1965 Chevrolet Impala

1965 Chevrolet Impala SS Sport Coupe — 327 V8, Red on Red, Floor-Shift Console


Why This Car Is Special

The 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport is one of the most complete expressions of what Chevrolet's full-size performance lineup had to offer in the mid-1960s. By 1965, the Impala had become the best-selling car in America, and the Super Sport package elevated it above the standard lineup with a dedicated set of interior and exterior distinctions that set it apart at the dealership and on the street. This particular 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS is a Sport Coupe — the pillarless hardtop body style — finished in red over a matching all-red vinyl interior, carrying the 327 cubic inch V8 backed by a Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic with a floor-mounted shifter. The combination of the SS package, the console, the 327, and a single-color red-on-red presentation makes this a well-optioned example of one of the most recognizable American cars of its era.

The VIN on this car decodes to confirm it was built as a genuine Super Sport. The fourth and fifth characters identify it as a 1965 Impala SS Sport Coupe (model 66837), and the engine code within the VIN sequence confirms the 327 V8. This is not a base Impala wearing SS badges — it is a factory Super Sport.

For context, Chevrolet sold over 243,000 Impala SS units for the 1965 model year, which was the final year the full-size SS lineup could be ordered across multiple body styles before the Super Sport designation was dropped to coupe-only configurations going forward. The 1965 model year also represented the last of the 'classic' Impala body generation before the 1966 refresh, which makes it a natural stopping point for collectors who want the cleanest version of the mid-sixties full-size Chevy design.

The 327 small block is among the most respected engines Chevrolet produced in this era. It shared its basic architecture with the Corvette's 327 and was available in multiple states of tune in 1965. Paired here with the Turbo-Hydramatic automatic and a floor shifter console, it delivers a relaxed but capable driving experience — enough performance to be engaging on the road without demanding the mechanical attention a big block would require.


Features List

- 327 cubic inch V8 engine, painted in factory Chevy orange/red
- Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic transmission
- Floor-mounted shifter with SS console
- Console-mounted clock
- Manifold vacuum gauge
- Power steering
- Power brakes
- Dual exhaust
- Red vinyl front and rear bench seats
- Red carpet throughout
- Red headliner
- SS emblems on door panels
- SS badge on grille
- SS badge on trunk lid
- 'Super Sport' fender script
- '327' fender badge with crossed flags emblem
- Impala SS wheel covers
- Whitewall tires
- Chrome front and rear bumpers
- Delco AM radio
- Front and rear seat belts
- Independent front coil spring suspension
- Rear coil spring suspension
- Coated and undercoated floor pans
- Solid undercarriage


Mechanical

The 327 cubic inch small block V8 is dressed in factory Chevy orange/red engine paint and presents well in the engine bay. The block, intake, and valve covers carry the correct finish, and the overall engine compartment appearance is consistent with a car that has been maintained and cared for rather than neglected and patched. The Turbo-Hydramatic transmission — Chevrolet's improved automatic that replaced the earlier two-speed Powerglide in higher-spec applications — shifts through three gears cleanly via the floor-mounted console shifter.

Power steering and power brakes are both present, which is a meaningful combination on a full-size car of this weight. The 1965 Impala's suspension uses an independent front coil spring setup with an upper and lower A-arm arrangement, and coil springs at the rear as well — an unusual choice for the era, as most domestic manufacturers were still using leaf springs out back. This four-wheel coil spring setup gave the full-size Chevrolet a noticeab