Chevrolet designed its popular compact (Chevy II/Nova) in 1968 and the result was impressive. Sales went up more than 70% over what was a dismal year for the Chevy II in 1967. The company was beginning to downplay the Chevy II moniker in favor of the Nova, which would disappear after 1969. This basic ’68 Nova may have only 14,000 miles and looks great for its age. And it has the somewhat quirky “Torque-Drive” manual/automatic transmission. Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this Bow-Tie is available here on eBay where the bidding has evolved to $7,100.
Third-generation Nova’s were produced between 1968 and 1974, with only one “major” restyle in the last two years. As an alternative to a fully manual transmission – and cheaper than a 2-speed Powerglide – Chevy introduced the “Torque-Drive” tranny in 1968 (it would only last through 1971 and then go poof). The Torque-Drive was essentially a manually shifted automatic transmission (GM described it as “the first no-clutch one-shift transmission”). As the story goes, GM downgraded the Powerglide by removing all the parts that allowed it to shift automatically so they could offer buyers a cheaper option.
Though a Nova (which was better trimmed than a Chevy II, but not by much), this ’68 survivor is short on options. It came with the standard 230 cubic-inch “Turbo-Thrift” inline-6 engine that was rated at 140 hp. Nothing is power-assisted, like the steering or brakes. After being in storage for an undetermined period, the seller revived the machine by simply adding new gasoline and a battery. We’re told it fired right up and runs great. The tires are probably ancient, and the buyer should add new rubber before venturing far.
The Butternut Yellow paint is thought to be original, and the cloth upholstery looks quite nice. The basics continue in the passenger compartment with rubber floor coverings rather than carpeting. The only known rust is some of the surface variety in the door jams where the hinges are, which should be an easy repair. Fewer than 10,000 of the 1968 Nova’s had the unusual Torque-Drive, so this could be a rare find after 55 years. For more pics, check here, and for a start/run video, click there.
A pretty, all-original Nova, though about as basic as you can get. No PS, PB or A/C with a vinyl floor covering and the basic six cylinder, but at least you get a driver’s side mirror. It’s in really nice condition with amazingly low miles so it should draw a lot of attention at your local Cars ‘n Coffee. Original condition cars with low mileage are very desirable in the hobby but how much can a basic, 4-door stripper be worth? Kudos to the seller for a decent description and a lot of very good pictures.
I agree. The more pics can be shown, the better. You don’t need power steering unless your car is powered by a V8 engine.
Once again I learned something new from this site! Never knew about the torque drive transmission:-)
The Torque-Drive transmission was like a throwback to the original Powerglide which, when introduced in 1950, did not shift automatically between gears. The Powerglide did not become fully automatic until 1953.
It was also referred to as a “dumber Powerglide. “
2 less doors and I’d be all over this one. I had a 68 with the 230 and loved it like no car I’ve owned since. If I could go back to 1987 and not fall asleep at the wheel and wake up in a ditch I’d still have my all-time favorite ride.
With 2 less doors you might be all over it, but for about 20 to 25 thousand, instead of the current price. If I bought it, with that mileage, it would be my driver car. What else can you buy that cheap with that low mileage?
For a car like this, I’d drive it! I’d enjoy it.
the steering wheel shows some more miles than 14.000…
That will happen with manual steering.
Well that’s something you won’t every day at a car show. Amazing it’s still around.
This car is as nice as can be.
But I don’t want to even drive it, much less own it.
Yeah some cars are just to look at I can’t imagine driving in traffic & 100% humidity then it starts raining with a 50 year old car on I-4 or I-10 yikes!
Never heard of the Torque Drive myself either! This Nova is quite an immaculate find…
I’ve never heard of a “manual/auto” automatic gearbox. My guess is that it means you can manually downshift an automatic without the use of a clutch pedal.
1st gen Honda Civics had this type of transmission, except the shifter was on the floor. You could start off in “D” and leave it there, but acceleration would be awful, especially on a hill. The idea was that you’d start off in low (1st), and when you got to 30 mph or so, bump it into “D” (2nd). Never seen that setup on a Chevy before.
I actually find it very hard to believe that any cheap FOUR door economy car from the ’60s would be driven so little & not in bad weather either, tho the pics here say otherwise.
I wonder if Chevy ever considered a torque drive turbo 350 or turbo 400 trans, which i would not mind, but only with the Chevy horseshoe or Pontiac ’70s floor shifter. A column shift has a lot of complicated linkage to be used so often, not to mention being less precise than a floor shifter.
I wonder how many misinformed used car or new car drivers blew up a torque drive trans in 1st gear, or went to a trans shop thinking the trans was shot. lol
Only in ’68 i believe, the 250 & even 230 cube 6 cyls got a very large air cleaner intake opening …
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kbcAAOSwQKZjqftS/s-l1600.jpg
which is quite a big larger than air cleaner intake opening on all the Chevy v8’s, even later 454s! Makes no sense.
I didn’t recognize the name, but I had a friend that bought a 69 Camaro with what I think was this tranny, and it used a floor shifter (don’t remember if it was the horseshoe or something cheaper). He was a die hard chevy man, and loved putting oil in it every 500 miles….. His father owned a gas station:-)
Most likely a old man owned it and rarely drove it. Like one of my great-uncles, he bought the cheapest new Chevy he could find right up until he quit driving and none of them had any power accessories or carpet.
I knew about the torque drive but never seen one before…really cool!
This engine is actually an upgrade, the base engine was a 4 cylinder. Imagine how underpowered that was lol!
I would LOVE to own this!
The Nova was no longer a trim level in ’68. Every single, solitary Chevy II in 1968 was a Nova. The model line was called “Chevy II Nova”.
It’s hard to believe Chevy could come up with such a simple transmission for this car!I wonder if it’s close to my ’69Beetle with the semiautomatic tranny.It even had air conditioning that came out through the car heater vents.That was a fun car.
I had a ’69 Beetle Autostick, too . . this is even more simple – all you do in this Nova is manually move the selector from First to High at a certain RPM, there is no clutch like your Beetle has when you touch the shift lever.
I also had a 69 bug with the so called semi automatic, which was actually a fully manual transmission, with a servo operated clutch, which was absolutely junk. This transmission does have a torque converter, just doesn’t have the guts installed to automatically shift it.
Sweet looking car. This is something you don’t see very often these days, a 4 door Chevy Nova. You see plenty of Nova SS, but for some reason not many 4 door Nova. Given its condition and rarity, I’d be willing to pay around the $7k asking price.
Around 1980 my sister in law inherited her grandfather’s garaged from day one 68 Camaro 6 cyl with the Torque-Drive tranny. Red over red with dog dishes….and a mere 30k miles. You could eat off it. Seems like yesterday…..if we only knew back then what we know now…..
My first car was a well worn ‘68 Camaro with a straight six and torque drive. Any over enthusiastic shifting would slip it past second gear. I once ripped out an engine mount accidentally slamming it in reverse. Forty years later I wish I still had that car.
All the more reason why torque drive should only have been available with floor shifters.
I assume your car had column shift – shifting past 2nd is impossible with the Camaro’s floor mounted horseshoe shifter & probably the Nova’s T handle shifter too, unless you squeezed the trigger.
I bet tho that torque drive was not available with a floor shifter – it it was, i sure would like to see what the shifter plate markings looked like!
Hard to believe Hondas still had a 2 speed automatic as late as ’78 or ’79!
Their modern auto transes have always been their weak points.
I’m part of the group who learned something new today. I never heard of this transmission.
It helps to be ‘a certain age’. Those of us carnuts who were around then know of them, but so few Torque Drive Chevys were built, it’s easy to understand why it wouldn’t be common knowledge to all today.
I was born in 1970 but I seem to be drawn to the obscure, which is why I knew about these.
Basically, I am the Cliff Claven of the car world (if you remember the TV show Cheers, you know what I mean).
Any useless automotive trivia, it is probably deeply planted in my head. Useful knowledge? Nope lol!
I was certainly around back when this was new. I bought a 1970 Camaro brand new. It had a three speed manual. Don’t remember if the torque drive was offered for the Camaro. Back in those days this Chevy 2 was not in my radar. Kind of neat now though.
I worked on one of these once, back in the early 70s. It looked just like a normal Powerglide but when you took off the pan the “valve body” was just a tiny little thing. That was the only one I ever saw.
Over 10k now..