Drawing inspiration from the African antelope, the Chevrolet Impala made its first appearance as a Corvette-inspired show car at the 1956 Motorama. In 1958, celebrating fifty years of production, the Impala was introduced as a premium anniversary edition of the Bel Air.
Although it diverged from its original concept, the Impala quickly gained popularity, becoming a mainstay in the Chevy lineup. The 1961 launch of the Super Sport (SS) package transformed the Impala into a high-performance sedan, equipped with a powerful 360-hp Turbo Thrust big-block V8 engine.
Over the following eight years, the Impala SS solidified its reputation as one of America’s most sought-after performance vehicles. However, 1970 saw the discontinuation of the SS package, signaling a shift in the Impala’s direction.
The 1992 North American International Auto Show witnessed a resurgence of interest in the Impala SS concept, sparking enthusiasm among car lovers. Responding to the demand, Chevy announced the production of the Caprice-based Impala SS for the 1994 model year, blending subtle design updates with robust performance.
