If you walked into a Chevy dealership in the fall of 1967, things looked different. The 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 had just landed, and it was a departure. Gone were the boxy, upright lines of the '67. In their place? A fastback-style roofline and a wheelbase that had actually shrunk. It was shorter. It was curvaceous. It looked like it was moving while parked under those buzzing showroom lights.
But here is the thing about the '68 that most "concours" guys won't tell you at the local cars and coffee: it was a transitional year, and transitional years are usually weird. Chevrolet was trying to figure out how to balance the raw, unrefined violence of the early muscle car era with the new safety mandates trickling down from the federal government. You had these gorgeous hidden wipers—a first for the Chevelle—sitting just inches away from new side marker lights that looked like an afterthought. It was a car of contradictions.
What the 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 Got Right (And What It Didn't)
The 138-series VIN. That’s the "holy grail" for collectors of this specific year. In 1968, the SS 396 was still its own distinct model. It wasn't just an option package you checked off on a Malibu order form like it became in '69. If your VIN doesn't start with 13837 (for the coupe) or 13867 (for the convertible), you aren't looking at a true Super Sport. You're looking at a clone.
Under the hood, the 396 cubic inch V8 was the soul of the machine. It came in three flavors. Most people ended up with the L35, which pumped out 325 horsepower. It was fine. It got you to the grocery store quickly. But the real ones—the cars that actually built the Chevelle’s reputation on the drag strips of the midwest—had the L34 (350 hp) or the legendary L78.
The L78 was a monster. It was rated at 375 horsepower, but everyone knew GM was sandbagging those numbers for insurance reasons. It had solid lifters. It had high-compression heads. It was loud, it was temperamental, and it would absolutely destroy a pair of bias-ply tires in a single afternoon. If you’ve ever driven an L78 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396, you know that the steering feels more like a suggestion than a command. You don't really "corner" this car. You point it at a straight line and pray the drum brakes (if you didn't opt for the front discs) actually decide to bite when the light turns red.
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The Interior "Vent" Controversy
Inside, the '68 was... utilitarian. If you didn't spring for the bucket seats and the center console with the "horseshoe" shifter, you were sitting on a vinyl bench that offered all the lateral support of a wet bar of soap.
And then there was the ventilation. 1968 was the year Chevy introduced "Astro Ventilation." They removed the little triangle vent windows that had been a staple of car design for decades. The idea was to flow air through vents in the dash. People hated it. There’s a reason you see so many '68 owners driving with the windows down regardless of the temperature; those dash vents were basically just decorative plastic once the car hit five years old.
Performance Reality vs. Muscle Car Myth
Let's talk about the 0-60 mph times because the internet loves to inflate these. A stock 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 with the 325-hp engine and a Powerglide two-speed automatic was not a rocket ship. It would do 0-60 in about 7.5 to 8 seconds. In 2026, a modern minivan will probably beat that.
But the 375-hp L78? That was a different beast. With a four-speed Muncie manual and a 4.10 rear gear, you were looking at mid-14 second quarter-mile times right off the showroom floor. With a set of headers and better tires, these cars were easily dipping into the 13s. That was world-class speed in 1968.
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The weight distribution was, frankly, terrible. You had a massive iron-block V8 sitting over the front wheels and almost no weight over the back. This led to the "Chevelle hop." If you hammered the throttle, the rear end would bounce as the tires struggled for grip. Owners used to throw bags of cement in the trunk just to get some traction. It wasn't sophisticated engineering. It was brute force.
Identifying a Real SS 396
Because these cars are so valuable now, the market is flooded with fakes. You’ll see a "1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396" for sale, and it looks perfect. Deep Sea Blue paint, gleaming chrome, the whole bit. But look closer.
- The Tail Panel: On a real SS, the rear panel between the taillights should be blacked out.
- The Grille: The horizontal bar in the grille should also be black.
- The Gauges: If it has a factory tachometer, it’s often called the "roller tach" because of its unique horizontal layout. It's rare and expensive to replace.
- The Engine Code: Look for the suffix on the engine block. An "ED" or "EE" suffix usually points toward the higher-output versions.
Why 1968 Was the "Black Sheep" Year
For a long time, collectors ignored the '68. They wanted the '67 because it was the last of the "old school" style, or they wanted the '69 because it refined the '68's rough edges. The 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 sat in this weird middle ground.
It had unique one-year-only parts that make restoration a nightmare. The door panels are specific. The dash pad is specific. Even the wiring harness has quirks that were changed by 1969. If you are buying one of these to restore, be prepared to spend a lot of time on forums like Team Chevelle or hunting through swap meets at Carlisle. You can't just buy everything out of a catalog like you can for a 1970 model.
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But that "middle child" status is exactly why they are cool now. They feel more raw. The 1968 model year was the last time the Chevelle felt like a slightly dangerous experiment before it became a polished, mass-market icon.
The Ownership Experience in the Modern Era
If you're thinking about buying a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 today, you need to be honest about what you're getting into. This isn't a car you "commute" in. The gas mileage is abysmal—expect about 8 to 10 miles per gallon if you're lucky. The steering is heavy. The cabin smells like unburnt hydrocarbons and old vinyl.
But honestly? None of that matters when you turn the key. There is a specific mechanical symphony that comes from a big-block Chevy. It’s a deep, rhythmic thrum that you feel in your chest. When you're cruising at 45 mph and you drop it into second gear, the front end lifts, the intake roar takes over, and for a second, you’re 19 years old again with nothing but an open road and a tank of leaded premium.
Common Maintenance Pitfalls
- Rust: Check the rear window channels. Water gets trapped under the trim and rots the metal from the inside out. If you see bubbles in the paint at the base of the rear glass, walk away or prepare to pay a body shop a fortune.
- Cooling: Big blocks run hot. Many owners swap in aluminum radiators because the original copper-core units just can't keep up with modern traffic.
- Suspension: The factory bushings are likely dust by now. Swapping to polyurethane bushings makes a massive difference in how the car tracks on the highway.
Practical Steps for Prospective Buyers
Don't buy the first car you see. The 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 is a car where "buy the best one you can afford" is the only rule that matters.
- Verify the VIN: Ensure it starts with 138. If it starts with 136, it’s a Malibu. There is nothing wrong with a Malibu, but you shouldn't be paying SS prices for it.
- Check the Frame: These are perimeter-frame cars. Look for "diamonding" or ripples in the frame rails near the rear wheels, which indicates the car was hit hard in a past life.
- Inspect the "Smog" Equipment: 1968 was a big year for the Air Injection Reactor (A.I.R.) pump. Most people ripped them off in the 70s. Finding an original, functional smog pump setup is incredibly difficult and adds significant value to a survivor car.
- Drive It: A Chevelle should feel solid. If it rattles like a box of nails, the body bushings are gone. If it wanders across the lane, the steering box is toast.
The 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 remains a high-water mark for American design because it dared to be different during a time of massive cultural shift. It’s loud, it’s thirsty, and it’s a bit unrefined, but that is exactly why it still commands respect on the road today. It doesn't apologize for what it is. It's a heavy-hitting, tire-shredding piece of American history that reminds us of a time when the only limit to performance was how much courage you had in your right foot.