The 1994-96 Impala SS has long been a legit cult classic and probably the quintessential example of Chevrolet’s Modern Era Super Sport (M.E.SS) models. It’s popular with enthusiasts and even the general public, which is a little surprising when one stops to think about it. On paper, it should have been a big fat “Meh”. The styling modifications on the staid Caprice are superficial. The drivetrain is the exact same as in the Caprice. Oh, and there’s the minor detail of its being a four door sedan! So what accounts for the widespread love for this M.E.SS? I would say at least three things.
For starters, there was the marketing. Rarely has there been a better tagline for an ad than this. Did they get permission from George Lucas? That’s OK, Vader only needs permission from the Emperor. Or the General, in this case.
I don’t want to be the one to tell Darth Vader he’s not allowed to carry his light saber.
Then there’s styling. Chevy managed to find a fairly sleek car under the Caprice’s gingerbread trim.
They would probably not have been able to pull that off as recently as 1990, when the Caprice was a gloriously boxy holdover from the 1970s.
1991’s restyled body was as slick and aerodynamic as GM could possibly have made it while still keeping the same platform and chassis. A low nose, more raked windshield and fast backlight contributed.
The last needed piece to fall in place was ditching the formal skirted rear wheel openings for 1993. Now they had something to work with! Being born in the 70s, the Caprice had old-school American sedan proportions with a relatively long wheelbase and long rear overhang giving it a naturally long and low look.
1994 Impala SS
With deletion of most of the brightwork, a new grille, a small rear spoiler, a Hofmeister kink’d D Pillar, and, most importantly, larger aluminum wheels, the Caprice’s inherent shape actually translated into a pretty sporty-looking Impala. The large size made it seem more intimidating and dark colors helped with the sinister vibe.
In the Caprice, the antediluvian rear-drive, body-on-frame, V8 chassis was a liability to its widespread appeal in the 90s. However, in the Impala SS, its appeal was enhanced by sharing the same configuration as genuine muscle cars of 25-30 years earlier. Everything is a matter of perspective, right? File this under making lemonade out of the lemons you’ve got on hand.
The third key to the Impala’s success was competence. The new model was made feasible largely because it required very little new engineering. Chevy had been refining the Caprice 9C1 Police Package (and related LTZ) for years. By the mid 90s, it was considered by many law enforcement experts to be the best cop car of any brand made to that point. Most of the 9C1’s components were simply moved into the Impala along with special de Carbon shocks and 255/50-17 (9C1: 235/70-15) lower-profile performance tires. The result was remarkably good handling and braking for such a large, old-fashioned car.
Internet photo
The center of any performance car that wants to be special is the engine. At first blush, the Impala might seem very un-special as the engine and transmission are completely unmodified from those found in regular Caprices (optionally, as well as standard in wagons, Buick Roadmasters and Cadillac Fleetwood Broughams). However, the Impala benefited from some reflected glory as the LT1, which was new in B-bodies for 1994, was first installed in Corvettes for 1992 and Camaros for 1993. “It’s got a Corvette engine!” is a great sales line, going back to the marketing. The Gen II 5.7L small block was a big advance, given to the B-bodies mainly to improve emissions and efficiency and to simplify production with one basic drivetrain for all rear-drive cars. The side benefit was significantly more power than its predecessor and enough muscular motive force to seem appropriate for a re-incarnated SS.
Its 260hp and 330 lb-ft was a lot of power for a domestic sedan in 1994. Only a few years earlier, big Chevys were doing well to have 170hp. 0-60 in 6.5 sec and 1/4 mile in 15.0@92mph was faster than a factory full-sized car had traveled since the 1960’s. And faster even than most 60’s Impalas.
Just like in the 60’s, the Impala SS shared a decidedly unsporty dash with its sister models. The Caprice’s fake wood was removed and high-back leather bucket seats replaced the customary park bench (though they shared seat frames and weren’t any more supportive than the Caprice’s and Roadmaster’s already decent seats). A center console was standard, but the 94 and 95 models kept the column shifter. In classic GM fashion, they waited for its last year in 1996 to give it a proper floor shifter and tachometer. Retro only went so far, though, as a 4-speed automatic was the only thing available under the console.
The final head-scratcher to Vader’s success is how Chevy passed a four-door sedan off as a throwback muscle car… and they actually got away with it! All previous Impala SS’s had been two doors, of course. No American car with muscly pretensions would ever have been caught with an extra set of doors in the 60s.
Stock ride height. Other featured car is lowered.
In the 90’s, though, the idea of a four door performance car was not nearly so radical. European performance cars in four door variants had been sold in the U.S. for a decade or two, and “euro” style American sedans like the Taurus SHO and Pontiac 6000 STE had been sprouting up in the 80’s and 90’s. Coupes in general had been falling out of favor for years. Chevy had killed the Caprice coupe in 1987, so obviously, a two door Impala SS wasn’t even an option. Enthusiasts took to the modern-era Impala SS four door with surprising ease.
Introduced midyear in 1994, 6,603 black Vader-mobiles were sold. Those not wanting to go full Sith Lord could choose Dark Cherry or Dark Gray-Green in 1995, when sales bumped to 21,454. The late 1995 announcement of the B-body’s cancellation at the end of the ’96 model year really lit a fire under anyone inclined towards Chevy’s sinister sedan, spurring 41, 941 to find grateful homes that year.
The Darth Vader metaphor works on a deeper level than one might at first realize. At the time of the original Star Wars story, Obi-wan, Yoda, and Vader were the last survivors of an archaic and discarded order of Jedi Knights. Kind of like the B-body sedans and wagons themselves being archaic and all but discarded by modern car buyers in the 90s. Unlike in the movies, the evil Galactic Empire of SUVs successfully killed all the Jedi B-bodies (and Panthers) and is threatening to wipe out even the few remaining traditional low sedans.
With the Impala SS, it feels good to root for the bad guy who proved to be redeemable in the end.
1996 Impalas photographed in Houston, TX April 2024 (top image) and February 2021
related reading:
Curbside Classic: 1994-96 Chevrolet Impala SS – Killer Whale By William Stopford
In-Motion Classic: 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS – Chicago On Wheels By Joseph Dennis
1996 Chevrolet Caprice 9C1 – One Officer’s Passion – if you missed it, my recent CC on the Impala SS’s progenitor and a compelling story of its owner.
Curbside Classic: 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged – Dangerous M.E.SS – M.E.SS #1
Nice writeup. I’ve always liked the B bodies. If they were still around, I might be driving one instead of the Avalon that is my current highway cruiser. You mention the console shifter; it’s funny that in the interior picture, the steering column looks oddly naked without the column mounted shifter.
Hi,
Great last year 1996 Impala SS. With the rear sway bar, the ride is smooth and sure-footed. The styling is bold and elegant.
My 1996 Roadmaster LTD wagons with tow package add a level of elegance to this B Body styling.
I am surprised that the rear sway bar, factory trailer hitch, tach and analog dash gages were not included in the other 1996 Caprice and Roadmaster wagon models.
Although they are 28 years old, these are my favorite GM cars.
Gary
“It’s got the Corvette engine” was legit street cred for these in the 90s, I heard that all the time from people’s mouths, not in advertisements. It’s funny with hindsight now where the LT1s output today is modest and was so vastly overshadowed by the LS1 that came soon after, only with the rise of the internet spread the word on the *other* B bodies that got the same engine, but it was well after production and the car made its impact before cynicism could correct the record.. The Mercury Marauder wasn’t so fortunate, that car never quite got past being just a blacked out panther, despite actually using a different engine than any other panther. The boxier styling probably played a role as well.
It’s a shame of course that this car successfully revived the Impala name from the dustbin of history(a rare thing for GM up to that point) and immediately followed it up with a restyled Lumina for 2000. That car seemed designed to trick people wowed by the 94-96, the name the hoffmiester kinked greenhouse, even similar looking wheels was present, just no muscle whatsoever under the veneer.
@XR7Matt: You mention the Mercury Marauder. What a nice car! But like you said, sadly it just didn’t catch on. I feel that they would have been better off doing that package on the Ford Crown Vic instead of the Marquis just because it would have fit better for what they were trying to do. Maybe not, but by that time people really didn’t associate Mercury with any performance. Just like Buick, Mercury was by then considered the more comfy older persons brand. As for looks, I do like the SS’s like the 1995/1996, but still think the Marauder was better looking overall.
Oh, what I’d do for large rear drive American brand sedans again. Heck, I’d settle for front drivers too. Anything other that all these SUV’s.
“It’s got a Corvette engine” is right up there with “It’s got a cop engine.” Too bad Ford kind of ruined that with the 90’s Crown Vics – great cars in every way, except for the engine that needed help from the radio to win any serious chase. I didn’t realize that all the last-gen Impalas used the same motor though; I figured the basic ones came with something less. That had to be a big blow to anyone who bought a Cadillac Brougham a few years before and found themselves down by as much as 120 HP!
On the Marauder, Ford was definitely running the same play. The trouble was, it was based on an equally-ancient chassis, and in a market that had only moved further away from that kind of vehicle. On the other hand, I’d think it had to be a superior car in every way other than maybe simplicity. Ford did put quite a bit into the Panther in the years between. You can’t fault the Impala for that though: I think they were very similar cars in the mid-90s (other than the power disadvantage). I like the look of the Impala, but I can’t help but notice that slightly-melted look (especially on the rear third, although the Panthers weren’t much better until the late-90s refresh). Personally, I’d take the Marauder any day of the week. Regardless, they’re both arguably classics – the kind of car you’d just drive the wheels off if you love it, because there’s nothing like it anymore.
The Marauder was to me more substantial under the skin, the Impala was really in its essence a handsome cosmetic makeover of what already existed, the Marauder got the DOHC engine from the Mach 1(nee SVT Cobra before the supercharger in 03) and the 2003 frame, suspension and brakes were upgraded across the board, including rack and pinion steering. Personally I have to admit even as someone with a bit of a Ford bias I find myself liking the look of the Impala more, but I would rather own the Marauder. I even have the latter engine swapped into my Cougar
I think the Impala SS was great example of making lemonade from lemons. The 91 Caprice a lot of people denigrate as just plain ugly – whale or bathtub are common nicknames – yet the Impala SS is widely considered one of GMs coolest cars of the 90s, go figure. But Chevy essentially cured the Caprice of it’s worse stylistic ailments with the Impala when it was still fresh. Ford(Mercury) on the other hand basically took a bodystyle that was 11 years old(the 98+crown Vic and Grand Marquis used the 92-97 Mercury roofline) and combined it with a lot of parts bin aesthetics. Really if you took a black 98+ Crown Vic police interceptor straight from the police auction and threw the Marauders chrome alloys on it most people wouldn’t be able to discern it from the Marauder. The Caprice adopted a lot of Impala cues itself but what remained unique really kept it separated.
I definitely appreciate both in their own ways. I think the popularity of the modern Dodge Charger owes a ton to both the Impala SS and Marauder for making 4-door muscle cars acceptable.
I always liked these, from the first time I saw the concept car in the early nineties while attending the Motor Trend International Auto Show in Baltimore with my Dad.
The Impala SS was a car we always liked in the sixties, since the family cars were a ’66 fastback Impala, and a ’68 Impala custom. (both non-SS)
But I could have sworn that the concept car shown was a two-door, but I could be remembering it wrong as this was 30 years ago. One of those weird things we humans do in our brains that fall under “I could have sworn”. But, concept cars are more often not reality as we all know. It could’ve just simply been that.
I too always liked these cars. I would have bought one back then if I was in a position to. But I wasn’t.
A SS impala coupe would have been sweet! Maybe a SS wagon?
Stay tuned on the wagon (around 11/21)!
Having been a police officer in the mid 90’s into the early 2000’s, I know this basic car quite well. The SS was basically just the 9C1 police package in fancier civilian trim, and a very nice car at that.
But for me, as strange as it sounds, I’ll take that gorgeous late 80’s dark blue one (4th pick from top) in a heart beat. Don’t take me wrong, I love the SS’s, but I really love the plush seats and simply and boxy design of that blue one.
I had a 95 and it was a great car. I even preferred the column shift and digital speedo. It is amazing to consider the incredible horsepower arms race that occurred shortly after these were discontinued, for example our 2005 Honda Pilot was 240 hp if I recall.
I can understand prefering the 95. There is really no functional benefit to the floor shifter, except maybe “manually” shifting the lockout gears. I’ve had a couple 94-95 Caprices and really liked the digital speedo. If they could have kept that and added a tach (like 91-93 9C1), it would have been great.
I actually considered buying a used Impala SS in 1999. Back then I lived in North Carolina, where these were relatively popular – and it seemed that a lot of them were bought new by older men (always men) who didn’t drive them much. As a result, it wasn’t too uncommon to see a reasonably-priced, low-mileage Impala SS.
Ultimately, I opted for a used Contour SVT instead (another one of those ’90s American performance sedans), which served me well for 12 years. But I still liked these SS’s.
I agree that this was a stroke of marketing genius. Chevy created a cult classic with very little effort. And interestingly, the similar-concept Crown Victoria LX Sport & Mercury Marauder didn’t quite achieve the same aura.
Locally these were called “whales” and yes, they were very competent if large sedans .
-Nate
If you design a car to have fender skirts, the rear tires need to be narrower to fit inside. From the back, the original Caprice looked like a trailer home on wheels. Then you take the fender skirts off and it looks funny or unfinished or both. This seems to have been a GM styling tick going back at least to the ’68 Skylark.
They widened the rear track when they enlarged the wheel opening. Did the same to the ’97 Deville. It helped mitigate the bloated look earlier years had.
Consoles should be abolished for auto trans because they inhibit manspreading.
Slightly off topic… as I tend to do, when I read something like this, I go searching on AutoTrader (Canada, in my case). There’s a ’95 there that’s been modded with a supercharger etc., with “battery relocated in trunk”. On first glance at the picture, my initial thought was “that’s nice but you might want to wire it in!”… On closer inspection you can see some wires and I think it’s just temporarily disconnected, but I got a chuckle out of it.
It looks to me like the battery is just sitting there. Also, there’s a jack but no spare.
Impalas are frequently modified. It’s probably harder to find a nice unmodified example these days.
I pulled up next to one at a notoriously long stoplight in Freehold,NJ not too long ago. I commented to the driver that his car was absolutely beautiful.He thanked me and said ‘listen to this’. The car had an airhorn that played the first nine notes of ‘The Imperial March’. Da da da da dada da dada. How cool that?
The band played Vader’s theme once as PM Tony Blair arrived for the State Opening of Parliament.
LOL! The horn is great!
I liked these a lot when they were new. I see these as the start of the trend that eventually begat the recently discontinued Charger. The owner base was similar – lots of cops and guys who appreciate American muscle.
As a child of the ’60’s, I immediately discounted the idea of a four door, hi-po anything! By the time these rolled around, there had been a couple of generations that had never known anything except a four door car. BMW and Mercedes had made their sedans objects of desire, especially the high performance variants. Combine that with the bad ass cop car vibe, Blues Brothers, anyone? It’s no surprise that these were welcomed when new, and are now venerated.
These were powerful, good handling cars that exuded an aura of American toughness. The Marauder arrived a bit too late to the party, and it even sported a “Cobra” engine. The last Crown Vics with the revised watts linkage rear end, were also very good handlers but they lacked the power under the hood.
There are a fair amount of guys that like decommissioned cop cars, and the Impala and the Marauder were their chance to buy one new and not beat up. The Chevy is nice, but I’d choose a Ford or Mercury for myself.
I’m a little surprised that none of the Australian contingent has weighed in on the “no four-door muscle cars” thing. Obviously, something being popular in Australia doesn’t necessarily impact American perceptions in any way, but cars like the Falcon GTHO, and of course the BMW M5, Lotus Carlton, etc., show that it was not a concept without precedent.
I owned 96 SS it was an awesome car very comfortable on long trips. My plate read 4 vette, same LT1 corvette engine. I liked the floor mounted shifter as opposed to the colum shifter. I performed the analog speedo better than the digital. I installed a KN cold air induction box which helped with performance. Awesome car.