How To Make A Great American Car: 1965 Chevy Impala SS

General Motors introduced the Impala in 1958 as a new, upmarket, sporty trim package created for Bel Air coupes and convertibles. In 1959 it became its own line and began a 10 year run as America's best-selling automobile. In 1964 it sold over 1.07 million units.

Shortly after the Impala was introduced, GM began working on a "performance" version of the car. And in 1961, the Impala SS (Super Sport) was introduced to the market. It truly lived up to its name. According to Wikipedia, the Impala Super Sport's available engines included the high-performance 348-cubic-inch (5.7 L) V8 engines available with 305 brake horsepower (227 kW), 340 brake horsepower (250 kW), and 350 brake horsepower (260 kW) or the new 409-cubic-inch (6.7 L) V8, which was available with up to 425 brake horsepower (317 kW). The package also included upgraded tires on station wagon wheels, springs, shocks and special sintered metallic brake linings.

According to the Washington Post, The Super Sport coupe was available as a convertible or a hardtop. The Impala got slightly larger for '65, with a cleaner, less chrome-laden design. The hardtop coupe's fastback roof line replaced the fake-convertible look of its immediate predecessors. The new look was a success: The 1965 Impala was the most popular Super Sport ever, with more than 237,000 cars sold.

The Impala Super Sport made the early and mid-1960s a golden era for sleek, powerful sedans.

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