The Chevrolet Impala SS has long been a sought-after American classic from the middle 90s. This is not necessarily based solely on its credentials as a factory hot rod but also because it was one of the last times Chevy built a car like this. An unabashedly old-school mean machine on ancient architecture with a dollop of upgrades to make it sufficiently modern. This was also a mainstream rear-wheel drive sedan based the B-body architecture that spent decades in operation before GM moved over to a front-wheel drive W-body replacement and cars like these started to make a lot less sense. That’s why a clean SS like this 1996 model listed here on eBay will always be in demand.
The SS was just flat-out bad-ass, clad in Dark Cherry Metallic paint with a subtle factory body kit, dual exhaust, 5-spoke alloy wheels, and a distinctively low stance. 0-60 happened in about seven seconds flat, and was essentially a police package Impala with nicer duds. The 5.7L LT1 pushed out a beefy 260 horsepower by the time the 1996 model rolled around, and it was the inclusion of the this engine in the Impala’s options list that catapulted it from classic American land yacht to enthusiast darling/sleeper. It’s always nice to a see a performance car in bone stock condition, right down to the exhaust system.
The interior wasn’t exactly worked over, equipped with gray leather seats with front buckets and otherwise looking like a garden variety Impala. The details got tweaked slightly over the years and in addition the powerplant, the later SS also got the shifter moved down to the center console and an updated instrument cluster. The road holding abilities were also improved as part of the SS trim, equipped with “Special Ride and Handling Suspension” in addition to the wider rubber. Four-wheel disc brakes rounded out the notable equipment list, along with keyless entry and cornering lamps.
The Impala SS has shown some strength in the collector car marketplace in recent years, with truly outstanding examples fetching very strong money. I suspect this will continue as new-age collectors look for cars they can drive everyday without heavy modifications. The reason Broncos are constantly resto-modded is because owners suddenly regret splurging on an archaic vehicle; the Impala SS solves this problem by being usable as-is without having to be re-engineered. The seller’s car appears to be quite honest with reasonable miles, no modifications, and a fair asking price – which, by the way, is listed with the option to submit a best offer.
This Impala SS looks like its really in mint condition. Love the color too the black looked good on these too, all business, but the deep burgundy is a nice change. I remember when these came out, they were a big deal. There was a secretary at the company I worked for who’s boyfriend bought one of these. Let’s just say, that particular car drew an awful lot of attention from the 20′ to 30’s year old guys when they came into work. The mileage is very reasonable, kind of low, but seems very honest for something that would have been daily driven when it was new. It looks like this was definitely stored very carefully since new, and taken care of too. I totally agree with you Jeff, I prefer cars that are original, you know, that hasn’t been altered or butchered up. I’d keep this Impala exactly as it is. They say when you buying a collector car, get the nicest one you can, well……. Here you go. I hope someone gets this and takes the same care of it that its had over these past couple of decades.
Love these!
Put more than a few miles on a couple of these hotted-up Impalas when they were new, and enjoyed every mile. I even got to take a couple of laps on the track at Road America, and was impressed by how well the engineers had sorted the chassis.
Wouldn’t change a thing. Just drive it, and keep the cosmetics nice. Since it has already been bid up to $23K, it’s beyond my budget, but whoever gets it can have a lot of fun hustling it around. They probably won’t rack up as many miles as I would….
The first one of these I saw was in the Perkins parking lot. It was dark and that thing looked amazing under the lights, I wanted it badly but back then as it is now, I could never afford it. I guess I could afford it but I don’t want it that much
green one is the color to have. not many made lots of black and cherry. either way cool car. i have a friend who bought 1 new and it has 250k on never apart.
Nice police interceptor as it could of been. Nice to see this dark purple instead of usual black.
The 9C1 was the Police Pursuit Vehicle (PPV), and the same mechanically as the Impala SS. The 9C1 was the utilitarian version of the SS but did have a few minor things such as an oil cooler, silicone coolant hoses, and a few other items. I had a black 96 SS, quick for it’s size, relatively nimble as well. Great cruiser.
Love this model. Favorites were the early column shifted SS. More traditional I suppose 😌
These sold practically every police agency in the country on the “Interceptor” version which were called The Shamu for the shape and the speed for its time. When they went to city/county/state auction years later some unscrupulous car dealers would repaint and redo the inside then pawn them off as authentic “SS” models to unsuspecting buyers.
Regardless, all the real SS’s became even more of a hot item when Chevy went to FWD models later that NO one really got excited about.
I had a green ’96, sweet ride indeed.
What’s really sad is that GM’s bean counters likely poked their noses where they didn’t belong….AGAIN! In 1996 when design engineers succeeded in putin’ the shifter on the floor, & instead of utilizing a fully-analog, BOLT-IN, Z28 gauge cluster, they install instrumentation which lacks both a volt meter & a mechanical oil pressure indicator!….penny-pinching idiot lights took care of alienating buyers w/those 2 choices!
Shamu indeed. Great engine and suspension and the paint color is awesome but the interior looks like the garden variety Impala. And the body just looks bloated, much prefer the Holden based SS or the Mercury Marauder. I admire what they did but I’m guessing I’m saying I wouldn’t pay what they’re asking.
I wanted one new of course no money. Now I have it and these are getting tougher to find not beat up or 174 cigarette holes in the interior. There’s a place in suburban Phikadelphia that specialized in these. He told me recently he’s given up trying to find good ones.
Had a ’95 in the green. It could handle winding roads like they were straight highways. Wife’s favorite car. Just don’t have the garage space anymore, not too many 3-car setups in 55+ community.
I’m confused… it says its an auction but its listed as a for sale ad with best offer… even though further down it says they only do no reserve auctions and no buy it now… strange.
I own a 94 put a console from a 96 in it. Couldn’t find a 96 I could afford so I made one. It’s a 100.000 car two opti spark distributors over the last 7 years. Taking care of it and love driving it.
I do not understand the economics of the car business anymore. It would seem to me with many empty plants in Atlanta, St. Louis etc. etc. that a case could be made for the continuing build of many rear drive V8 cars with a market in mind of police and fools like me. Surely the stampings and components have been amortized to worhtlessness to the original makers and available for salvage prices. Couldn’t you build on the shoulders of the safety qualifications of the originals? With transaction prices nearing $50k as an average, why not? If Revology has a wait list for Mustangs at $225k, surely a consortium of local governments could issue bonds for the seed money and become their own supplier. Do I not get it, or has my brain jellied to the point of abstraction?
I guess I’ll bid on this one myself. We need a car when we’re back in the states and these are great drivers