1963 · Chevrolet · United States
1963 Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova: the first Super Sport
First Nova Super Sport year in the source production table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 372,626 cars; Super Sport 42,432.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
This record's own dek describes 1963 as the first Nova Super Sport year in the source production table, with an enthusiast-compiled total of 372,626 cars, of which 42,432 were Super Sports. This record's own production notes state that every count in this record comes from the same single enthusiast compilation, NovaResource.org, which itself says its numbers were compiled from many sources and carry no guarantee, since the underlying Chevrolet production documents were not seen directly.1
Five body styles are documented: 87,415 two-door coupes, 24,823 two-door convertibles, 42,017 cars in a column the source labels "2 Door Sedan" separate from the coupe, 146,097 four-door sedans, and 75,274 four-door wagons, alongside the 42,432-car Super Sport package figure kept as its own separately scoped row rather than summed into the body totals. This record's own conflicts and unpublished leads sections are both empty despite that separate scoping, since no dispute over any of these figures or their sourcing was found.1
Two engines are documented for 1963: the 153 four-cylinder at 90 hp and 152 lb-ft, and the 194 six at 120 hp and 177 lb-ft, both SAE gross at 8.5:1 compression, with this record's own engine notes stating that the gross basis is inferred from the source's own statement that net ratings do not begin until 1972. Two transmissions are documented with their own installation counts: 129,077 three-speed manuals and 243,549 M35 Powerglide automatics, both drawn from the same production table as the body and engine splits.1
The Nova Super Sport package, RPO Z03, is priced at $161.40 according to Wikipedia, though this record's own note states plainly that the citation behind that Wikipedia figure was not visible in this pass, so it is carried as a Wikipedia-attributed figure rather than one confirmed against a factory price list or dealer order guide. This record's identification section separately notes that 1963 Super Sports carry a Z, or X at the Oakland plant specifically, in the ACC line of the cowl tag, while also stating that some genuine Super Sports lack that code entirely.2,1
This record documents an extensive Regular Production Option list from Chevrolet's own 1963 information kit, including a four-speed transmission option specific to the Nova 400, three rear-axle ratios, metallic and power brakes, special front and rear suspension, and full police, taxicab and air-conditioning packages, though none carries a price in this record. Fifteen solid exterior colors, three convertible-top colors, and ten two-tone combinations are documented alongside an extensive interior trim matrix spanning five colors and a sixth, Black, reserved for bucket-seat options only.
This record's own specifications and performance sections are both empty for 1963, a documented gap rather than an assumption that no dimensional or measured data exists for the car. Its identification section documents five assembly-plant codes, Kansas City, Framingham, Norwood, Oakland and Willow Run, plus a body-code key covering the sedan, wagon, coupe and convertible body styles referenced throughout this record's own production rows, alongside the cowl-tag series codes distinguishing the 100, 300 and Nova 400 series by engine.1
Fact sheet · 1963 · United States
The numbers
1963 Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova — First Nova Super Sport year in the source production table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 372,626 cars; Super Sport 42,432.
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
- Total 1963 production per source: 372,626.1
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevy II / Nova, all series1 US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 372,626 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Sport1 Super Sport · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 42,432 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-door coupe1 2-door coupe · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 87,415 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 2-door convertible1 2-door convertible · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 24,823 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 2-door (source column "2 Door Sedan")1 2-door (source column "2 Door Sedan") · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 42,017 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 4-door sedan1 4-door sedan · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 146,097 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 4-door wagon1 4-door wagon · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 75,274 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-cylinder cars1 L4 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) Source marks this value approximate: calculated by subtracting an exact number from a rounded total. | 3,270 | built, model-year | Estimate |
| Six-cylinder cars1 L6 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) Source marks this value approximate: calculated by subtracting an exact number from a rounded total. | 302,404 | built, model-year | Estimate |
| 153 I4 engines installed1 153 I4 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) Source marks this value approximate: calculated by subtracting an exact number from a rounded total. | 3,270 | built, model-year | Estimate |
| 194 I6 engines installed1 194 I6 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) Source marks this value approximate: calculated by subtracting an exact number from a rounded total. | 302,404 | built, model-year | Estimate |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual installed1 3-speed manual · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 129,077 | built, model-year | Reported |
| M35 Powerglide installed1 M35 Powerglide · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 243,549 | built, model-year | Reported |
All counts are from one enthusiast compilation (NovaResource.org), which says its numbers were compiled from many sources and carry no guarantee; the underlying Chevrolet documents were not seen. Status is reported, or estimated where the source itself marks a value approximate or rounded.
Rows are separately scoped. Body, cylinder, engine-displacement and transmission rows each describe the whole line from a different angle and must not be added across groups.
A value missing from this table was marked unavailable ("?") or zero in the source and is not shown; missing does not mean zero.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 153 I41 153 cu in · 1-barrel carburetor | 90 hp @ 4,000, 152 lb-ft @ 2,400 (SAE gross) | offered (standard/optional status by series not stated in source table) | Not yet sourced |
| 194 I61 194 cu in · 1-barrel carburetor | 120 hp @ 4,400, 177 lb-ft @ 2,400 (SAE gross) | offered (standard/optional status by series not stated in source table) | 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.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual1 | offered | 129,0771 Reported |
| M35 · M35 Powerglide1 | offered | 243,5491 Reported |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
Z03RPO |
Nova Super Sport package2 | $161.40 | Not yet sourced |
T60RPO |
Heavy-duty battery | — | Not yet sourced |
M01RPO |
Heavy-duty clutch | — | Not yet sourced |
K79RPO |
Delcotron, 12-42 ampere | — | Not yet sourced |
K82RPO |
Delcotron, 5-52 ampere | — | Not yet sourced |
K81RPO |
Delcotron, 23-62 ampere | — | Not yet sourced |
V01RPO |
Heavy-duty radiator | — | Not yet sourced |
M35RPO |
Powerglide | — | Not yet sourced |
M20RPO |
4-speed transmission (Nova 400) | — | Not yet sourced |
G76RPO |
3.36:1 rear axle (6-cyl. except wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
G96RPO |
3.55:1 rear axle (100-300 except wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
G80RPO |
Limited-slip rear axle | — | Not yet sourced |
J65RPO |
Metallic brakes | — | Not yet sourced |
J50RPO |
Power brakes (200-400) | — | Not yet sourced |
P01RPO |
Wheel disks | — | Not yet sourced |
P02RPO |
Simulated wire wheel disks | — | Not yet sourced |
Z04RPO |
Police car chassis equipment (100 4-door sedan, 6-cyl.) | — | Not yet sourced |
F40RPO |
Special front and rear suspension | — | Not yet sourced |
N40RPO |
Power steering (200-400) | — | Not yet sourced |
P55RPO |
7.00x13 4-ply blackwall tires (wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
P50RPO |
6.00x13 4-ply whitewall tires (sedans) | — | Not yet sourced |
P52RPO |
6.50x13 4-ply blackwall tires (sedans) | — | Not yet sourced |
P53RPO |
6.50x13 4-ply whitewall tires | — | Not yet sourced |
P66RPO |
6.50x14 4-ply blackwall tires | — | Not yet sourced |
P67RPO |
6.50x14 4-ply whitewall tires | — | Not yet sourced |
P54RPO |
7.00x13 4-ply whitewall tires (wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
C60RPO |
Air conditioning (200-400) | — | Not yet sourced |
D10RPO |
Rear arm rests (100-200) | — | Not yet sourced |
A37RPO |
Front seat belt unit | — | Not yet sourced |
V32RPO |
Rear bumper guard (except wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
Z01RPO |
Comfort and convenience equipment (back-up lamps and glove-box light standard on Nova 400) | — | Not yet sourced |
C06RPO |
Electric folding top (467) | — | Not yet sourced |
C05RPO |
Folding top colours (467) | — | Not yet sourced |
A01RPO |
Tinted glass | — | Not yet sourced |
V20RPO |
Front grille guard | — | Not yet sourced |
C48RPO |
Heater deletion | — | Not yet sourced |
B70RPO |
Instrument panel pad | — | Not yet sourced |
B01RPO |
Police car body equipment (269) | — | Not yet sourced |
U60RPO |
Manual radio | — | Not yet sourced |
U63RPO |
Push-button radio | — | Not yet sourced |
Z02RPO |
Push-button radio with auxiliary rear speaker (except convertible) | — | Not yet sourced |
V55RPO |
Roof luggage carrier (wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
A66RPO |
Split second seat (wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
A33RPO |
Power tailgate window (2-seat wagons) | — | Not yet sourced |
B02RPO |
Taxicab equipment (169, 269) | — | Not yet sourced |
A02RPO |
Tinted windshield | — | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
900 |
Tuxedo Black1 | Not yet sourced |
905 |
Laurel Green1 | Not yet sourced |
908 |
Ivy Green1 | Not yet sourced |
912 |
Silver Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
914 |
Monaco Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
918 |
Azure Aqua1 | Not yet sourced |
919 |
Marine Aqua1 | Not yet sourced |
920 |
Autumn Gold1 | Not yet sourced |
922 |
Ember Red1 | Not yet sourced |
932 |
Saddle Tan1 | Not yet sourced |
934 |
Cordovan Brown1 | Not yet sourced |
936 |
Ermine White1 | Not yet sourced |
938 |
Abode Beige1 | Not yet sourced |
940 |
Satin Silver1 | Not yet sourced |
948 |
Palomar Red1 | Not yet sourced |
top white |
Convertible folding top, White (regular production) | Not yet sourced |
C05H |
Convertible folding top, Black | Not yet sourced |
C05J |
Convertible folding top, Beige | Not yet sourced |
950 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Tuxedo Black | Not yet sourced |
954 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Laurel Green | Not yet sourced |
959 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Silver Blue | Not yet sourced |
962 |
Two-tone Silver Blue / Monaco Blue | Not yet sourced |
963 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Azure Aqua | Not yet sourced |
967 |
Two-tone Azure Aqua / Marine Aqua | Not yet sourced |
970 |
Two-tone Adobe Beige / Autumn Gold | Not yet sourced |
971 |
Two-tone Adobe Beige / Saddle Tan | Not yet sourced |
972 |
Two-tone Adobe Beige / Cordovan Brown | Not yet sourced |
973 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Ember Red | Not yet sourced |
984 |
Two-tone Ermine White / Satin Silver | 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 |
|---|---|---|
763 |
Fawn, models 437 and 449 | Not yet sourced |
767 |
Fawn, model 437 bucket-seat option | Not yet sourced |
766 |
Fawn, model 435 wagon and 467 convertible | Not yet sourced |
770 |
Fawn, 467 optional bucket seats | Not yet sourced |
750 |
Aqua, models 437 and 449 | Not yet sourced |
721 |
Aqua, model 437 bucket-seat option | Not yet sourced |
753 |
Aqua, models 435 and 467 | Not yet sourced |
722 |
Aqua, 467 optional bucket seats | Not yet sourced |
772 |
Red, models 437 and 449 | Not yet sourced |
775 |
Red, model 437 bucket-seat option | Not yet sourced |
774 |
Red, models 435 and 467 | Not yet sourced |
786 |
Red, 467 optional bucket seats | Not yet sourced |
739 |
Blue, models 437 and 449 | Not yet sourced |
740 |
Blue, model 437 bucket-seat option | Not yet sourced |
742 |
Blue, models 435 and 467 | Not yet sourced |
741 |
Blue, 467 optional bucket seats | Not yet sourced |
707 |
Saddle, models 437 and 449 | Not yet sourced |
708 |
Saddle, model 437 bucket-seat option | Not yet sourced |
709 |
Saddle, models 435 and 467 | Not yet sourced |
710 |
Saddle, 467 optional bucket seats | Not yet sourced |
702 |
Black, model 437 bucket-seat option only | Not yet sourced |
714 |
Black, 467 optional bucket seats only | Not yet sourced |
Identification
- Cowl tag series and body codes
- Cowl-tag series codes: 01 Chevy II 100 L4; 02 Chevy II 100 L6; 03 Chevy II 300 L4; 04 Chevy II 300 L6 / Nova 400 L6. Body codes include 11 2-door sedan, 35 wagon (2 seats), 37 2-door coupe, 45 wagon (3 seats), 49/69 4-door sedan, 67 convertible.1
- Assembly plants (cowl-tag codes)
- KC Kansas City MO; FR Framingham MA; NW Norwood OH; OA Oakland CA; WR Willow Run MI1
- Super Sport cowl code
- NovaResource says 1963 Super Sports carry Z (or X at Oakland) in the ACC line of the cowl tag, and that some genuine cars lack it.1
Identification
Read a 1963 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 1963
- Buick Riviera Buick's first Riviera, a four-seat personal-luxury hardtop limited to 40,000 cars, with a 401 Nailhead standard and a 340-hp 425 added in December 1962.
- Buick Wildcat The Wildcat became its own series, adding a convertible and four-door hardtop; 35,725 built.
- Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport (RPO Z03) peaks toward the 1960s high: 153,271 built, plus the Z11 427 drag package.
- Chrysler 300 letter series Hardtop-only and trimmed exclusively in Claret Red leather, the 300J carried a 390 hp short-ram 413 as its only engine; 400 were built, the smallest letter-car run.
- Dodge Dart 330/440, Polara and Max Wedge The Max Wedge grew to 426 cu in, rated at 415 or 425 hp, and a Ramchargers Dodge driven by Herman Moser won Stock at the 1963 NHRA Nationals; Ramcharger production remains unsourced.
- Ford Fairlane Hardtops and wagons joined the Fairlane line; reference-site counts give 28,268 bucket-seat Fairlane 500 Sport Coupes, beside 97,444 Fairlanes and 246,443 Fairlane 500s.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The mid-year 1963 1/2 Sprint put the Fairlane's 164 hp 260 V8 into the compact Falcon for the first time, as a hardtop and a convertible.
- Ford Galaxie The 406 opened the year and was replaced mid-year by the 427, in Q-code (410 hp, one four-barrel) and R-code (425 hp, two four-barrels) form, while a fastback Sports Hardtop was offered in the Galaxie 500 and 500 XL series.
- Ford Thunderbird The Sports Roadster's second and last year: only 455 were built.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The S-55 line grew to four bodies, and the mid-year fastback Marauder hardtop arrived with 390, 406 and 427 V8s available.
- Oldsmobile Starfire A squared-off roof with a concave rear window; production fell 38 percent to 25,890.
- Plymouth Savoy, Fury and Max Wedge The Super Stock engine grew to 426 cu in at 415 or 425 hp, a Stage II revision followed, and Chrysler's own four-speed arrived in May 1963; Super Stock production remains unsourced.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty Three Super Duty 421 ratings up to 410 hp, then GM's racing withdrawal ended them early in the model year.
- Pontiac Grand Prix Production more than doubled to 72,959 at an unchanged price.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans A V8 for the Tempest, and about a dozen Super Duty Tempests built for racing before Pontiac's January 1963 withdrawal.
- Studebaker Avanti Studebaker's fiberglass four-seat coupe went on sale with a 289 V8 and an optional $210 Paxton supercharger. It was billed on the strength of a 1962 run of Bonneville records, and 3,834 were built as 1963 models.
- Studebaker Hawk The GT Hawk could now be ordered with the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines, and a spring 1963 package created the Super Hawk. Old Cars Weekly counts 396 R1 cars among 4,009 domestic GT Hawks.
- Studebaker Lark and Super Lark Studebaker offered the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines in the compact Lark and added a Super Lark package in April. No source read gives an R2 Lark count; the estimates run from about 200 to a few hundred.