Here's How Much The 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS Is Worth Today (2024)

From the way it looks to how it drives to how it sounds, the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS has to be one of the most iconic muscle cars ever made. The front-heavy styling with its tough looking front end, those racing stripes down the center, the roar of the big-block engine under the hood. It's fun to look for the cheaper alternatives, the overlooked and underappreciated muscle cars of the era, but sometimes you just want to drive the ones that defined the golden age of American muscle.

And that begs the question: What is that going to cost you? In the case of the Chevrolet Chevelle SS, if you're happy with six cylinders, finding a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS for sale under $30,000 isn't unreasonable, but you probably don't want that one. If you're buying a Chevelle SS, you're probably after the big-block 454, and that one can sell for well over a quarter million dollars. The good news is the prices are going down, but the bad news is they're not going down all that quickly. Here's what you need to know if you're in the market.

The Average Price of a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Today: $105,440

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Pricing Details

Pricing is all over the place for the Chevrolet Chevelle SS, with the car offered in two body types and ten different engines. The prices listed above are sourced from Hagerty, with only the V8s being listed, but there was also a pair of inline-six engines available, a 230cid 3.8-liter Turbo-Thrift, and a 250cid 4.1-liter Turbo-Thrift. Hagerty does not carry any listings for these, so exact prices are hard to gauge, but the site estimates the i6 to sell at around half the price of the cheapest V8 variant, which would place the Sports Coupe at around $27,200, and the Convertible at $44,950. Keep an eye out, and you might even find a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS under $20,000, just not with a V8.

All together, a V8 Chevelle SS will cost you an average of $105,440 today, considerably more than even some of the earlier models like the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. A sports coupe would average $71,900, while a convertible would average $138,980. Add in the i6 models, and you get an average price of $70,757, based on all data available from Hagerty. Some people will tell you that the six-cylinder model isn't really an SS, but there are unmodified Chevelles out there with the SS badging and a six-cylinder engine under the hood, so take it up with Chevy.

A Look at the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

The first Chevelles were Chevy's response to the Rambler and the Classic, released by American Motors in the early 1960s, small, powerful, simple cars. The Chevelle lineup would expand to include hardtops, convertibles, sedans, and station wagons, and, by the mid-1960s, the Super Sport, the first real Chevrolet muscle car. With the second generation, running from 1968 to 1972, the SS series split off from the main Chevelle lineup as its own nameplate. The 1970 remains the fan-favorite owing to mid-gen design changes with sleeker "co*ke bottle" styling, and awesome engine lineup.

While the Chevelle SS models were marketed under the 396 and 454 tags, the 396 was offered with one of two 396 cubic-inch engines, the L89 and L78, and a 402 cubic-inch engine, being the L34. The real crown jewel of the bunch is, of course, the 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6, the same engine that powered the rare 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle station wagon. The LS6 was a 7.4-liter Big-Block that was brand new for 1970, and was offered in the Malibu and El Camino that same year, as well as the Chevelle SS. 0–60 times for an LS6 Chevelle SS have been clocked as low as six seconds, with quarter miles of around 13.1 seconds, which are both pretty good for 1970, especially for a car that weighed upwards of two tons.

What Will the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS be Worth in Another Year?

Despite being one of the most beloved muscle cars ever made, the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS has been slowly depreciating year after year at an average rate of around 6% for a good condition coupe or convertible. The LS5 and LS6 454s, by and large, hold their value a little better than the rest. The LS6 coupe has been losing 3.3% of market value year after year, the LS5 coupe 1.9%, and the convertible LS5 is depreciating at a rate of 2%. The LS6 convertible is an outlier, though, losing 9.9% of its value every year.

When it comes to prized cars like the 1970 Chevelle SS, you have to consider that the sample size is so small, that 9.9% depreciation rate might only be based on two or three sales over the last year or so. Even so, the general trend you're seeing is that every 1970 Chevelle SS is worth less right now than it was a year ago. At an average depreciation rate of 6%, you can expect the average price to come down to around $99,113 in another year or so. In other words, there's no need to rush. Save up for another year and buy one in cash, and you might be saving yourself a solid six thousand bucks.

Here's How Much the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Cost When New

On release, a 396 Chevelle SS convertible would sell for a base price of $3,639, while a coupe went for $3,439. These would be packed with the base 402cid L34 engine. Data on the original list price for the 454 SS varies depending on your source, but the Newport Car Museum estimates that a coupe with the RPO Z15 SS package, which gets you the 450 horsepower LS6 engine, would cost around $4,800.

Adjusting for inflation, a 396 Chevelle SS should average around $24,099 in today's dollars, while a top-tier 454 would cost around $32,687. Seeing as these cars, in good condition, are now selling for as much as eight times their original sticker price, you could say that anyone who's kept their original 1970 SS pristine has plenty to brag about. You could purchase a nice little retirement home with an LS6 convertible you don't plan on driving anymore. But, it might not be a seller's market for that much longer. In short, the market tells us that if you're looking to sell, sell now. If you're looking to buy, there's no rush. And you can always restore a fair-condition 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS, but beware, as the costs can spiral out of control faster than you think.

Sources: Chevrolet, Hagerty, Fastest Laps, Newport Car Museum