Captive American imports in other lands intrigue me, as you may have seen from my recent stories on cars from Argentina. After focusing on Falcons and other Fords, it is time for some General Motors love. (Thanks are in order for Michael and his Flickr page for the use of his scans.)
Just like the 1962 Chevrolet Chevy II began as a conventional response to the Ford Falcon, the Argentinian-built Chevy II made its first appearance in 1962, but it was known as the Chevrolet 400. The 1965-66 models looked like the American 1965, but starting in 1967, General Motors Argentina began to give the Chevrolet 400 its own spin. The base Special trim level continued to be built with dual headlights, but the Super, Super Deluxe, and all-new Super Sport came with quads. These cars would be produced through 1974 with different variations among trim levels (including a Rally Sport!).
1963
1965
Note the debut of quad headlights for upmarket 1967 models.
1969. Note the 400 Special with dual headlights.
The third-generation Chevy II (the one Americans had beginning with the 1968 model year) joined the Argentinean market at the end of the summer of 1969, but it did not replace the 400, instead being positioned as two different models. The new car was called the “Chevrolet Chevy” and was available as a coupe and sedan in several trim levels, including Super Sport, though every single one was powered by a straight-six. Over time, a luxe Chevy Malibu and more performance-oriented SS Serie 2 (with several stripe designs through 1978) appeared before the Chevy was laid to rest.
Yes, a 1970 Chevy Super Sport four-door!
The 1973 Rally Sport 250!
The Super Sport had merely been a trim level, but the 1974 Chevy SS Serie 2 tried to play the sport part better.
You can see how the stripes changed for the 1975 Chevy SS Serie 2.
Note where the parking lights migrated to for ’75. This “Chevrolet Chevy Malibu” was the fanciest model in the lineup since (I believe) 1974.
The final model year was 1978. You can see the SS Serie 2 now features driving lights in the grille. Note the wider taillights that were instituted (I believe) in 1974.
If this article is of interest to you, click on the tag “Argentina” at the top of the story so you can read about other captive imports in the Argentinean market.