Chevrolet Chevelle Third generation 

 
The Chevelle Chevrolet third generation came in 1973 also called the Malibu, Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna.

The Chevelle was revised for the 1973 model year that included frameless side windows in the doors and fixed B pillars. The rear side windows on the coupe could not be opened, but there was a surcharge still for  GM air conditioning. Single seats and center consoles for automatic and manual cars were offered in all models, as well as additional instruments. Disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the back and a brake booster were standard equipment. Packages, air conditioners and stereo radio recorders were ordered more frequently during these years. In the model years 1973-1975 there was an electrically operated glass sunroof on request.
 The engines ranged from the 4.1-liter straight-six to the powerful 7.4-liter V8. Hardened valve seats and hydraulic lash adjuster made the engines reliable and enabled the use of increasingly popular unleaded gasoline. Cross-flow coolers and closed cooling systems, which avoided the air entry into the cooling system, prevented the overheating of the engines. 

The station wagon was available with six or nine seats and a large tailgate. The Chevrolet El Camino and the GMC Sprint wereb ased on the Chevelle. As before, the shape of the front and rear has changed a little every year. The Chevelle was among the best sellers of GM, as was the Oldsmobile Cutlass which was also built on the GM-A platform.

The 1973 model range began with the top model Laguna with its PU nose, followed by the Malibu and Deluxe models. The Super Sport package was available for the Malibu coupes and this year only for the station wagons. The SS package consisted of a black grille, SS emblems inside and out, stripes on the sides of the vehicle, rally wheels and tires with white lettering, the F41 sports suspension with rear and front stabilizers and a V8 engine with 5.7 or 7, 4 liters capacity (350 or 454 cu.in.). For the so motorized vehicles, there was also a 4-stage Muncie transmission. Performance: 454 cu in. Max speed: about 121 mph, 195 km/h; max power (DIN): 215 hp at 4,000 rpm;max torque (DIN): 350 1b ft, 48.3 kg m at 2,400 rpm; 27.8 hp/l power- weight ratio: Chevelle Malibu Sedan 19.1 lb/hp, 8.7 kg/hp - Chevelle Malibu Classic Sedan 19.4 lb/hp, 8.8 kg/hp; speed in direct drive at 1,000 rpm: 28 mph, 45 km/h; fuel consumption: 12.8 m/ imp gal, 10.7 m/ US gal, 22 1 x 100 km. 

In 1974, the Laguna S-3 coupe replaced the SS as an uprated sports version of the Chevelle. Nomenclature S3 referred to the third generation of the Chevelle. The cars had a special PU nose, stripes on the sides of the vehicle, Laguna S-3 emblems, rally wheels, four-spoke steering wheel and the F41 sports suspension with stabilizers rear and front. Radial tires on 15 "rims and a matching chassis provided for traction and the then introduced three-point automatic belts are still used in modern vehicles. A 6.6-liter V8 engine was new this year. The 7.4l -V8 was the top engine and was combined with a TurboHydraMatic 400 automatic or a Muncie four-speed gearbox.

Since the Laguna was now the sports model of the Chevelle, the top models were now in Malibu Classic renamed and offered as a sedan, coupe or station wagon. Unlike the 1973 Laguna, the Malibu Classic had the same grille as the simpler Chevelle models, but a sprung cooler figure. Inside, the Malibu Classic had luxurious furnishings with benches and foldable backrests (or optional strato single seats) covered in fabric or vinyl. In addition, there were door panels made of carpet, wood imitation on the dashboard, vertical "Opera Windows" (small windows in the C-pillars) in the coupe and imitation wood on the sides of the station wagon. This year was also the Chevelle Deluxe series away, making the normal Chevelle Malibu the entry-level series.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
limited slip differential; Turbo. Hydramatic automatic transmission with 3 ratios steering column lever, 2.730 or 3.080 axle ratio; power-assisted steering; tilt of steering wheel; servo brake; electrically controlled windows; vinyl roof; air-condition; electrically-controlled sunshine roof (for coupes only).

The 1975 Laguna S-3 was introduced in the middle of the model year, in February, and had a new, rising Nascar-style front. HEI - High Energy Ignition - provided strong spark with minimal maintenance and increased power. The larger distributor cap resulted in better high-speed performance because it prevented a spark from being sent to the wrong spark plug. The 7.4-liter V8 in conjunction with the TurboHydraMatic 400 was delivered in the first half of the model year, then there was the 6.6 -liter V8 as a top engine.

In 1976 there was the Chevelle with the new 5.0-liter V8, the 5.7-liter V8 or the 6.6-liter V8.In 1977 the Malibu Classic was the top model and the 5.7-liter V8 the top engine. There was a Chevelle SE (Special Edition), which featured spoilers front and rear, rally wheels, a special livery and a sports suspension. But only 50 copies were built.

 The 1973-1977 Chevelle was the most successful car in the 1970s NASCAR race. The car was so popular and successful on the racing circuits that in 1975 Chevrolet supplied a new nose that led to today's aerodynamic cars. The cars dominated the races so much that the Nascar organization dictated the use of a cover plate for the carburetors for all Chevelle Laguna. Drivers of these cars were: Darrell Waltrip, Junior Johnson, Benny Parsons, Cale Yarborough, Bobby and Donnie Allison, Bobby Isaac, Lennie Pond, AJ Foyt, Ricky Rudd, Dale Earnhardt and the driver Janet Guthrie.

As GM downsized the mid-size models in 1978, they dropped the name Chevelle and called the model only Chevrolet Malibu .The third generation of the Chevelle created about 1,600,000 copies in five years.