For performance enthusiasts seeking big horsepower without all the fancy folderol, Chevrolet offered the Nova Super Sport.

It’s not hard to spot the core appeal of the 1968 Chevrolet Nova Super Sport. The print ads that year (above) told the story. They showed SS Novas with the hoods tossed aside to display their key attribute: the engine. The Nova didn’t offer the flash or features of the Camaro and Chevelle Super Sports, but the base price was hundreds of dollars less. Meanwhile, the standard engine was a 350 cubic-inch L48 V8 with 295 hp, and there were two optional 396 CID big-block  V8s: the L34 with 350 hp, and the killer L78 with 11.0: compression ratio and a solid-lifter cam. Conservatively rated at 375 hp, the L78 had tons of potential.

There wasn’t much in the way of exterior decoration to advertise the Nova Super Sport’s  presence. Mainly, there were a pair of SS badges on the grille and rear valance, simulated chrome intakes in the hood, and Super Sport block scripts on each rocker panel. And really, that’s just the way many buyers liked it. “Sleepers,” they were called. The hardworking farm boy in this spot doesn’t care to show off, and he obviously knows the value of a dollar. “A lot of car for the money,” the announcer declares. Video below.