1973 · Chevrolet · United States

1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS: The Only Year of the SS Wagon, and Three Different Production Totals

The Colonnade Chevelle's only SS year: RPO Z15 on the Malibu coupe and, for the first and only time, the station wagon, with a 245 net hp 454 available.

United States · researched through 2026-09-22

Shown: 1973-1974 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Colonnade coupe in dark maroon, hood open Photo: Bull-Doser, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The 1973 Chevelle switched to GM's new Colonnade body, and it was the only year RPO Z15 SS equipment could be ordered on three different bodies: the Malibu sport coupe, the Custom El Camino, and, for the first and only time in Chevelle history, the Malibu station wagon. On the coupe, Z15 added Rally wheels, G70x15 white-letter tires, and special front and rear suspension; on the wagon it added a rear stabilizer bar and Turbine I wheels instead. Chevrolet's own Chevelle Report tabulates 28,647 Z15 installations against 249,880 Chevelles that could have taken the option, meaning roughly one in eight eligible buyers chose it.^1,2

The big-block story changed for 1973. The 454-cubic-inch LS5, the top Chevelle engine for several prior years, was dropped, leaving the LS4 454 at 245 net horsepower as the largest engine offered, and for the first time a buyer could order that 454 without also ordering the SS package. The Chevelle Report counts 22,528 LS4 installations across the entire A-body line, but only a fraction of those went into SS cars: The Autopian, citing Robert Genat's book Chevrolet SS, puts the number of 1973 SS cars with the 454 at about 2,500, an estimate this record carries as approximate rather than as a Chevrolet-reported figure. The other two engines available were both 350s, at 145 and 175 net horsepower.^1,3,4,2

How many 1973 Chevelles were built at all is an open question the record does not resolve. A vendor compilation puts the Deluxe/Malibu/Laguna total at 386,739; Old Cars Weekly separately reports 264,594 in sales, a different accounting basis entirely; and the Chevelle Report itself, working from what appears to be the most complete factory-adjacent production table, shows 451,716 Chevelles built including El Camino, or 742,409 across the full A-body line with Monte Carlo added in. The three figures use different scopes and different bases, and rather than pick one, the record shows all three as disputed until a Chevrolet-issued report settles it.^5,3,2

Whatever the exact total, the buyers who chose a 1973 Chevelle overwhelmingly chose an automatic: Old Cars Weekly reports nearly 97 percent had automatic transmissions, and the Chevelle Report's own option counts back that up, with 704,574 Turbo Hydra-matic 350 installations against just 3,879 wide-ratio and 1,685 close-ratio four-speeds combined. Comfort and convenience options moved in far greater numbers than performance hardware: Four-Season air conditioning went into 572,288 cars, power brakes into 348,034, and the tilt steering wheel into 154,750, while Positraction, the closest thing to a performance option in the list, reached just 47,055 installations across the same 742,409-unit A-body base, underscoring how much of the 1973 lineup was built for comfortable cruising rather than the strip.^3,2

A second, narrower disagreement involves a single figure: 42,941 units. Old Cars Weekly attributes that number to Malibu V8 coupes, but the Chevelle Report's own model-by-model table assigns 42,941 to the Laguna 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe (1AE37) instead, and the same table separately shows 165,627 Malibu 1AD37 V8 coupes built that year. The record follows the more granular, row-by-row table's own labels rather than the single secondary figure, while keeping both readings visible rather than silently picking one.^3,2

Fact sheet · 1973 · United States

The numbers

1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS — The Colonnade Chevelle's only SS year: RPO Z15 on the Malibu coupe and, for the first and only time, the station wagon, with a 245 net hp 454 available.

Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.

Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.

Key facts

RPO Z15 SS equipment: 28,647 sold in 1973.^1,4
About 2,500 1973 SS cars had the 454, according to The Autopian, which cites Robert Genat's book Chevrolet SS.⁴
Nearly 97 percent of 1973 Chevelles had automatic transmissions, according to Old Cars Weekly.³
The Chevelle Report's 1973 table counts 28,647 RPO Z15 SS installations out of 249,880 cars that could take it, and 22,528 LS4 454s across the A-body line.²
Chevrolet's 1973 Chevelle book lists Z15 SS for the Malibu coupe (1AD37), Custom El Camino (1AD80) and Malibu wagon (1AD35), with every V8 except the 307; on the coupe it added Rally wheels, G70x15 white-letter tires and special front and rear suspension, and on the wagon a rear stabilizer bar and Turbine I wheels.

Production

By package or option
What was counted	Count	Basis	Status
RPO Z15 SS equipment^1,4 Malibu SS · coupe, station wagon, El Camino · V8 · US The Autopian repeats the same figure; the two are not treated as independent.	28,647	built, model-year	Reported
Z15 SS with 454 engine⁴ Malibu SS · all SS bodies · LS4 454 · US Approximate ("about") figure attributed to Robert Genat, Chevrolet SS; not seen in a Chevrolet report.	2,500	built, model-year	Estimate

Series
What was counted	Count	Basis	Status
Chevelle Deluxe, all bodies⁵ Deluxe · not stated	53,072	built, model-year	Reported
Chevelle Malibu, all bodies⁵ Malibu · not stated	263,642	built, model-year	Reported
Chevelle Laguna, all bodies⁵ Laguna · not stated	70,025	built, model-year	Reported

Totals
What was counted	Count	Basis	Status
Chevelle total (Deluxe, Malibu, Laguna)⁵ not stated Vendor compilation that disclaims completeness; see conflicts.	386,739	built, model-year	Disputed
Chevelle sales, 1973³ not stated Reported as sales; period basis (model or calendar year) not stated.	264,594	sold, model-year	Disputed
Chevelle totals incl. El Camino (The Chevelle Report)² not stated 19,138 six-cylinder and 432,578 eight-cylinder per the row; excludes Monte Carlo.	451,716	built, model-year	Reported
Final A-body total incl. Monte Carlo (The Chevelle Report)² not stated Chevelle 451,716 plus Monte Carlo 290,693 per the source.	742,409	built, model-year	Reported

By body style and series
What was counted	Count	Basis	Status
Malibu 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AD37, all engines² Malibu · 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe · not stated 3,157 six-cylinder and 165,627 eight-cylinder per the row. The Z15 SS coupe was built on this model.	168,784	built, model-year	Reported
Malibu coupe 1AD37, V8² Malibu · 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe · V8 · not stated	165,627	built, model-year	Reported
Malibu 4-door station wagon, 2-seat 1AD35² Malibu · 4-door station wagon, 2-seat · V8 · not stated All V8 per the row. The Z15 SS wagon was built on 1AD35.	18,592	built, model-year	Reported
Malibu 4-door station wagon, 3-seat 1AD35² Malibu · 4-door station wagon, 3-seat · V8 · not stated	5,961	built, model-year	Reported
Malibu 4-door Colonnade hardtop sedan 1AD29² Malibu · 4-door Colonnade hardtop sedan · not stated 2,536 six and 58,143 V8 per the row.	60,679	built, model-year	Reported
Deluxe 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AC37² Deluxe · 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe · not stated 6,322 six and 15,045 V8 per the row.	21,367	built, model-year	Reported
Laguna 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AE37² Laguna · 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe · V8 · not stated All V8 per the row.	42,941	built, model-year	Reported
El Camino (Standard) 1AC80² El Camino · 2-door pickup delivery · V8 · not stated Standard 1AC80 only; Custom 1AD80 was 59,700 (next row).	5,287	built, model-year	Reported
Custom El Camino 1AD80² Custom El Camino · 2-door pickup delivery · V8 · not stated	59,700	built, model-year	Reported

By engine
What was counted	Count	Basis	Status
RPO LS4 454, all A-bodies² LS4 454 · not stated Line total with 723,271 models possible; not an SS-only count.	22,528	built, model-year	Reported

Rows are separately scoped and from different lineages; do not add them. No Chevrolet production report or option report was seen for 1973.

The Chevelle Report rows are model-level; series totals are not printed in that table and are not derived here.

Prices when new

Model	Price	Basis
Malibu coupe, six-cylinder⁵	$2,894	base price as compiled by SS396.com (basis not stated), 1973 model year
Malibu 4-door sedan, six-cylinder⁵	$2,871	base price as compiled by SS396.com (basis not stated), 1973 model year
Malibu 4-door wagon, 2-seat⁵	$3,290	base price as compiled by SS396.com (basis not stated), 1973 model year

Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.

Engines

Engine	Factory rating	Availability	Built
LS4 · 454 4-bbl^3,1 454 cu in · 4-barrel	245 hp (SAE net)	optional, with or without SS	Not yet sourced
350 4-bbl^3,1 350 cu in · 4-barrel	175 hp (SAE net)	optional	Not yet sourced
350 2-bbl^3,1 350 cu in · 2-barrel	145 hp (SAE net)	optional	Not yet sourced

Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.

Options and packages

Code	Option	Price	Installed
`AK1`RPO	Custom seat belts²	—	184,333² Reported
`AN7`RPO	Strato-bucket seats²	—	127,157² Reported
`AU3`RPO	Power door locks²	—	43,715² Reported
`AU6`RPO	Power tailgate release²	—	14,587² Reported
`A01`RPO	Tinted glass²	—	604,433² Reported
`A02`RPO	Tinted windshield²	—	19,387² Reported
`A20`RPO	Swing-out rear windows²	—	4,336² Reported
`A31`RPO	Power windows²	—	77,058² Reported
`A42`RPO	Power seat, 6-way²	—	15,325² Reported
`B37`RPO	Color-keyed floor mats²	—	249,064² Reported
`B80`RPO	Roof drip moulding²	—	7,432² Reported
`B84`RPO	Body side moulding²	—	344,787² Reported
`B93`RPO	Door edge guards²	—	258,317² Reported
`B96`RPO	Wheel opening moulding²	—	2,717² Reported
`CA1`RPO	Sky roof²	—	9,055² Reported
`C08`RPO	Vinyl roof cover²	—	286,791² Reported
`C50`RPO	Rear window defogger²	—	98,607² Reported
`C51`RPO	Rear glass air deflector²	—	12,765² Reported
`C60`RPO	Four-Season air conditioning²	—	572,288² Reported
`D33`RPO	Remote-control rear mirror²	—	189,610² Reported
`D34`RPO	Vanity visor mirror²	—	34,085² Reported
`D35`RPO	Sport mirrors²	—	102,178² Reported
`D55`RPO	Floor console²	—	116,531² Reported
`F40`RPO	Special suspension²	—	56,352² Reported
`G80`RPO	Positraction rear axle²	—	47,055² Reported
`J50`RPO	Power brakes²	—	348,034² Reported
`K30`RPO	Speed and cruise control²	—	31,455² Reported
`K76`RPO	61-amp Delcotron generator²	—	22,906² Reported
`K85`RPO	63-amp Delcotron generator²	—	882² Reported
`LS4`RPO	454 V8, 245 hp²	—	22,528² Reported
`L48`RPO	350 V8, 175 hp²	—	199,984² Reported
`L65`RPO	350 V8, 145 hp²	—	446,860² Reported
`M20`RPO	Wide-ratio 4-speed²	—	3,879² Reported
`M21`RPO	Close-ratio 4-speed²	—	1,685² Reported
`M38`RPO	Turbo Hydra-matic 350²	—	704,574² Reported
`M40`RPO	Turbo Hydra-matic 400²	—	20,843² Reported
`N33`RPO	Tilt steering wheel²	—	154,750² Reported
`N40`RPO	Power steering²	—	435,394² Reported
`N95`RPO	Wire wheel covers²	—	31,757² Reported
`PA3`RPO	Deluxe wheel covers²	—	29,713² Reported
`PE1`RPO	Turbine 1 wheels²	—	22,620² Reported
`PE2`RPO	Turbine 2 wheels²	—	3,034² Reported
`P01`RPO	Full wheel covers²	—	243,631² Reported
`QEH`RPO	E78x14 white stripe tires²	—	7,769² Reported
`QGF`RPO	G70x14 white letter tires²	—	26,934² Reported
`QGL`RPO	G78x14 white stripe tires²	—	258,608² Reported
`QGT`RPO	G78x15 white stripe tires²	—	3,805² Reported
`QHF`RPO	H78x14 white stripe tires²	—	56,771² Reported
`QRM`RPO	GR70x15 steel belted radial tires²	—	271,254² Reported
`T60`RPO	Heavy-duty battery²	—	70,120² Reported
`UM1`RPO	Stereo tape with AM radio²	—	55,520² Reported
`UM2`RPO	Stereo tape with stereo radio²	—	22,193² Reported
`U14`RPO	Special instrumentation²	—	51,564² Reported
`U35`RPO	Electric clock²	—	61,037² Reported
`U58`RPO	AM-FM stereo radio²	—	48,035² Reported
`U63`RPO	AM pushbutton radio²	—	456,294² Reported
`U69`RPO	AM-FM radio²	—	111,539² Reported
`U76`RPO	Windshield antenna²	—	540² Reported
`U80`RPO	Rear seat speaker²	—	173,598² Reported
`VE5`RPO	Deluxe bumpers²	—	71,397² Reported
`V01`RPO	Heavy-duty radiator²	—	89,399² Reported
`V30`RPO	Bumper guards²	—	190,693² Reported
`V55`RPO	Roof carrier²	—	34,309² Reported
`YA2`RPO	El Camino Estate²	—	6,723² Reported
`YA7`RPO	California emission test²	—	71,346² Reported
`YD1`RPO	Trailering axle ratio²	—	6,276² Reported
`YJ9`RPO	Exterior decor package²	—	125,067² Reported
`ZJ7`RPO	Rally wheels²	—	85,859² Reported
`ZJ9`RPO	Auxiliary lighting²	—	103,859² Reported
`Z09`RPO	Performance axle ratio²	—	6,898² Reported
`Z15`RPO	SS equipment²	—	28,647² Reported

Paint

Code	Color	Built
`11`	White C/O	Not yet sourced
`19`	Black C/O	Not yet sourced
`24`	Medium Blue Metallic	Not yet sourced
`26`	Bright Blue Metallic	Not yet sourced
`29`	Dark Blue Metallic	Not yet sourced
`42`	Dark Bright Green Metallic	Not yet sourced
`44`	Light Green Metallic	Not yet sourced
`46`	Dark Green-Gold Metallic	Not yet sourced
`48`	Dark Green	Not yet sourced
`56`	Chamois	Not yet sourced
`60`	Yellow-Orange Metallic	Not yet sourced
`64`	Silver Taupe Metallic	Not yet sourced
`66`	Taupe Metallic	Not yet sourced
`68`	Brown Metallic	Not yet sourced
`74`	Red Metallic	Not yet sourced
`81`	Yellow-Beige	Not yet sourced
`24-11`	Two-tone: Medium Blue Metallic lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced
`29-11`	Two-tone: Dark Blue Metallic lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced
`44-11`	Two-tone: Light Green Metallic lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced
`46-11`	Two-tone: Dark Green-Gold Metallic lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced
`48-11`	Two-tone: Dark Green lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced
`56-11`	Two-tone: Chamois lower, White upper (not for station wagons)	Not yet sourced

Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.

Interiors

Code	Trim	Built
`701`	Black vinyl²	17,336² Reported
`704`	Black vinyl²	67,882² Reported
`705`	Medium Blue vinyl²	33,795² Reported
`707`	Black vinyl²	10,502² Reported
`708`	Black vinyl²	37,809² Reported
`709`	Dark Red vinyl²	6,331² Reported
`710`	Dark Green vinyl²	5,633² Reported
`712`	Black cloth²	4,305² Reported
`713`	Dark Green vinyl²	31,253² Reported
`714`	Dark Red cloth²	3,694² Reported
`717`	Dark Saddle vinyl²	5,264² Reported
`719`	Medium Blue vinyl²	5,951² Reported
`720`	Dark Saddle vinyl²	36,217² Reported

Specifications

Measure	Value	Applies to
Wheelbase³	112 in	coupe
Overall length³	202.9 in	coupe

Where the sources disagree

1973 Chevelle volume

386,739 (Deluxe + Malibu + Laguna, vendor compilation)⁵
264,594 sales³
451,716 built, Chevelle including El Camino (The Chevelle Report table)²

Different bases and weak provenance; both shown as disputed until a Chevrolet report is seen.

1973 model credited with 42,941 units

Malibu V8 coupes (Old Cars Weekly, held as a lead)³
Laguna 2-door Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AE37; the same table gives 165,627 Malibu 1AD37 V8 coupes²

The model-by-model table attributes 42,941 to the Laguna coupe; the page shows both readings and uses the table's row labels.

Identification

Read a 1973 Chevrolet VIN

The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:

General Motors passenger-car VIN, 1972–1980

Same model year

Also in 1973

AMC AMX The Javelin AMX's best year. 5,707 were built, a quarter of them with the 401, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal and the Pierre Cardin interior.
AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The V8 Gremlin X continued, with new stripes and an available Levi's denim-look interior. No production split has been found.
AMC Javelin The SST name dropped away and new twin 'TV-screen' taillights arrived. Javelin production reached 25,195, alongside the Trans Am Victory decal package.
Buick Riviera Stage One (260 hp net) joined a separate GS handling package; 1,234 Stage Ones and 3,933 GS cars of 34,080.
Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX On the new Colonnade A-body the GS became a Century Gran Sport package; 6,637 were built, 728 with the 455 Stage 1.
Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Hatchback appears in the source body table; SS offered with any engine per the source. Enthusiast-compiled production: 369,509 cars; Super Sport 35,542.
Chevrolet El Camino SS The new Colonnade El Camino could still be ordered with RPO Z15 SS equipment; no El Camino SS count was found.
Dodge Challenger The six was gone: every 1973 Challenger hardtop had a V8, the 318 standard and the 340 optional, with the Rallye now sold as a package.
Dodge Charger The Charger's best-selling year of the original era, 119,318 cars, came as the 440 lost its Magnum name and the car moved toward personal luxury.
Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon Renamed Dart Sport, the fastback's 340 model sold 11,315 in the 340's final year.
Ford Maverick Grabber The 200 six became standard as the 170 was dropped; Classic Industries counts 32,350 Grabbers.
Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT continued on the 1972-76 Ranchero; 15,320 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
Ford Thunderbird The 429 4V was standard and the 460 4V optional in the sixth generation's best-selling year.
Ford Torino The 1973 Torino kept the 1972 body behind a heavier bumper; the Gran Torino Sport fell to 51,853 SportsRoofs and 17,090 hardtops while the 351 Cobra Jet remained the performance engine.
Mercury Cougar The last Cougar convertible and the last 351 Cobra Jet year, with production up to 60,629 as buyers shifted to the XR-7.
Mercury Montego GT The Montego GT fastback's second and last year; a vehicle profile reports 4,464 built.
Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds On the new Colonnade Cutlass the 4-4-2 was a W-29 appearance and handling option, and the Hurst/Olds came in white or, for the first time, black: 1,097 built.
Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda V8 only: the 318 became standard on both Barracuda and 'Cuda, the 340 moved to the option list, and production rose for the only time after 1970.
Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 The 340's last year in the Duster produced 15,731 cars with power front disc brakes now standard, and the Spacemaker Pak fold-down rear seat joined the line.
Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite For 1973 the GTX name survived only through the Road Runner's optional 440 four-barrel, which came with TorqueFlite only; Mueller's Muscle Car Source Book counts 749 of them.
Plymouth Road Runner A secondary count puts production back up to 19,056, the highest of the 1971-1974 Satellite-based years.
Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The Super Duty year: 4,802 Trans Ams, 252 of them SD-455s.
Pontiac GTO A GTO option on the new Colonnade LeMans, with the 400 standard and a 455 optional; 4,806 built.
Pontiac Grand Am Pontiac's Colonnade GT with an Endura nose and a 400 or 455; 43,137 built, the Grand Am's best year, with 1,058 four-speeds.
Pontiac Grand Prix The Colonnade-body Grand Prix arrives, with the 400 standard and the 455 in the SJ.
Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The Colonnade LeMans arrives, with GTO and GT options for the two-door models and a Super Duty 455 listed for the LeMans in Pontiac's dealer book.