Hot Wheels 1963 Chevy II and 1964 Chevy Nova Wagon

When diecast automakers make a car they tend to prefer the sporty 2-door model, and nothing's wrong with that except one everyone else tends to do the same thing and two there are collectors begging for a different bodystyle to be done to meet their needs.  Well for the very first few years of the Nova Hot Wheels took on a different style:  do the wagon first and then do the 2-door coupe.

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Even though the Corvair was the home run success for Chevy to challenge the Ford Falcon and Dodge Dart compacts, Chevy still needed a contemporary options for those who prefer the norm.  The name was Chevy II and it was introduced in 1962.  Since development was really fast for a new car the name was not added until years later when the Nova name was finally added.  The car used a unibody rear section and cab mated to a front sub-frame for the engine.  The car soldered on with I-4 or I-6 power, but with the arrival of the Chevelle in 1964 to impact Nova sales the V8 was finally added in 1964: a 283 CID V8 that produced 195 hp through a 4-speed manual or a 2-speed automatic.  In 1963 the Super Sport name entered the Chevy Nova and started a long involvement with Nova and the SS name.  This car would continue until the late 1970's as one of GM's long-serving compact nameplate.

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in 2003 the 1964 Nova Wagon was introduced in light blue and later in red.  I love the light blue color and the fact that it's a wagon that no one else so far has not made in diecast!  The front has the round headlights with curved surrounds that point up at the upper edge of the large grille, while signal lights are mounted below the headlights.  The sides show a low stance with a raked rear, upright roof pillars, four doors with detailed door handles, and graphics that nicely flow with the car.  The rear has a typical wagon look with tailgate section, taillights in the c-sections of the valence panel, and dual exhausts that show off at the rear.  The base shows off some drivetrain components with the exhaust system showing off and exiting at a wide stance at the rear.  Inside the interior has a two bench seats for a total of six passengers, no console at the front means plenty of space for the middle passenger, lap belts, a flat dashboard with simple dual gauges and radio controls, and look closely and you can see the accelerator and brake pedal molded into the base on the floor!  I could be wrong and may have to check again but unlike the 1970 Chevelle Wagon with its engine parts the Nova does not have any cargo detailed in the cargo area.

For 2016 the Chevy Nova coupe finally arrives, but is called Chevy II.  To make it appropriate to use the SS name this is badged as a 1963 model.  The front has the same grille and headlight treatment, the same low stance and raked rear, the same base details, and the same taillights, but the difference is that the roof is shorter and it loses the two rear doors for a simple and clean coupe profile.  In fact, the rear c-pillars actually flow at an angle despite the squarish look of the roof.  Even with the lack of two doors both the coupe and wagon share the same wheelbase.  The interior also has the same setup with two bench seats, flat dashboard, no center console, shifter on the steering column, and the two pedals on the floor.  The coupe is a nice addition to the line, and I like the blue color and Chevy II badges on the rear fenders, but nothing compares to the unique instant classic that is the 1964 Nova Wagon.

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Update 9/4/17: Here's one of the best Chevy II variants by far and one of the best of the Target Retro series.  Here it is painted orange with simple blue stripes on the hood and on the sides, just like the 2016 version.  It is amazing, though it would even be more so if it had a metal base to justify the slightly higher price over the mainline version.  Much better than the pink 2017 version, unless you are one of the lucky ones to get the Super Treasure Hunt version where you get a dark metallic red instead of pink with real riders.  I managed to find one during the 2016 holiday season.