This 1969 Chevy Nova Is Probably Worth $400,000 — Here’s Why
The 1969 Chevrolet Nova was the brand’s entry level model with a starting price of $2,200, but a few are much more special than the rest.
Yenko Chevrolet outside of Pittsburgh modified 38 of them, with the hottest 28 having their 375 hp 396-cubic-inch V8s converted into 450 hp 427-cubic-inch motors that weren’t available from the factory. The price was around $4,000.
The super-powered compacts could accelerate to 60 mph in about five seconds and run 11-second quarter-miles. They were among the quickest cars of the day and embarrassed many of the day’s stock muscle cars.
Only 10 or so are known to survive today and they’ve become valuable collector cars. One particularly pristine example was sold at a Mecum Auctions event in 2012 for $522,500.
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Another is set to cross the block at Mecum’s Kissimmee, Fla., event on Jan. 17 and should be worth more than $400,000 to the right bidder.
The Fathom Green coupe has a black vinyl top, Yenko graphics and has been thoroughly restored after a long life of terrorizing drag strips under the nickname “My Piggy Bank.”
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It is specified with a four-speed M21 transmission, 12-bolt rear end, F41 heavy-duty suspension, front disc brakes with power assist, heavy duty cooling and a Muncie shifter.
It also has front bucket seats, a console-mounted gauge cluster and Atlas alloy wheels currently wrapped in Goodyear WideTread GT tires.
It doesn’t have a numbers-matching engine or transmission, but both are period correct and the car has been featured in muscle car publications and tv shows over the years.
To put into perspective how rare it is, seven of the more plentiful, but similarly valuable Yenko Camaros of the era will also be at the auction.
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Whatever the Yenko Nova sells for, there’s another car at the even that is going to make it look as cheap as a new Nova was in 1969. A one-of-a-kind white 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO known as the Bianco Speciale will be offered for sale for the first time since 1999 and is expected to go for $70 million or more.