1975 · Chevrolet · United States
1975 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3: The Aero Nose, and a 454 That May Not Have Been in the Brochure
The Laguna Type S-3 got its aerodynamic nose; 7,788 were built, and the 454 was listed at 215 net hp.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
For 1975 the Laguna Type S-3 arrived as a genuine mid-year car: Chevrolet's own advance product information describes it as a "1975-1/2" introduction, built around a color-keyed urethane front end that MotorWeek links to Chevrolet's NASCAR ambitions of the era. SS396.com's compiled figures put Type S-3 production at 7,788 that year against a base price of $4,113, dwarfed by 88,839 plain Malibus and 186,682 Malibu Classics built the same year, underscoring how much of a specialty niche the aero-nosed coupe occupied within the wider Chevelle line.1,2
The engine story for 1975 carries an open question the record does not resolve. MotorWeek states plainly that a 454 was not in the official Type S-3 brochure, yet SS396.com separately lists a 215-net-horsepower 454 as an option across the line, and Chevrolet's own 1975 price schedule prices RPO LS4 at $340.00, bundled with a heavy-duty battery and power brakes. The base engine was a 145-horsepower 350, standard in the Type S-3 according to MotorWeek, with a 175-horsepower 400 as the step-up option in between the 350 and the disputed 454; none of the three engines carry a separate installation count in any source this record can cite, unlike the fully tabulated body-style production totals above.1,2
Two small price disagreements run through the record rather than being resolved to a single number. SS396.com's compilation puts the Malibu Classic coupe V8 at $3,948 and the plain Malibu coupe V8 at $3,657, while Chevrolet's own price schedule, dated August 26, 1974, lists $3,981.25 and $3,670.25 for the same two cars, a roughly $13 to $33 gap in each case. The factory schedule states its date and basis where the compiled figures do not, but both are kept on the record rather than picking one as authoritative, since the difference may simply reflect a different point in the price schedule's revision history.2
Chevrolet's advance information describes the restyled coupe in more physical detail than the production and price tables alone convey: besides the urethane nose, it came with louvered rear quarter windows, a choice of six body colors, GR78-15 radial tires, and a radial-tuned suspension with a rear stabilizer bar, a chassis package aimed at the same aerodynamic, road-oriented image as the new front end. Positraction added $49.00 and Four-Season air conditioning ran as high as $579.00 when paired with the base six, options that show the Type S-3 buyer choosing between handling hardware and comfort equipment much like buyers of the plainer Malibu and Malibu Classic coupes it was priced above.
Set against the Type S-3's full production run, the 1975 total of 7,788 accounts for roughly 24 percent of the 32,680 built across the three model years MotorWeek reports for the nameplate, 1974 through 1976. No source breaks the multi-year figure down further by individual year, so this 1975 count stands as the only year-specific number available for the S-3's run, and the record does not attempt to back into 1974 or 1976 totals by subtracting from a multi-year figure that was only ever sourced in aggregate.2,1
Fact sheet · 1975 · United States
The numbers
1975 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 — The Laguna Type S-3 got its aerodynamic nose; 7,788 were built, and the 454 was listed at 215 net hp.
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
- Laguna Type S-3: 7,788 built, base price $4,113.2
- Chevrolet's advance product information describes the restyled Laguna Type S-3 as a 1975-1/2 mid-year introduction, with a colour-keyed urethane front end, louvered rear quarter windows, six body colours, GR78-15 radials on a radial-tuned suspension with rear stabilizer, and a 350 V8 base engine with a 400 V8 optional.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Type S-3 coupe2 Laguna Type S-3 · 2-door coupe · not stated | 7,788 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malibu, all bodies2 Malibu · not stated | 88,839 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Malibu Classic, all bodies2 Malibu Classic · not stated | 186,682 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Type S-3, 1974-1976 combined1 Laguna Type S-3 · 2-door coupe · US Multi-year figure. | 32,680 | built, multi-year | Reported |
Vendor-compiled figures that disclaim completeness; no Chevrolet report seen. Wagon rows on the source page are included in the series totals there.
Whole-year figure searched 2026-09-29 and not found: the conceptcarz.com Chevelle series table (model years 1973-1977) has no 1975 row and no 1975 conceptcarz Chevelle year page stating a whole-year total was located by search; the series rows here (Malibu 88,839, Malibu Classic 186,682) come from a vendor page that disclaims completeness and are not summed into a total. Chevrolet's year-end 1975 production report or a period trade digest (Ward's) would close it.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Laguna Type S-3 coupe2 | $4,113 | base price as compiled by SS396.com, 1975 model year |
| Malibu Classic coupe V82 | $3,948 | base price as compiled by SS396.com, 1975 model year |
| Malibu coupe V82 | $3,657 | base price as compiled by SS396.com, 1975 model year |
| Malibu Classic Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AD37, V8 | $3,981.25 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination, taxes, options, production of 1975 vehicles |
| Malibu Classic Landau coupe 1AD37 Z03, V8 | $4,193.25 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination, taxes, options, production of 1975 vehicles |
| Malibu Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AC37, V8 | $3,670.25 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination, taxes, options, production of 1975 vehicles |
| Malibu Classic Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AD37, six | $3,710.80 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination, taxes, options, production of 1975 vehicles |
| Malibu Colonnade hardtop coupe 1AC37, six | $3,419.80 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination, taxes, options, production of 1975 vehicles |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 454 4-bbl2,1 454 cu in · 4-barrel | 215 hp (SAE net) | optional (brochure availability questioned by MotorWeek) | Not yet sourced |
| 400 4-bbl2 400 cu in · 4-barrel | 175 hp (SAE net) | optional | Not yet sourced |
| 350 2-bbl2,1 350 cu in · 2-barrel | 145 hp (SAE net) | base V8; standard in Type S-3 per MotorWeek | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
LS4RPO |
454-4 bbl V8 (includes heavy-duty battery and power brakes) | $340 | Not yet sourced |
LT4RPO |
400-4 bbl V8 | $113 | Not yet sourced |
LM1RPO |
350-4 bbl V8 | $54 | Not yet sourced |
C60RPO |
Four-Season air conditioning ($450.00 with LS4; $579.00 with L22 six) | $505 | Not yet sourced |
G80RPO |
Positraction rear axle | $49 | Not yet sourced |
G92RPO |
High-altitude axle ratio | $12 | Not yet sourced |
UA1RPO |
Heavy-duty battery (included with LS4) | $15 | Not yet sourced |
J50RPO |
Power brakes | $55 | Not yet sourced |
VE5RPO |
Deluxe bumpers (standard on Z03 Landau) | $27 | Not yet sourced |
V30RPO |
Bumper guards | $34 | Not yet sourced |
YF5RPO |
California emission certification | $45 | Not yet sourced |
U35RPO |
Electric clock | $18 | Not yet sourced |
D55RPO |
Console | $68 | Not yet sourced |
C50RPO |
Rear window defogger | $41 | Not yet sourced |
AU3RPO |
Power door locks, coupes | $58 | Not yet sourced |
YJ9RPO |
Exterior decor without vinyl roof ($34.00 with) | $49 | Not yet sourced |
K76RPO |
61-amp Delcotron | $26 | Not yet sourced |
A01RPO |
Soft-Ray tinted glass | $48 | Not yet sourced |
U05RPO |
Dual horns (standard with Z03) | $4 | Not yet sourced |
UF7RPO |
Econominder gauge package | $42.50 | Not yet sourced |
U14RPO |
Special instrumentation with tachometer and clock | $88 | Not yet sourced |
Where the sources disagree
1975 Malibu Classic coupe V8 base price
- $3,948 (SS396.com compilation, basis not stated)2
- $3,981.25 MSRP, production of 1975 vehicles (Chevrolet price schedule, August 26, 1974)
Both kept; the factory schedule is dated and states its basis, the compiled figure does not.
1975 Malibu coupe V8 base price
- $3,657 (SS396.com compilation, basis not stated)2
- $3,670.25 MSRP, production of 1975 vehicles (Chevrolet price schedule, August 26, 1974)
Both kept; the difference may reflect a different price date.
Identification
Read a 1975 Chevrolet VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1975
- AMC AMX No AMX was sold in the United States for 1975. The Javelin ended after 1974, and the badge returned on the 1977 Hornet.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX Catalytic converters arrived, and steel-belted radials became standard with the X package.
- Buick Riviera Stage One dropped; the GS handling package continued on 3,101 of 17,306 cars.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX The endpoint: the Gran Sport survived only as a Century coupe trim package with the 231 V-6 or 350 V-8; no 455 was offered.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova A 262 V8 appears for one year in the source engine table; Nova LN (RPO Z11) luxury option. Enthusiast-compiled production: 272,982 cars; Super Sport 9,067.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS Colonnade-era El Camino; Chevrolet's 1975 data pages define the RPO Z15 SS option for the El Camino Classic. Team Chevelle's production totals give 33,620 El Caminos built, 3,521 of them with SS equipment.
- Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon The Dart 360 Sport continued into 1975 at $4,014, but Flory prints its production as not available.
- Ford Maverick Grabber The Grabber's last year: 8,473 by Classic Industries count, about 8,500 per Consumer Guide.
- Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT continued on the 1972-76 Ranchero; 6,114 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
- Ford Thunderbird Sixth-generation personal-luxury Thunderbird; the record holds the production total and the luxury-group option prices only.
- Ford Torino The last Gran Torino Sport year: 5,126 were built as Torino production fell to 195,110, with a 351 standard and automatic transmission on every car.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 62,987 Cougars for 1975 per Wikipedia's table.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The Hurst/Olds introduced Hurst Hatches T-tops on the Cutlass Supreme coupe; 2,535 were built, 1,293 white and 1,242 black.
- Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 Duster volume fell by more than half in 1975 and the Duster 360, now automatic-only in the brochure, to 1,421 cars, priced at $3,979.
- Plymouth Road Runner The Road Runner moved to the Fury host for one year.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The year the Trans Am took over the line: 27,274 built, more than twice the Formula.
- Pontiac Grand Am The last of the Colonnade Grand Ams: catalytic converter, a $4,887 start, and 10,679 built.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The LJ joins the line; the 455 is down to 200 hp net.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans Catalytic converters, standard radial tires and Radial Tuned Suspension arrive, the 455 leaves the LeMans, and the GT option becomes an automatic-only V8 package.