1968 Chevy Nova 396. Photos from www.mecum.com

Chevrolet’s entry in the compact-car wars continued to be a hit with the musclecar crowd, and the nameplate soon became simply Nova, It was compact, fast, and it had earned its stripes with the street performance crowd. Number 2 on our top 5 list of Novas is the 1968 Chevy II Nova 396.

This was the last year that Chevy II would be used as the nameplate, and the first year of the third generation of the line. Being a new generation, the chassis and body were radically changed, giving the Nova a Camaro-like frame that would last for the next 11-years. While the standard engine for the Nova was the decently powered (295 hp) 350ci small-block engine, a big-block 396ci mill was an option that offered 375 hp in 1968. Despite the new power offered in 1968, sales of the Chevy Nova fell by half for the year.

The L34 option 396ci Nova that was rated at 350hp, saw a very limited production from the factory, and only 234 of these were built. The higher performance modified L78 option 396ci, rated at 375hp was twice as desirable at the time, with 667 manufactured by the factory. Needles to say, both versions of the 396 Nova in 1968 are highly sought after by serious car collectors.

General Motors’ 396ci BBC that was rated at 375hp.

Both engines were offered with a choice of transmissions, including the M-21 close-ratio four-speed manual, the heavy-duty M-22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed manual, or the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 automatic transmission.

Yenko Nova’s were offered in 1968, but only on a very limited basis–wouldn’t we all like to have one of them right now. Be prepared to pay a premium if you want to own one of these special Novas. Its easy to see why the 1968 Nova 396 makes it to number 2 on our top 5 list.