The 1970 model year was chaotic for Chevrolet, partly due to a 65-day strike in the Fall of that year and the delayed launch earlier of the new F-body Camaro, which didn’t show up until February 1970. It was tagged as a “70 ½ model” but would prove durable, lasting until 1981. Meanwhile 1970 Chevrolet production dropped below 1 million cars, at 978,600 units and Ford slipped past into the #1 spot.

As the Corvair had gone, the Nova was now Chevrolet’s entry-level car, still in two-door coupe and four-door sedan configuration and with three trim levels – 111, 113 and 114. Visibly, the only real change for the 1970 Chevrolet Nova was the egg-crate grille but production jumped to 315,122 orders. The 155 bhp 250 cid six proved the most popular and 173,632 were sold, with a base price of $2,254. Meanwhile, the 200 bhp 307 cid V-8 attracted 139,243 buyers prepared to pay for a bit more power.

The basic Nova Z26 SS Coupe package attracted 12,346 buyers and included a 300 bhp 350 cid V-8 with power disc brakes, dual exhaust, dummy air intakes on the hood, black grille and rear panel, fake front fender louvers, 14-inch wheels and SS emblems.

Two other SS packages were offered. The L34 SS 396 option added a 350 bhp 396 cid Turbo-Jet V-8, and the L78 SS 396 substituted a 375 bhp Turbo-Jet V-8. A further option was the Yenko Deuce, which was based on a non-SS Coupe and fitted with the 360 bhp 350 cid LT1 Corvette V-8. It was a COPO order and had blackout-grille as well as a stripe along the side that terminated in the words “Yenko Deuce.” Spoked mag wheels, white letter tires and a hood tach rounded out the package.

Nova options included air conditioning, center console with floor shift, six-way power seat, vinyl roof, tinted glass, power brakes, dual exhaust, tilt steering column, heavy duty clutch, power steering, pushbutton radio, tachometer, Positraction rear axle, Rally wheels, Mag-style wheel covers, wire wheel covers, and two-tone paint. Interior and exterior luxury trim packages were offered for Novas, the exterior package cost $97.95 for coupes and $79 for sedans.

Chevrolet offered 20 exterior colors for the 1970 Nova, but no two-tone combinations are recorded. Shades included Aegean Aqua, Classic White, Cortez Silver, Shadow Gray, Tuxedo Black, Astro Blue, Mulsanne Blue, Fathom Blue, Misty Turquoise, Citrus Green, Green Mist, Forest Green, Gobi Beige, Camaro Gold, Champagne Gold, Autumn Gold, Desert Sand, Hugger Orange, Classic Copper, Cranberry Red, and Black Cherry.