On a day when some of us are trying to mumble through high school-level Spanish at our local Mexican restaurants, we’re reminded of one of the biggest myths in automotive pop culture:

Chevy Novas sold poorly in Spanish-speaking countries because Nova translates to “No Go.”

Spoiler alert, that’s a total myth.

blue 1967 Chevy Nova SS in Summit Racing parking lot
(Image/Summit Racing – Patrick Miller)

For starters, the Chevy II/Nova sold pretty darn well in Mexico and other South American countries.

Secondly, while “No Va” technically translates to “Not Going,” that’s not really the right phrasing a Spanish-speaking person would use here—besides, it’s a stretch to think that none of the folks translating the Nova’s manuals and brochures for Spanish markets would have missed that detail before it hit foreign showrooms either.

So yeah, save that hypothetical Nova/no go tale for well-intentioned marketing professors.

And if you really want to brush-up on your Spanish, here’s a good place to start: Fast in Translation, 10 Spanish-Derived Car Names

close up of rear taillight on a 1967 chevy nova ss
Chrome so shiny you can see our intrepid videographer snapping the photos here. (Image/Summit Racing – Patrick Miller)

Regardless, Now We’re in the Mood to Talk About Novas

…And since this delightful blue 1967 SS rumbled into the Summit Racing Retail Store a while back, now’s the time for a good old Lot Shots feature.

We know it’s a 1967 thanks to the headlight trim and because it’s got a Nova SS badge on the grille instead of a Chevy II SS one—Chevy was slowly phasing out the Chevy II name by 1967 (particularly on higher-optioned cars) and flipping the badging was a conspicuous way to do it.

close up of headlight bezel on a 1967 chevy II nova ss
Since they were very similar, one of the few ways to tell a 1967 Nova from a 1966 model was the angle of the headlight trim. The 1966 versions had more of a vertical pitch, for 1967 however, the lower part of the headlight trim slanted back into the fender towards the front wheels. (Image/Summit Racing – Patrick Miller)

Better yet, thanks to some checkered flag paint accents, Borla exhaust, and a set of slick custom wheels, we’re calling this a bit of a restomod. A look inside reveals a complement of Auto Meter Pro Comp Ultra Light gauges and an aftermarket steering wheel too—maybe even a RetroSound radio as well.

We bet this thing makes for an awesome boulevard cruiser. Sadly, we couldn’t spot the owner to get the full scoop, but what we can tell you is that it is seriously clean.

custom interior inside a 1967 chevy nova ss
(Image/Summit Racing – Patrick Miller)

Unfortunately, this gorgeous body style really only lasted two years, 1966 and 1967, before GM radically updated its X-body platform (though we’re big fans of later GM X-bodies too).

The good news is, even with the new Camaro eating into its sales, Chevy produced well over 200,000 1966 and 1967 Chevy II/Nova coupes, wagons, and convertibles.

So yeah—don’t let that old “No-Go” Nova myth fool you, amigo!

rear view of a 1967 chevy nova SS at Summit Racing
(Image/Summit Racing – Patrick Miller)

Keywords
Chevy, Lot Shots, Nova, Spanish, X-Body
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Author: Paul Sakalas

Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.