While the 1970 Chevelle with the LS6 engine is discussed here, the same logic would apply to any year Chevrolet and any option.

Chevrolet's records were destroyed long ago so there is no way to know today how many of any particular body style were sold with what specific options. Consequently there is no known figure on how many of the 4,475 RPO LS6 options were sold in the sport coupe, convertible, or sedan pickup body style. The same applies to how many H.D. 4-speeds, TH400 automatics, Positraction, vinyl tops, radios, or any other options were sold by particular body style or in combination with other options. The number of individual options are known but that is about it.

How many of an individual option and what series and/or body styles they were available in is known for regular production options; combinations of any two or more options are not. Exterior paint colors sold were a choice the consumer made and not technically an option so even the overall number of red/blue/green/etc. Chevelles is not known. Toss in an unknown number of 1970 Chevelles with RPO ZP3, special order paint, and you now have an unknown to factor in. While something simple like the number of Chevelles sold with bucket seats (RPO A51) is known, the colors of those seats and the body styles they were installed in is not known.

Examples of what is known and what can statistically be calculated given the number of 1970 Chevelle V8 Malibu sport coupes, convertibles, and sedan pickups along with the number of known LS6 options. Here there are still two possibilities. Chevrolet reports that 289,622 V8 sport coupes were sold but that number includes 25,938 'imported' from Canada. Since it is known that no LS6 Chevelle was built in Canada, it is logical to only include the U.S. figure or 263,684 V8 sport coupes built in the U.S. No V8 Malibu convertibles or sedan pickups were 'imported' from Canada so the number of those two models remains constant.

Total of possible body styles that the LS6 could be ordered in: 311,553
13637 V8 sport coupes: 263,684 - percentage of total possibilities, roughly 84.63%
** (Canada exported sport coupes to the U.S. are excluded since no LS6 was ever built in Canada).
13667 V8 convertibles: 7,141 - percentage of total possibilities, roughly  2.29%
13680 V8 sedan pickups: 40,728 - percentage of total possibilities, roughly  13.07%
RPO LS6 options: 4,475

Using an evenly distributed formula:
13637 V8 sport coupes: 84.63% of 4,475 results in 3,387 sport coupes.
13667 V8 convertibles: 2.29% of 4,475 results in 103 convertibles.
13680 V8 sedan pickups: 13.07% of 4,475 results in 585 sedan pickups.

Caveat: Briggs Chevrolet campaigned a 1970 LS6 Chevelle convertible on the NHRA drag racing circuit. The car was driven by Ray Allen with Truppi-Kling as a major sponsor and engine builder. It has been claimed that Briggs Chevrolet got Chevrolet to state that (at least) 50 LS6 convertibles were built in order to be legal for NHRA competition while some claim on 17 LS6 convertibles were built, I have documentation on 31 1970 Chevelle LS6 convertibles as of this writing. We make no such claims here as to the real number of LS6 convertibles, just passing along the information. If the 17 figure is correct, it pretty much shoots holes in the evenly distributed formula above where, statistically, there would be 103 convertibles. Google search "TRUPPI-KLING" for more information on this car.

When one tries tossing into the mix the M22 4-speed or the TH400 automatic along with the ZL2 cowl induction hood - especially considering the TH300 and ZL2 cowl induction hood were available on other SS396 & SS454 optioned Chevelles, those calculated figures become even more diluted. So the next time you see an LS6 (pick a transmission) with (pick a color) interior being sold as '1-of-20' or 1-of-{any figure}, etc. you can pretty much guess which part of the human anatomy the claim came from.

GM of Canada resources know how many Chevelles were built in Canada and how many were built in the United States and imported into Canada for Canadian sales. On documentation they provide, for a fee, they indicate how many of a particular body style, such as the Malibu 2-door sport coupe, were built or imported and how many are estimated to have particular SS and other options. GM of Canada documentation on one sport coupe in particular indicates that 231 LS6 equipped sport coupes were imported into Canada for sale. In this case, the 231 LS6 sport coupes imported into Canada for sale would be part of the 3,840 sport coupes calculated above using an evenly distributed formula and not in addition to them.

Many of these 1-of-xx figures come from an appealing and colorful production poster by Chevelle enthusiast Dan Carr. This poster had production figures for 1968 to 1972 Chevelles and Dan breaks down the figures in a very unbiased way (mathematically) in an attempt to show how many of a body style might have been ordered with various SS and non-SS specific options; mainly which SS package, transmission types and cowl induction hoods for 1970 through 1972. With Dan's permission the following excerpt from his explanation on how certain figures were determined is presented here.

* The asterisk is my inclusion since it is now known that NO LS6 Chevelles were built in Canada and imported into the U.S. In fact, just the opposite is true. All LS6 Chevelles, be they coupes, convertibles, or pickups, sold in Canada were built in the U.S.; hence the difference in Malibu coupe figures of 263,684 and 289,622, or 25,938 units. These 25,938 Malibu coupes imported from Canada should not be counted in the percentages for possible LS6 optioned Chevelles in 1970. No convertibles or El Caminos were built in Canada so these production figures are sill valid, U.S. numbers.

Continued...

While it is a colorful and interesting post to have hanging in your garage or man cave, the figures presented on Dan Carr's poster are calculated possibilities as his included instructions state. Sadly many take these figures as facts and use them to promote the sale of their car.