The Chevy II and its upscale variant, the Nova, were introduced in 1962 and were fitted with the anemic 194 CID inline-6 offering 120 horsepower. With each passing year, subsequent models grew more powerful, with genuine muscle-grade performance arriving in 1968 with the all-new Nova, which shared its platform with the Camaro, including the available drivetrains and most of its mechanicals. The new Chevy Nova had a semi-fastback roofline which drew inspiration from the new Chevelle. It was lower, wider, and longer than in the past with an unassuming presence that was worthy of the name 'sleeper car.' The Chevy II moniker was abandoned, and the Nova SS was given a 350 CID small-block V8 delivering nearly 300 horsepower.

The first-generation of the Nova SS was introduced as an appearance package on the inexpensive and somewhat staid entry-level 1964 Chevy II, adding wheel covers and special trim, bucket seats, a deluxe steering wheel, and instrumentation for $161. A year later, performance aspirations with the small economy car resulted in the Nova SS with its 283 CID small-block V8 offering nearly 200 horsepower, attracting buyers who were seeking performance along with the Chevy II/Nova's value. Other manufactures took notice and sales competition became fierce. Chevy responded by expanding the engine and driveline options, adapting the entire Camaro engine lineup including the 396 CI big-block V-8s. By 1970, the 396 CID V8 had been bored out to a displacement size of 402 CID, although it continued to use the SS396 or 'Turbo Jet 400' designation to simplify marketing efforts and to retain the name recognition. A total of 3,765 L78 Nova Super Sports were built in 1970. Many had a 3.55:1 Positraction rear end, power steering, a four-speed manual transmission (approximately 800 L78 Novas had an automatic), and power front brakes. The L78 had 4-bolt mains, forged-steel crank and rods, 11.0:1 compression, dual-snorkel air cleaner, solid-lifter cam and free-breathing heads fed by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor on an aluminum intake.

The Nova was offered with a vast array of engine and transmission choices, from thrifty inline 6-cylinders to powerful V-8s. They could also be built with a number of optional extras like air conditioning, power accessories, performance accessories, interior dress-up packages, exterior-trim packages and so much more. They catered to a wide audience, for those seeking a 'grocery-getter' or a ferocious muscle car.

Bodystyles on the 1970 Nova included a 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe. The base engine was a 153.3 CID overhead-valve four-cylinder unit delivering 90 horsepower. The 250 CID inline six had 155 horsepower. Exterior visual changes were minimal, with the Chevrolet badge located at the center of the upper grille molding growing slightly in size. The grille insert had squarer openings than in previous years. Options included variable-ratio power steering, console with bucket seats, power door locks, tinted glass, AM/FM radio, and in-the-windshield radio antennas. The base four-cylinder coupe had a price of $2,175 while the sedan sold for just over $2,200. A total of 315,122 examples of the 1970 Nova were built including 2,247 with four-cylinder engines. The most popular engine in the Nova was the six-cylinder with 173,632 receiving this powerplant.