In much the same manner as the '73 Mustang and '73 Cougar, the Chevelle for 1973 put on quite a few pounds over its predecessor... just in time for the Arab Oil Embargo. Until now, I hadn't been able to find any of the "big" Malaise Chevelles, though we have seen examples of the angular '64-67 Chevelle as well as the more rounded '68-72 variety.
Early emission-control equipment was pretty crude, so compression ratios had to come down, down, down to meet the new federal standards. 1973 was the first year of the Malaise Era (I made up the term, so I get to decide that stuff), and the 350 in this car was rated at either 145 horsepower (two-barrel carburetor) or 175 horsepower (Quadrajet). That hurts, but worse was in store.
3,580 pounds. That's the factory shipping weight of the V8 Chevelle for '73. That means the Chevelle scaled in at 45 pounds more than the weight of the V8-equipped two-door '66 Impala (and about the same as the projected weight for the 2010 Camaro). But you did get the colonnade roof in the Chevelle!
The big round taillights are vaguely reminiscent of the ones found on early-60s full-sized Chevrolets and Corvettes, yet very much of the Watergate era.