? Hell no! Is it a fun, brilliant, loud, celebration of power and the detonation of vaporised fuel and oxygen? Yes indeed. Shy and retiring types need not apply.