1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

The 1965 model year debuted a whole new generation of full-size Chevrolets. Gone was the X-shaped frame, replaced with a conventional perimeter frame. Dubbed the "Girder Guard" frame by Chevy, this allowed a lower central transmission tunnel and floor.

The new Impala retained the iconic six round taillights of the outgoing fourth-generation cars, and gained almost three inches in length, although wheelbase remained largely unchanged (the new cars was actually a hairsbreadth shorter.)

Midway through the '65 model year the old W-series Turbo Thrust big block went away, replaced with the new 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet V-8, which would provide the basic Chevy big block architecture through 1990.

While regular Impalas could be had in a variety of shapes, pillared and hardtop, coupe or sedan or convertible, the Impala Super Sport only came as a convertible or a hardtop Sport Coupe like the Mist Blue example in the photos. While boring people could order a Super Sport with any Impala powerplant, including the 140hp Turbo-Thrift 230cid inline six... we've seen '65 Impalas with 283 and 327 small blocks on these pages before ...the "396 Turbo-Jet" fender badges tell us this Impala is ready to party.

Most 396 Impalas had the hydraulic lifter 325hp version of the motor, but for maximum performance a solid-lifter 425 pony variant was available. Motor Trend tested a 325hp 396 backed by a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic in a Caprice hardtop sedan. With a 3.08 rear end the big Chevy managed an 8.9 second time to sixty and a trip through the quarter in 16.7 at 85mph on the way to a top speed of 103.

The one in the pictures was photographed with a Canon EOS R5 and an RF 24-240mm f/3.5-6.3 IS zoom lens in June of 2026.