Here is what I found when doing similar research. There are four types of price and option availability sources.
1. The
Chevrolet Price and Fact Book (pocket size)
2. The third party
Salesman Pocket Price Guides (pocket size)
3. The
Chevrolet Passenger Car Specifications and Manufactures Suggested Retail Prices
4. The
Chevrolet Price Schedule 8.5” and 11”
1 and 2 are both compiled from 4. They both are condensed to fit the pocket size and have disclaimers to see 4 for the complete list of options and model availability of the engine/transmission combinations. 3 is even more condensed and targeted for the customer.
Each of these documents was updated at least every quarter. That means that what you could order in September might not be available in January or visa versa.
The salesman validating the option combinations being ordered by the customer used the current Chevrolet Price Schedule and the current New Car Order form. This information might include restrictions between Engines, Transmissions, and Axle ratios. An example is that a Powerglide was not allowed on a 396. It by no means replaced the logic built into the computer design that built the cars. There might have been engineering reasons to add a heavy duty M21 or M22 to an order. Since each of the 4 speed transmissions could be ordered as an extra cost option and the standard transmission was a M20, why give away an upgrade for free.
So we are left with original documentation that was shipped with the car as the only real proof of what was done.
I hope this helps,
Greg Roberts
BTW I am looking for copies of the
Chevrolet Price Schedule for the 1968 Chevy II and 1969 to 1972 Nova. I want create a chart of the transmission options. I have started the following
Chevy II and Nova Transmission availability. This was created from the pocket price books and does not even come close to what was really available.