Remember Dinah Shore on TV singing, “See the USA in Your Chevrolet”? While that ad campaign dates back to the 1950s, apparently folks were still taking that to heart more than a decade later. Chevy sold more than one million full-size cars in 1965, a record that has yet to be beat. Leading that way with 80 percent of those sales was the Impala, a Chevy darling since 1958. This 1965 Impala has three things going for it: 1) the car is in immaculate condition; 2) the car is a convertible; and 3) the car is a convertible. Quite the trifecta for a sweet machine located in Fort Myers, Florida and available here on eBay where the bidding is up to $17,100 and the reserve is still waiting to be met.
While the Impala nameplate goes back to the 1950s, you can still buy a brand-new Impala today, but you’d better hurry. 2020 is the last year of the car before GM shifts most of its production focus to SUVs and trucks. Since 1958, the Impala name appeared in a Chevy model year brochure a total of 52 astonishing times! And often it was the flagship model, that is until the Caprice came along. In 1965, you could get an Impala with just about any motor that Chevy made. The Super Sport option was quite popular, giving the buyer full SS-badged wheel covers, front bucket seats, all-vinyl trim, and a console with a built-in clock. SS models came as either a two-door hardtop or convertible. Chevy sold more than 240,000 SS Impalas for 1965 and 27,000 of them were convertibles.
The fact that so many SS convertibles were built for ’65 doesn’t diminish the value of the seller’s pristine looking ragtop. We’re given practically no information about the car other than the family selling the car has owned it since 1965, but they don’t go as far as to call it one-owner. So, we’ll have to leave it up to the visuals provided to tell us what we’ve got.
The body is straight and clean and the black top over white bottom looks simplistically attractive. Both the top and paint could be original, but given the 82,000 miles on the odometer, both are likely to have been redone at some point. The chrome and glass do look good. It would take a magnifying piece to find any imperfections from the photos provided. The car carries a Florida blue vintage license plate, which suggests that the auto has been in the Sunshine State for quite a while, a place noted for humidity and rust. But there is no evidence that rust found its way to this vehicle.
Inside the car is as nice as the outside. The upholstery, door panels and dash look great in blue and the only thing you might want to change out is the carpeting as it appears to be getting tired in several places. The trunk is not quite as nice and refinishing it with new floor mat might not be a bad idea. The car seems to be a minimalist in the options department with no indication of power accessories like windows, steering or brakes. The fender script looks to say 283 on it, which would have been the entry level V-8 for the Impala. We’re guessing that the automatic transmission is a Powerglide, floor shifted, of course, since it’s an SS. Somewhere along the way, the car appears to have picked up a set of dual exhaust pipes.
The resale value on the full-size Chevy’s seem to start in the $20-30,000 range in the condition this one is in. But then being an SS and a convertible should add to that number. A 396 would cause the price to really jump. So, the fact that several people have bid the car to close to $20,000 already is not surprising. It will be interesting to see how far it goes.
They’re amazing. My grandfather had one in LA. He died in 1992, and my dad inherited, brought it to Seattle. Then dad sold it. A beautiful blue SS with electric everything. Memories galore, getting picked up at LAX and driving up and down Sunset, 101, etc. So great
My dad bought a brand new black on black ‘65 Impala SS. Every summer we went a road trip in that car and we always had a great time. It would have been my first car but sadly was totaled when someone ran a light. I still miss it.
What a beautiful 65! I wonder if the upholstery is original, or this car rarely had the top down and was stored inside. The tops of the seats look perfect, even the inside of the top (if original) has no sun fading that you typically see if the boot isn’t installed. Irregardless, it is still a beautiful car, now if it only had factory air! Good luck to the owners, they deserve top dollar for this car, it was obviously well loved. I must be getting old, I’m digging the whitewalls and wheel covers!
Good thing the seller has a reserve. With the lack of Information and quality pictures they won’t get as much interest as if they had put more effort into the ad.
The two main reasons sellers have vague descriptions. First, they are lazy. Second, they are being deceptive. If a seller doesn’t tell you anything specific you can’t go to eBay after the purchase and say the item is “not as described”, which is one of the main reasons eBay issues refunds. The seller is probably just being lazy, but a wise potential buyer should set up an inspection or arrange for more pictures and chat over the phone with the seller, just in case. Either way, their actions will suppress bidding.
Steve R
I think ’65 was the best-looking year for Chevy.
Definitely! And light years ahead of the homely flat-faced ‘64s
My brothers cousins,uncle had one after my cousin sister sold it to my nephews dad who gave it to his 3rd sister in law. Nice cars
I agree with Steve. Sellers really need to get educated about how to sell their merchandise. They are of course unskilled at it, so someone I think
would do well in showing people how to move the stuff convincingly.
This one is a beauty if what is presented is true, but more information is needed.
Awesome looking ’65 Impala S/S & a great ragtop! Would have more value/interest if it was a 396 or a 409 4sp!
Yes, it would. Pretty bland with that two-speed Powerglide, 283. With its 3.36 axle, it feels like it needs to shift all the time. A 396 and first year Turbo-Hydramatic with a more highway friendly 3.07 would have made it much more enjoyable to drive.
Why is there 2 different plates on this CAR ??
Nice car but I think it’s at it’s price range now and the reserve isn’t met!! I think it’s the “I don’t really want to sell it!!” Reserve!!!
In the early 1960s you could order a car with any option you wanted. Super Sports with 6 cyl engines, Biscaynes with Big Block Engines. In NY in 1965 there was only one plate issued. The front plate appears to be a personalized plate that was added for show. The prices on the 65 Chevys, although many were built, have gone up tremendously, I would say the reserve is probably 20K. Big Block 65s are in the 30K range. It is best to see the car in person. I have been lucky over the years and purchased two cars on ebay with seeing them first. I did however have an hour long telephone conversation with the seller prior to purchasing the cars. A Super Sport Convert is a really great car, all you have to do is take a ride in one and you’ll know what I mean. I have owned one since 1982 and have had over a dozen since. My current 65 is an SS Convert and it is absolutely awesome!
Sold for 25K, so it says…A bit high to me but…nice car.
as much as I like the ’65s, I would not pay 25k for one of them. you could probably pay a lot less for a similar style like a ’66 Chevy.