1966 CHEVROLET Impala Super Sport 7.0L V8 3AT (390 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Chevrolet introduced the fourth generation of the Impala in 1965, in the middle of the muscle-car era, and prepared a Super Sport version for it, which came a year later.

With all the pony-cars and sports cars, and muscle cars around, it was hard for a carmaker to launch a new coupe on the market. Yet, Chevrolet dared to offer the Impala with a Super Sport package, and it was close to competing with its own Chevelle or Malibu, both being offered with a Super Sport package. But the Impala was more of a personal coupe than a muscle car.

While its four-door sedan broke all the sales records and passed the one-million cars sold in twelve months, the Impala Super Sport was the kind of vehicle sold for those who couldn’t go to the drag-strip, but they wanted to. It was large, with two doors and with room for six. Moreover, in the open-top version, it looked even better. Its chromed grille at the front and dual headlights system looked impressive but not intimidating.

Inside, the SS model was available with a wood-trimmed steering wheel, a heating and air-conditioning unit, and a radio. Its bucket seats at the front were too flat to be called that way, but that’s how Chevrolet named them on the options list. The carmaker provided a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, but only depending on the trim level and options.

The Super Sport version featured a four-speed manual transmission with an option for a two-speed automatic. Later on, Chevrolet introduced a three-speed automatic for the Super Sport. Under the hood, the carmaker installed a seven-liter V-8 engine that produced 390 hp. That was enough for a muscle car, but the Impala, with its almost 4,000 lbs (1,800 kg) weight, was too heavy. Not to mention that it wasn’t available with disc brakes.