When looking for a particular car, it’s wise to invest in one that was ordered in the “right” color when new. This doesn’t have to be a color that tickles your fancy, but it has to be one that may have mass appeal in the hobby. Our Pick of the Day is a car that many people enjoy and, we think, it just may be the most desirable color for the model year. This 1972 Chevrolet Nova SS is currently listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Greene, Iowa.
The bright colors of 1969-70 withered away by 1972, leaving fans with few choices. Over at Chrysler, FY1 (Lemon Twist and Top Banana) and EV2 (Tor Red and Hemi Orange) were all that was left for 1972—even Plum Crazy was gone. FoMoCo fans still had Grabber Blue/Competition Blue and Bright Lime. At General Motors, there were no more bright colors available—no more Hugger Orange/Carousel Red, no more Sebring Yellow or Orbit Orange. Were people forced to endure earthtones?
Not quite. Among the many colors available for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick models was code 36, known as Spring Green, Julep Green, Radiant Green, and Heritage Green, respectively. Though not marketed as a high-impact color, it bore more than a passing resemblance to Rallye Green, a 1968-69 Chevrolet color that perfectly captured the sporty and performance market of the time, with Chrysler introducing a similar color in 1969 that only proves that fact.
This 44,120-mile 1972 Chevrolet Nova SS is painted in Spring Green and is equipped with a four-speed—is this the ultimate Nova for ’72? Nineteen seventy-two was the only year that the Nova SS had an exclusive high-performance engine that could be identified via the VIN (K in the 5th character), meaning that documentation is not a mandatory when discussing provenance, unlike for earlier model years. Thanks to the change in horsepower measurements, from gross to net, the 270-horsepower 350 became a 200-hosepower 350, though there were marginal differences between them.
The Muncie four-speed (one of 5,840 built) connects that power to a 10-bolt rear holding 3.42 gears. Other features include aftermarket headers, black bench seat interior, three-spoke steering wheel, aftermarket qauges including tachometer, SS wheels (last offered in 1971, as far as I can tell), and front disc brakes.
Were you born in 1972, or maybe you graduated that year? This $54,995 Nova SS is a fine way to relive the past, and Spring Green is clearly the way to go.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
