In the early days of station wagons, they were associated with prestige and wealth. They could be found in both two- and four-door configurations but, when station wagons began being offered for the commercial trades, they tended to be two-doors. By the late 1950s, two-door wagons were being phased out, with Chevrolet last offering a full-size two-door wagon in 1959. However, Chevrolet brought back the two-door station wagon when the Chevelle was introduced for 1964. One of those interesting vehicles is our Pick of the Day. This 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 two-door wagon is listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Washington, Michigan.
When the 1964 Chevelle was introduced, there were several trim levels: Chevelle 300, Malibu, and Malibu SS. “New style, new size, new spirit, new car. That’s Chevelle,” read the brochure. This was Chevrolet’s first mid-size car, built on what became known as the A-body platform. The Chevelle 300 was available as two- and four-door sedans, and two- and four-door wagons. A two-door Sport Coupe (hardtop) and convertible were two other body styles, but they were reserved for the Malibu and Malibu SS. As the most austere version of the Chevelle, the Chevelle 300 happened to appeal to the more frugal Chevrolet customers, as evidenced by all body styles having six-cylinders installed at a higher rate than V8s.
Available engines started with the High Thrift 194 inline-six, but a Turbo-Thrift 230 was available. For V8s, the entry-level Turbo-Fire 283 with 195 horsepower was a start, with a four-barrel upgrade being available. Sometime during the spring of 1964, a 327 four-barrel offering 250 or 300 horsepower was introduced. A Corvette 327 with 365 was teased but never made production.
The two-door wagon was produced through 1965 and then put to rest. What set it apart from four-door Chevelle wagons was the B-pillar, which featured a slant that matched the C-pillar and gave an impression of sleekness and motion missing from the four-door wagon. Though never a big seller (2,710 in 1964, 1,668 in 1965), it captured the hot-rodding community’s eye decades ago thanks to its quasi-Nomad looks and mechanical potential (after all, it is a Chevrolet).
This 1964 Chevelle 300 two-door wagon has the VIN prefix of 5415, signifying it was originally one of 1,101 originally built with a V8. No idea what was powering it originally, but today it’s been transformed with a 383 stroker paired with a TH400 automatic with shift kit. Features include cowl-induction hood, aluminum intake, headers and dual exhausts, MSD ignition, electric cooling fan, chrome accessories, American Racing aluminum mags, power disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors, and more. Inside, you’ll find front buckets, floor-mounted B&M shifter, power steering with chrome column, three-spoke wooden steering wheel, Dakota Digital instrumentation, and Retro radio, among other items.
After the demise of the 1957 Nomad, Bow Tie fans had to wait until 1964 for a stylish wagon, though this one was dressed down instead of dressed up. However, in its current incarnation, the builder dolled it up, and we are only too happy to present it for its coming-out party—tickets are $49,990.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com