1966 · Chevrolet · United States
1966 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport: the 427 arrives
Impala SS falls to 119,314 as the 427 arrives; 3,247 full-size Chevrolets got the 390-hp L36.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
The Impala SS Registry lists 1966 Super Sport volume by VIN prefix: 102,619 V8 and 823 six-cylinder sport coupes, and 15,783 V8 and 89 six-cylinder convertibles, while the Classic Industries production chart rounds the same year to 119,300. Old Cars Weekly, citing Chevrolet's own production records, reports that 3,247 full-size Chevrolets received the L36 427 rated at 390 hp.1,2,3
This record's own conflict entry treats the 1966 Super Sport total as genuinely disputed rather than settled: summing the registry's own four VIN-prefix rows gives 119,314, a figure the registry itself never states as a total; the Classic Industries chart rounds to 119,300; and Wikipedia's fourth-generation Impala article separately gives "around 117,000." All three are shown with attribution rather than one being entered as the year's confirmed figure. This record's own production note adds that the registry's table is complete as four rows and calls its own figures "sold" rather than "built," and that the L36's 3,247-unit count is attributed to Chevrolet production records by Old Cars Weekly but is not an SS-only figure, since it covers all full-size Chevrolets fitted with that engine. Context figures from the Classic Industries chart give 654,900 non-SS Impalas of all bodies and 181,000 Caprices, the newly introduced top trim for 1966; this record's own production note also flags that the best missing primary source, the GM Heritage 1966 Chevrolet vehicle information kit's own production data, could not be retrieved due to a website access error.1,2,4,3
Factory suggested prices are documented for all four 1966 Impala SS body-and-engine combinations: $2,842 for the six-cylinder sport coupe, $2,947 for the V8 sport coupe, $3,093 for the six-cylinder convertible, and $3,199 for the V8 convertible. This record's own price note is unusually specific about how these figures were checked: all four Impala SS rows in this particular chart price the SS trim exactly $158 above the matching plain-Impala row of the same body style and engine, a consistent premium this record verified against the chart's own non-SS rows, and the same note flags that the identical chart series was rejected as a price source in two adjacent model years specifically because its SS premium was inconsistent there, unlike 1966.5
The L36 427's own rating is itself disputed: Old Cars Weekly ties 390 hp to Chevrolet's production records, while Wikipedia instead gives 385 hp without a citation; this record's own conflict entry shows both rather than choosing between them. A second 427, the L72, is documented separately at 425 hp, available only with a manual transmission according to Wikipedia. Chevrolet's own regular-production-options list documents the year's full engine lineup: the L77 283-cu-in V8 at 220 hp, the L30 327-cu-in V8 at 275 hp, the L35 396-cu-in V8 at 325 hp, the L36 427 at 390 hp, and the L72 427 at 425 hp, alongside the K66 full transistor ignition and the K30 speed and cruise control option.3,6
Identification detail includes the VIN prefixes themselves, 16737 and 16837 for the six-cylinder and V8 sport coupe and 16767 and 16867 for the six-cylinder and V8 convertible, matching a model-number breakdown placing the Super Sport in the 167-16800 series, four-passenger in both body styles, with 167 marking six-cylinder cars and 168 marking V8s. No paint colors, no interior trim codes, no specifications, and no performance-test data were found in an accessible documented source for the year, so those sections carry nothing further in this record.1
Fact sheet · 1966 · United States
The numbers
1966 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport — Impala SS falls to 119,314 as the 427 arrives; 3,247 full-size Chevrolets got the 390-hp L36.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impala SS sport coupe, V8 (16837)1 Super Sport · sport coupe · V8 · not stated | 102,619 | sold, model-year | Reported |
| Impala SS sport coupe, six (16737)1 Super Sport · sport coupe · L6 · not stated | 823 | sold, model-year | Reported |
| Impala SS convertible, V8 (16867)1 Super Sport · convertible · V8 · not stated | 15,783 | sold, model-year | Reported |
| Impala SS convertible, six (16767)1 Super Sport · convertible · L6 · not stated | 89 | sold, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impala Super Sport total (rounded)2 Super Sport · not stated Rounded; the chart also gives 900 six-cylinder and 118,400 V8. | 119,300 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| RPO L36 427/390 hp, all full-size Chevrolets3 all full-size · L36 427 · not stated Old Cars Weekly attributes this to Chevrolet production records; not an SS-only count. | 3,247 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impala series (non-SS), all bodies2 all full-size · not stated | 654,900 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Caprice2 all full-size · not stated | 181,000 | built, model-year | Reported |
The registry gives sales by VIN prefix and does not state a total; the four rows are its complete table. The registry calls these "sold".
Best missing primary source: GM Heritage 1966 Chevrolet vehicle information kit (403).
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Impala SS Sport Coupe, six-cylinder (16737), factory price5 | $2,842 | factory suggested price, by body style and engine, 1966 |
| Impala SS Sport Coupe, V-8 (16837), factory price5 | $2,947 | factory suggested price, by body style and engine, 1966 |
| Impala SS Convertible, six-cylinder (16767), factory price5 | $3,093 | factory suggested price, by body style and engine, 1966 |
| Impala SS Convertible, V-8 (16867), factory price5 | $3,199 | factory suggested price, by body style and engine, 1966 |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| L36 · 427 V83 427 cu in · 4-barrel | 390 hp (SAE gross) | optional | Not yet sourced |
| L72 · 427 V86 427 cu in · 4-barrel | 425 hp (SAE gross) | optional, manual transmission only per Wikipedia | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
L77RPO |
283 cu in V8, 220 hp (V8 series incl. Impala SS 16800) | — | Not yet sourced |
L30RPO |
327 cu in V8, 275 hp (V8 series incl. 16800) | — | Not yet sourced |
L35RPO |
396 cu in V8, 325 hp (V8 series incl. 16800) | — | Not yet sourced |
L36RPO |
427 cu in V8, 390 hp (V8 series incl. 16800) | — | Not yet sourced |
L72RPO |
427 cu in V8, 425 hp (V8 series incl. 16800) | — | Not yet sourced |
K66RPO |
Full transistor ignition (V8 series) | — | Not yet sourced |
K30RPO |
Speed and cruise control | — | Not yet sourced |
Identification
- VIN prefixes
- 16737/16837 sport coupe (six/V8); 16767/16867 convertible (six/V8).1
- Impala Super Sport model numbers
- Series 167-16800 Impala Super Sport: 16737/16837 two-door sport coupe and 16767/16867 two-door convertible, 4-passenger (167 = six-cylinder, 168 = V8).
Where the sources disagree
1966 L36 427 rating
Both shown; Old Cars Weekly ties 390 hp to Chevrolet records, Wikipedia is uncited here.
Identification
Read a 1966 Chevrolet VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1966
- Buick Riviera A longer, heavier new body on the same X-frame; 5,718 of 45,348 carried the GS option, and the dual-quad Super Wildcat went from dealer add-on to factory MZ engine in March 1966.
- Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX The Gran Sport became its own Skylark series (44600) on the restyled body, still with the 401 at 325 hp; 13,816 are tabulated.
- Buick Wildcat The one-year Wildcat Gran Sport: 1,244 built, 242 convertibles, 22 Super Wildcats.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The first full year of the SS 396 as its own series, with a 396 V8 in every car: 66,843 sport coupes and 5,429 convertibles.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova The source engine table lists the 327 L79 at 350 gross hp. Enthusiast-compiled production: 172,485 cars; Super Sport 20,986.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
- Dodge Charger Dodge's first Charger, a fastback on the Coronet platform introduced on 1 January 1966, built 37,344 times, 468 of them with the new Street Hemi.
- Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The first year the 426 Hemi was sold as a street engine; in the Coronet it was an option on ordinary sedans, hardtops and convertibles, before any R/T package existed.
- Ford Fairlane A new, wider Fairlane could take the 390 big-block for the first time, bringing the Fairlane 500 GT and GTA, and a small run of R-code 427 hardtops was built for Super Stock racing.
- Ford Galaxie The 428 became the big-car performance engine and gave its name to the Galaxie 500 7-Litre hardtop and convertible, with the 427 still available.
- Ford Thunderbird A 345-hp 428 became a $64.77 option, and the Town Landau outsold every other body combined.
- Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Comet moved to the larger Fairlane-based body, and the Cyclone GT brought the 335-hp 390 with twin hood scoops, bucket seats and a heavy-duty suspension.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The S-55 returned as its own line, a hardtop and convertible with the 345 hp 428 'Super Marauder' V8.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 package gained the L69 three-two-barrel 'Tri-Carb' option at 360 hp, and a handful of factory W-30 forced-air cars were built for drag racing.
- Oldsmobile Starfire The last Starfire of the 1960s: coupe only, moved downmarket, 13,019 sold.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The last glassback-era year: one fastback body, the 273 Commando as the top engine, and production that fell to 38,029.
- Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite The 426 Street Hemi reached showrooms in the Belvedere and Satellite, and 1,546 were built into Plymouth intermediates.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 was listed as its own model for the only time, and production fell to 6,383.
- Pontiac GTO The GTO becomes its own Pontiac series and has its biggest year: 96,946 built.
- Pontiac Grand Prix Production fell to 36,757 as the GTO and 2+2 drew performance buyers.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans Pontiac's overhead-cam six and the Sprint package arrive beside the 326 HO.
- Rambler and AMC Marlin The Marlin's second year: production fell to 4,547, less than half the 1965 figure.