Chevrolet · Dodge · Ford · Plymouth · Pontiac · 1955–1974
Every American classic, year by year.
Production, engines, prices, colors and the VIN for every model year. Every figure carries its source, and when the sources disagree we show the conflict and how we settled it.
Every model has its own VIN decoder and paint-code chart, in the VIN decoders and Colors menus above, or start from all makes and models.
The lineup
Pick a model, then a year.
Three model years of the Chevrolet Bel Air.
From 1955 to 1957. Pick a year.
1955Chevrolet Bel AirThe first Tri-Five Bel Air: an all-new body, Chevrolet's first modern V8, six body styles with the Nomad from February, and more Bel Airs built than in either of the next two years.773,238 built (disputed)
1956Chevrolet Bel AirThe facelift: a full-width grille, new side trim with a two-tone panel, the new Sport Sedan four-door hardtop, seven Bel Airs and up to 225 hp.669,053 built (disputed)
1957Chevrolet Bel AirThe last Tri-Five and one of the best-known Chevrolets: fins, a big bumper-grille, 14-inch wheels, the 283 V8 in six versions up to 283 hp with fuel injection, and 702,220 Bel Airs.702,220 built (disputed)Special models
Nomad, Impala Super Sport, Split-window coupe, Mach 1 and the rest.
The editions that ran across several model years, each with its own production figures, engines and the signs that tell it apart. One per model here; all 43 are on the model pages.
Nomad
The two-door Bel Air wagon with a hardtop's roofline, built from February 1955 to 1957: the most expensive and the rarest Bel Air in each of its three years.
Impala · 1961–1964Impala Super Sport
The Impala SS of 1961 to 1964: a performance package in 1961, a trim package for the sport coupe and convertible in 1962–63, and a series of its own in 1964.
Corvette · 1963Split-window coupe
The 1963 sport coupe, its rear window split in two by the windsplit over the roof: 1963 was the only year with it.
Mustang · 1969–1973Mach 1
Ford's sporting fastback from 1969 to 1973: a SportsRoof with its own hood, stripes and stronger suspension, sold in far larger numbers than the Boss cars.
Charger · 1968–1970R/T
The Charger's performance model from 1968: the 440 Magnum as standard, the 426 Hemi (and in 1970 the Six Pack) as options, and the bumblebee stripes.
Camaro · 1967–1969Rally Sport (RS)
The Camaro's appearance package, RPO Z22: a black grille with concealed headlamps and its own trim, available on any Camaro.
Firebird · 1967–1969Firebird 400
The top Firebird of 1967 to 1969: Pontiac's 400 V8 with a dual-scoop hood, from 325 hp in 1967 to the 345-hp Ram Air IV in 1969.
Chevelle · 1968–1970SS 396
The Chevelle Super Sport with the big-block 396, a series of its own in 1968 and an option package (Z25) in 1969 and 1970; in 1970 the engine was really a 402.
Nova · 1968–1972Nova SS
The Nova Super Sport of 1968 to 1972: an option for the V8 coupe, built around the 350, with the 396 from late 1968 to 1970.
GTO · 1969–1971The Judge
The GTO's performance package of 1969 to 1971: a Ram Air 400 or later the 455 HO, stripes, decals and a deck-lid spoiler, named after a Laugh-In routine.
Challenger · 1970–1971R/T
The Challenger's performance model for its first two years: the 383 Magnum as standard, the 440s (only the Six Pack in 1971) and the 426 Hemi as options, and a hardtop only for 1971.
Barracuda · 1970–1974'Cuda
The Barracuda's performance series for all five years: the 383 as standard and big blocks up to the 426 Hemi in 1970–71, then the 318, 340 and 360.
Production
How many were built, year by year.
Chevrolet Bel Air production, 1955–1957.
How many Bel Airs Chevrolet built each model year. Hover a bar, or open the table.
Cars built per model year. The bars are Over-Drive's rows, with Consumer Guide's 1955 Nomad count; Classic Industries' figures are higher in every year. See the ruling
The numbers as a table
| Year | Built | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 773,238 | Our sum: Over-Drive's five rows plus Consumer Guide's 8,386 Nomads; Classic Industries' rows add to 800,968 (our sum) |
| 1956 | 669,053 | Over-Drive's rows; Consumer Guide 669,064; Classic Industries' rows add to 692,530 (our sum) |
| 1957 | 702,220 | Over-Drive and Consumer Guide alike; Classic Industries' rows add to 720,356 (our sum) |
Where the sources disagree
188 rulings, 116 still open.
Well-known references miscount, copy each other's mistakes or quietly disagree. We publish every conflict we find and how we settled it.
1972: two famous totals, both wrong
Maine Mustang prints 125,813 and MustangSpecs 125,903. The rows that hold up add to 125,093.
Settled1965: a hardtop figure 1,000 too high
Only 409,260 hardtops make the 1965 rows add up to the total every source agrees on.
Open1969: 857 or 859 Boss 429s?
MustangSpecs prints 857; Wikipedia, Over-Drive and Car Memories give 859. No source settles it, so it stays open.
Open1969 Camaro: 243,085 or 243,095?
Chevrolet's records, as the Camaro Research Group prints them, add up to 243,085; a 1967–77 production table reprinted by GM Heritage gives 243,095. No second source settles it.
How we verify
Three rules on every page.
Two independent sources
A figure needs two sources that do not copy each other. Where we only have one, the page says so.
We do the arithmetic
Rows must add up to the total and percentages are recomputed. When a source's numbers do not add up, it becomes a ruling.
Open stays open
When no second source settles a conflict, we leave it open instead of picking the number we like best.
Start where it started.
The 1964½: the first Mustangs, built from March to August 1964 and sold as 1965 models.