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Rick Dobbertin’s 1965 Chevy Nova II is one of the most recognizable hot rods of all time.
By a show of hands, who remembers Rick Dobbertin’s 1965 Nova? This Nova is the car that sparked interest in the hobby of hot-rodding in the hearts and minds of many gearheads. The car is also credited with having set the custom car world spinning when it was first unveiled back in 1982. Get your wallet and credit rating ready, because it’s up for grabs to the highest bidder at the September Barrett-Jackson auction in Vegas over the weekend of the 24th through the 26th.
The interior screams fast. Two race-style buckets are installed inside of a full roll cage.
When Dobbertin introduced his Nova, the Pro-Street scene was just gaining momentum. Thirty years later, many hot rodders still remember this car and acknowledge it as the reason they got into the hobby. The car was first unveiled at Car Craft’s 1982 Street Machine Nationals, where it garnered a number of top prizes, including Grand Champion and Best Car. It repeated these awards in the 1983 event as well as the Street Machine Nationals-East. The car made such a mark in the hot-rodding industry that Hot Rod Magazine named it their Street Machine of the Year.
Twin turbos AND a 6-71 huffer on top. Talk about gobs of power!
This innovative Nova has graced the covers of 14 magazines at last count. It’s also been featured in more than 100 publications, not just in the United States, but internationally. There is no argument that Dobbertin’s Nova is one of the most influential and significant custom cars that the hot rodding world has ever seen, and it continues to influence builders to this day.
Hood up, hood down, she is a thing of beauty.
Car builder Rick Dobbertin put in well over 3,000 hours over 36 months while building the car. He used not one, but two Roto-Master turbochargers during the build. That wasn’t enough boost, so Rick also stuck a BDS 6-71 supercharger on top, and plumbed-in an eight-port NOS system. All this feeds the 454 cubic-inch LS7 V8. Torque and horsepower is fed through a B&M-built Turbo 400 automatic and Dana 60 rear.
You’ve got to see this car to believe it. It is still in the original condition from when Rick first let the world see it more than 30 years ago. Get your checkbook out as it’s not going to go cheap. This is a No Reserve item, so there is a minuscule chance that many collectors can have a chance to score this piece of hot ridding history.
