Occupied with an ideal high-performance Chevy sedan with a mere 79 miles on the odometer and an inside that is nonetheless partially wrapped in plastic? Remarkably, you possibly can have one: this Impala SS was in-built 1996 and has barely moved since. It is developing for public sale at Mecum in early January of 2026. How is that this stage of untouched-ness even doable? It is unclear from Mecum’s web site (which says the mileage is 78, however based mostly on a picture of the odo, it seems yet one more mile has been added since that was posted). The positioning does report that it was “[g]araged and coated in a climate-controlled setting since new.” Should you’re nervous about sure parts having gone south with age after 30 years, fret not: the tires are contemporary (however you get the unique manufacturing facility rubber if you happen to win the public sale), as is the battery.
The 1996 mannequin yr was the top of the road for the rear-wheel-drive, seventh-generation Impala SS, which commenced manufacturing in 1994. Three extra generations, all front-wheel-drive, adopted. The Impala moniker dates to the late Fifties and did not formally depart the Chevy steady for good till 2020, when the mannequin was retired. By the way in which, the SS stands for “Tremendous Sport,” and the designation has reliably been a part of Chevy’s choices for many years. I actually love these giant four-doors that had been sadly supplanted by the rise of the SUV, so it is truthfully thrilling to see such an impeccable instance of the legendary Impala hit the public sale block.
A Corvette motor in a household automobile
The V8 underneath the hood is a 5.7-liter unit – an LT1 borrowed from the Corvette and decreased from 300 horsepower to 260 hp. A four-speed auto handles the 330 pound-feet of torque. In line with Hagerty, the 0-60mph time when new was 7.5 seconds (I discovered another sources that recommend a bit faster). Inside, after all, acres of mid-Nineties Detroit luxurious (the Impala SS was in-built Texas, nevertheless, at GM’s Arlington Meeting plant). On this case, pretty dove-gray leather-based, with the entrance bucket seats and the steering wheel as-yet unwrapped.
An honest variety of these automobiles had been manufactured in the course of the quick run: 69,758, once more in line with Hagerty. I did a fast search across the web and located listings starting from underneath $20,000 for larger mileage automobiles to $30,000-$45,000 for automobiles that have not been pushed as a lot (this low-miles Impala went for about 60 grand on Deliver A Trailer final yr). Clearly, the Mecum Impala SS going underneath the hammer is a somewhat particular instance, and whereas it stickered for $26,192 when it was born (the automobile comes with full documentation and manuals), one expects some appreciable worth appreciation.
A wonderful Tremendous Sport
Anyone in Southern California evidently purchased the Impala SS new after which had the foresight to stash it away for 3 many years. The public sale itemizing does not utterly element the working situation of all of the automobile’s programs, and to be sincere, the loopy low mileage compels me to recommend that the successful bidder rent a certified mechanic to verify all the things out earlier than cranking it up. That mentioned, the 17-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels are pristine, as is the straightforward black paint job. There is a CD participant! The “Impala SS” lettering on the rear panels is blacked-out and pretty discrete; use of chrome is restrained. Historical past has been form to the unpretentious design: it is lengthy, low, and modern, with a capacious trunk and a roomy cabin that can trigger bigger people to rejoice. The factor is made for cruising, however that potent V8 means you possibly can at all times punch it, if the urge strikes. That may add some miles, however who may resist?