Chevrolet almost had a miss on their hands when they introduced the Super Sport in 1961. It was strictly about performance and only a few hundred Impalas were built that way. The company changed its strategy in 1962 by making the car more about its sporty appearance. Sales jumped to 99,000 copies that year and continued to grow through the middle of the decade. This ’66 Impala is not only an SS but also has a 396 cubic inch V8 with a 4-speed speed, a very desirable combination. Located in a garage in Marion, Kentucky, and in need of a lot of work, this Chevy is available here on eBay. This bidding holds at $4,000, but what will it take to break the reserve?

The 1965 model year would be a banner year for Chevy’s full-size cars and the Impala, selling in numbers that were not seen before or after that pinnacle year. But sales would naturally drop in 1966 and the Super Sport was hurt the most as Chevrolet promoted the luxurious Caprice as the car line’s top offering, the spot the SS held before that. Demand for the full-size SS would decline for the balance of the decade as more buyers were moving to mid-size cars for looks and performance. The Impala Super Sport was retired (at least temporarily in name) after 1969.

This Impala SS has been owned by the seller for about a year. Perhaps it was bought for a restoration project that never took place, but that’s just a guess. The auto seems fairly solid with rust reported behind both the front and rear wheels. The trunk pan and floorboards are good, so perhaps the undercarriage won’t need much attention. We’re told this car is numbers matching, at least in terms of the engine block and heads. The motor was pulled for a rework, while the 4-speed still resides where it’s supposed to be.

With the introduction of the 427 in 1966, the 396 was only offered in one form, which produced a whopping 325 hp. That was a huge step up from the 327 and even inline-6 engines that could be ordered from your neighborhood Chevy dealer. For 1966, the Impala had square taillights instead of the triple round ones that had been a staple since 1960. This car retains its Strato-bucket seat interior, but it will need as much attention as the rest of the machine. We don’t know how many ’66 Impala SSs came with a 396/4-speed, but total SS production was still impressive at 119,000 copies.