10. Chevrolet Chevelle Z-16
GM has imposed a racing ban in 1963 that immediately stopped all racing actions and put Chevrolet’s racing programs on indefinite hold. For years, Chevrolet’s engineers tried to find a way to return to the race tracks. The independent racers used the Bow Tie cars, but there was no factory support of any kind. The solution was to introduce the Chevelle Z-16.
It was a high-performance model, produced for one year only and in just 200 examples. The Chevelle Z-16 is an extremely rare and valuable piece of Chevrolet history. Basically, it was a fully loaded regular Chevelle with all the go-fast options, a 396 V8 engine with Muncie 4-speed gearbox and a heavy-duty suspension. Some dealers weren’t aware this option even existed.
Also, Chevrolet refused to market the Z16, making this Chevelle a kind of secret model. They thought if they produced a special high-performance car, racers would use it. However, the Z-16 package was more of a street performer than a disguised racing car, so it didn’t leave a big mark on the drag racing scene.