1961 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Convertible

The Impala nameplate, which had begun as a special anniversary spinoff of the Bel Air in 1958, became its own model in the gloriously tail-finned 1959-1960 models. The 1961 model year saw the launch of the third generation of the Impala on GM's new B-body platform. The bodywork was more slab-sided and the tailfins were gone, leaving only vestigial creases atop the rear fenders. The Impala retained the sextet of round tail lamps and featured a stylized “V” in the center of the rear of the decklid.

As with the second generation, the Impala was the top tier of the full-size Chevy model hierarchy, above the spartan, fleet-oriented Biscayne and the mid-line Bel Air. It was available in a full array of coupe, convertible, and sedan body styles. (There wasn't an Impala wagon, per se; the most luxurious trim level of the full size Chevy wagon lineup was called the Nomad, even though it was essentially a five-door Impala.)

New for 1961 was the Super Sport package for the Impala. Available on any model of Impala, the SS package is most closely identified with the Sport Coupes and convertibles.

Unlike regular Impalas, which could be had with the entire range of Chevy power plants of the day, the '61 Impala Super Sport package came with one of three versions of the Turbo-Thrust Special 348 cubic inch OHV big block V-8. The base 4-barrel version had a 9.5:1 compression ratio and was rated at 305 SAE gross horsepower. Next up from that was a 340 horsepower version, still a single 4-barrel, but sporting solid lifters, a hotter cam, and an 11.25:1 compression ratio. The top of the heap was the Super Turbo-Thrust which added triple 2-barrel carbs to the mix for an output of 350 gross horsepower.

The Super Sport package came with a floor-shifted all-synchromesh four-speed manual, although the 305hp motor could be ordered with an optional 2-speed Powerglide.

Midway through the model year, the 348 big blocks were joined by a legendary motor. Chevy bored and stroked the big block to cylinder dimensions of 4.31"x3.5" for a total displacement of 409 cubic inches. The new motor was available with a single Carter 4-bbl carb, making 360 horses.

Back in the mid Nineties, Car and Driver tested a vintage '61 Impala SS Sport Coupe with the 409 and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 6.7 seconds and a 15.2 second E.T. in the quarter with a trap speed of 94 miles per hour. That 409 coupe cost $3,986 new back in 1961, or about $42k in today's money, so this Jewel Blue droptop would have been a little spendier.

It was photographed in July of 2017, in Enfield, New Hampshire. The top photo was taken with an iPhone 6S, while the lower two were snapped with a Hasselblad Lunar and an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS zoom lens.