Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevrolet Nova Concours Cabriolet

I have an odd growing fascination with Malaise-era cars; I know times were dire, and most of--if not all--the cars turned out during that lamentable period between 1975 and 1982 were quite garbage in terms of build quality, and powetrains but the styling made up for it--mostly. Surely you had terrible colors, gaudy sticker packages, but in the end of the day, there were some truly awesome cars that resulted.
I have always been a fan of the post-1968 Nova. In its later years, the Nova lost a tad bit of its muscular character; the front end grew more mundane, and ass end went from the much-loved skinny taillights to rather boring and effortless square taillights that adorned their other cars, like the Caprice and Impala. The Nova also went from being a muscle car alternative to a lethargic pseudo-luxury two door with an economy four-door companion. The Concours name signaled luxury in the highest degree; vinyl landau roof, pleated seats, and steel wheels with trim rings, and a slew of badges. And cabriolet? Well, this is certainly not one, despite the moniker. But, who cares, this Nova looks damn good, strictly in a 1970s kitschy way.















Honestly, this was a huge surprise sighting for me; my friend in California, who runs California Streets, shot a green one. At first pic, I was in love; the green and white color combination on his find was.. well.. I am a huge sucker for green and white anything.. but these black example looks surprisingly awesome too. Not only was this Nova damn near immaculate, the Concours isn't exactly sought after today; it probably has the 307, it isn't very fast, and it sure doesn't look very sporty.
But that's why I like it. I've always gravitated towards cars that should look sporty, or should look "mean". but don't. Hence the reason I liked that gussied up Ford LTD Landau coupe I posted last summer, nearly one year ago. And my critique still stands. I love this, and I don't quite know why.
The paint is gorgeous, the badges are top-notch.. and those wheels.. I've always liked those wheels on anything from Camaros, to El Caminos, and they certainly work here. Would I be ashamed to have this awesome Malaise-era Nova in my drive? Absolutely not. This thing speaks volumes about a lost era, and it needs to be kept intact.
I applaud the owner for not only keeping this curious specimen alive, but keeping it in outstanding shape as well. Kudos to you; this Concours Cabriolet is likely the only one alive in this sate--and it's a damn good looking one, too.