1971 Chevrolet Camaro

1971 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396 — Big Block, Muncie 4-Speed, Factory Air

The 1971 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396 sits at an interesting crossroads in muscle car history. It was the first year of the redesigned second-generation body — a longer, lower, wider platform that many enthusiasts consider the best-looking Camaro ever produced. Chevrolet stretched the wheelbase to 108 inches and gave the car a more sculpted, European-influenced roofline that set it apart from the boxier first-generation cars. At the same time, 1971 was one of the last years you could order a Camaro with a genuine big block engine before tightening emissions regulations and insurance pressures pushed the industry toward smaller displacement motors. That combination of the new body style and the outgoing big block powertrain makes the 1971 Camaro SS 396 a particularly desirable intersection of form and function.

The VIN on this car decodes to confirm it was built at the Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant. The engine code confirms the 396 cubic inch big block at 300 horsepower, and the body style code identifies it as the Sport Coupe. The SS package in 1971 was a separate option that added specific badging, a blacked-out grille, and sport suspension tuning over a standard Camaro — it was not simply a sticker package. Pairing that with the Muncie 4-speed manual and factory air conditioning on a big block car was an uncommon and expensive combination at the time, and it makes this particular car a well-optioned example of the model.

It is also worth noting what happened to the Camaro line just one year later. In 1972, a lengthy strike at the Norwood, Ohio plant essentially wiped out most of that year's production. The combination of the 1971 model being the first year of the new design and having genuine high-output big block availability makes surviving, well-equipped examples like this one increasingly difficult to find in presentable condition.

396 cubic inch big block V8, 300 horsepower

Key details
Transmission: Muncie 4-Speed Manual
VIN / chassis: 124871L514408

Offered by Skyway Classics, 10420 Portal Crossing, Bradenton, FL 34212. Taxes, title and fees not included.

Photos courtesy of Skyway Classics.