New body, longer wheelbase
A new body on a 111-inch wheelbase.3one source
Class of '68 · Chevrolet Nova · 1968–1972 body · third generation
1968Chevrolet Nova
The new Chevy II Nova: a longer 111-inch wheelbase, a coupe and a sedan only, and an SS with the 350 or, late in the year, the 396.
The year in brief
The 1968 was fully redesigned on a 111-inch wheelbase, one inch shorter than the Chevelle coupe's, and the wagon and the two-door hardtop were gone.3one source
GM's kit and price list still call it the Chevy II: the Chevy II Nova coupe and sedan, with a four, a six or a V8.2one source
The Nova SS was an option on the V8 coupe only, with the 295-hp 350; the 350- and 375-hp 396s were listed in the price schedule of April 1968.2one source
The story of the year
The sleeper SS 396
By the reprinted book chapter in GM's kit, Chevrolet released a few hundred Nova SS coupes with the 375-hp L78 396 late in the model run; exactly when is not known.4one source
Of the 5,571 Nova SS, 667 had the 375-hp L78 and 234 the 350-hp L34; 4,670 were SS 350s. The three add up to 5,571 (our sum).4one source
The SS 396 could be told on sight only by the small 396 numerals in the front side-marker bezels.4one source
How to spot a 1968
What tells it apart from a 1967.
Coupe and sedan only
No wagon and no two-door hardtop.3one source
Production135
183,552 cars, by body.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| 2-door coupe | Nova | 105,680 |
| All 2-door coupes | 105,680 | |
| 4-door sedan | Nova | 77,872 |
| All 4-door sedans | 77,872 | |
| Total | 183,552 | |
Nova Resource's rows; one source for the split. Over-Drive gives 105,690 coupes and 77,872 sedans: its sedans are Nova Resource's figure to the car, so it is treated as a copy with a one-digit difference, not a separate source. Consumer Guide says «201,000 (approx.)»; see the ruling. Nova Resource marks the rows behind these totals as including Canada's Acadian; whether the totals do is not clear.
Engines2one source
9 engines. Chevrolet's regular production option number from GM's own lists; «Std.» is a standard engine. In 1972 the code is the VIN's engine letter.
Gross ratings from GM's 1968 price schedule; the codes for the 250 six and the two 327s are read from the kit's option list with OCR.
Price when new2one source
Base retail prices in 1968 dollars, before options.
Manufacturer's suggested retail prices from GM's price schedule revised April 22, 1968. Wikipedia gives a different SS price; see the ruling.
Colors2one source
15 factory colors. The color names come from one source2one source; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Tuxedo BlackAA
Ermine WhiteCC
Grotto BlueDD
Fathom BlueEE
Island TealFF
Ash GoldGG
Grecian GreenHH
Tripoli TurquoiseKK
Teal BlueLL
Cordovan MaroonNN
Seafrost GreenPP
Matador RedRR
Palomino IvoryTT
Sequoia GreenVV
Butternut YellowYY
GM's list of solid exterior colors with paint codes for the 1968 Chevy II Nova; the two-tones are left out. No source we have gives the number of cars per color, so the counts are empty. Chevrolet used letter codes for the Chevy II in 1968.
Reading the VIN2one source
A 1968 VIN has 13 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
113698W2000252one source · GM's own example from the 1968 kit: the 25th car built at Willow Run, here a six-cylinder sedan (model 11369); the unit number counts every series together.
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 111 · 113 · 114 | Series: 111 4-cylinder · 113 6-cylinder · 114 V8 |
| 27 · 69 | Body: 27 2-door coupe · 69 4-door sedan |
| 8 | Model year (1968) |
| W | Assembly plant: Willow Run (GM shows «only basic designations») |
| 200001 → | Unit number, counted at each plant for all series together |
Where to find it: Stamped on a plate attached to the top left of the instrument panel.2one source
Questions about the 1968
How many 1968 Chevrolet Novas were made?
183,552 by the count we use: 105,680 2-door coupes, 77,872 4-door sedans. The sources disagree on the total; the ruling on this page explains which figure we show and why.135sources disagree
How can you tell a 1968 Nova from a 1967?
Two signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: new body, longer wheelbase; coupe and sedan only.3one source
What engines did the 1968 Chevrolet Nova have?
Nine engines, from the 153 cu in four to the 396 cu in V8 (Nova SS). The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.2one source
How much did a 1968 Chevrolet Nova cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: Coupe, four $2,222; Sedan, four $2,252; Coupe, six $2,284; Sedan, six $2,314; Coupe, V8 $2,390; Sedan, V8 $2,419; Nova SS with the 295-hp 350 (on the V8 coupe) +$210.65 (open ruling).2one source
What colors did the 1968 Chevrolet Nova come in?
General Motors (GM Heritage Archive) lists 15 factory colors.2one source
Where is the VIN on a 1968 Chevrolet Nova?
Stamped on a plate attached to the top left of the instrument panel.2one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1968, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Open
1968 Chevy II Nova production
Our ruling: Unresolved. Nova Resource's rows add up to 183,552. Over-Drive's sedans are Nova Resource's figure to the car and its coupes differ by one digit, so it is a copy with a typing difference, not a separate source. Consumer Guide's «201,000 (approx.)» and Wikipedia's conceptcarz figure of 201,005 are close to each other and far from Nova Resource's. Nova Resource marks the rows behind its total «(+) Includes Acadians»; whether that explains the gap is not known. We show Nova Resource's rows.
What each source says (4)
- 105,680 coupes and 77,872 sedans, 183,552 in all1one source
- 105,690 coupes and 77,872 sedans5one source
- 201,000 (approx.)3one source
- 201,005, in a table citing conceptcarz6one source
Open
1968 Nova SS production
Our ruling: Unresolved, leaning strongly to 5,571. The reprinted book chapter's own engine split, 4,670 + 667 + 234, adds up to it (our sum). Old Cars, Wikipedia (citing Quentin Willson's Great Cars) and Over-Drive, which calls its figure an educated estimate, give the same number, but none of them can be shown to be independent of the chapter. Consumer Guide's 6,571 differs in one digit and has no split.
What each source says (5)
- 5,571: 4,670 SS 350s, 667 with the L78 and 234 with the L344one source
- 5,5717one source
- A total of 5,571 SS coupes6one source
- 6,5713one source
- Educated estimates are that 5,571 SS Nova Coupes were produced5one source
Open
1968 Nova SS price
Our ruling: Unresolved, leaning to GM's $210.65 from its own price schedule. GM prints $210.65 against the 295-hp 350 under the SS option; Wikipedia's $312, citing Flory's American Cars 1960–1972, is for the SS with the 350, heavy-duty suspension and other hardware, so the two may cover different contents.
What each source says (2)
- $210.65 with the 295-hp 350, on the V8 coupe (price schedule revised April 22, 1968)2one source
- US$312, for an SS that now included a 295-hp 350 V8 with heavy-duty suspension and other performance hardware6one source
Sources
- Nova Production Numbers Nova Resource (novaresource.org) · read 2026-10-12
- 1968 Chevrolet Chevy II – Vehicle Information Kit General Motors (GM Heritage Archive) · read 2026-10-12
- Chevrolet Nova HowStuffWorks (Consumer Guide Automotive) · read 2026-10-12
- «New Novas, Old Themes 1968–1976» (Chapter Ten of a book on Chevrolet Super Sports), reprinted in GM's Nova kits Book chapter reprinted by GM Heritage · read 2026-10-12
- 1968 Chevrolet Nova Fact Sheet Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-12
- Chevrolet Chevy II / Nova Wikipedia · read 2026-10-12
- «1968-'71 Chevrolet Nova SS», Old Cars News & Marketplace, June 6, 1991, reprinted in GM's Nova kits Old Cars News & Marketplace (reprinted by GM Heritage) · read 2026-10-12
Keep going
Three more years.
1969Chevrolet NovaThe Chevy II name went, the Nova kept the 1968 body, and the SS got 300 hp and front disc brakes as standard.251,849 built (disputed)
1970Chevrolet NovaA new grille, wider side-marker and taillight lenses, combined tail and backup lights, and the last year of the 396 in the SS.307,280 built (disputed)
1971Chevrolet NovaThe 396 was gone, the 250 six became the base engine, the SS was a 270-hp 350, and the Rally Nova arrived late in the year.194,878 built (disputed)See the whole third generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1968–1972.