Story
1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna S-3
The 1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna S-3 is the final year of Chevrolet's aero-nose Laguna Type S-3 coupe. It kept the sloped body-color urethane nose and quarter-window louvers that define the 1975-1976 cars, but added 1976 rear styling with horizontal taillights shared with other Chevelles.
This page treats the 1976 car as a late-classic handling and identity package rather than a big-block muscle car. The 454 path was gone by 1976. Public references list a new 305 two-barrel small-block as the standard V8, with a 350 two-barrel and 400 four-barrel as options; the 400 four-barrel is the top reported 1976 engine at 175 SAE net horsepower. The same references report 9,100 Laguna S-3 cars and a $4,621 base price.
For collectors, the important boundary is year-correct evidence. A 1976 S-3 claim should line up with the aero front end, quarter-window louvers, 1976 rear treatment, round-gauge Laguna instrument panel, drivetrain stamps, trim tag, emissions labels, axle evidence, and documents. NASCAR popularity is part of the Laguna story, but it does not authenticate a street car's chassis, paint, trim, engine, transmission, or axle claims by itself.