How Chevrolet came to the SS wagon

When most people think of a Chevrolet Super Sport, they think of an Impala SS convertible or a Chevelle SS coupe — not a four-door. However, the very first Super Sport was originally offered on any 1961 Impala model, and that included the four-door. Chevrolet’s 1961 “The Chevy Impala Super Sport” brochure even illustrated an Impala SS Sport Sedan four-door hardtop on the cover (top illustration).

Unfortunately, there are no known 1961 Impala SS fourdoors known to exist, and that probably explains why Chevrolet didn’t again offer a four-door Super Sport for several years after that first year the SS was available.

For 1962, the Impala SS returned, but could only be had as a Sport Coupe or convertible. The Super Sport was then added to the one-year-old Chevy II compact in 1963, and in 1964, the brand-new mid-size Chevelle line included the Malibu SS — all available as either Sport Coupes or convertibles only. Both SS models joined the Impala SS, which was likewise available only as a Sport Coupe or convertible.

In 1969, the Impala SS saw its swan song. The Chevy II eventually became solely labeled a Nova, and a Nova SS two-door remained available well into the 1970s. For the Chevelle/Malibu, one of the most famous Chevys to carry the racy SS monicker, the end came in 1973. That year, Chevrolet introduced a completely redesigned mid-size Chevelle/Malibu line with new Colonade roof styling, and with it, the new Laguna version of the Chevelle.

The Laguna model of Chevelle came amidst high insurance premiums for performance cars and strict emissionsreducing mandates by the government, both of which pushed manufacturers to focus on automotive experiences other than horsepower, such as luxury and European car-inspired handling. As the top-of-the-line 1973 Chevelle, the Laguna received a urethane front bumper cover that was color-keyed to the body, and a matching color-keyed rear bumper that was otherwise the standard Chevelle type. Although Chevrolet still offered a six-cylinder and a 307-cid V-8 in the mid-size line for 1973, only the 350 or 454 V-8s were available in the top-line Laguna. All Chevelle/Malibu body types were available in the Laguna line: coupe, sedan and station wagon.

Working up the chain toward the 1973 Laguna, the base mid-size Chevrolet was the Chevelle Deluxe, then the slightly upscale Malibu, which was bested by the performance-oriented Malibu SS, the latter being just below the top-line Laguna. In addition to being offered as a station wagon (bottom illustration), the 1973 Malibu SS was also offered as a Sport Coupe, a perennial favorite in the Chevelle/Malibu line (with its 1973 redesign, there was no longer a mid-size Malibu or Chevelle convertible).

For 1974, Chevrolet shuffled the mid-size Chevelle/ Malibu line again and the Laguna completely replaced the Malibu SS. Available only as a Sport Coupe, the Laguna for 1974 became the Laguna Type S-3 and wore a restyled color-keyed urethane front bumper cover. If there was any question that the Laguna Type S-3 had replaced the Malibu SS, one need only look at the Laguna S-3’s lower body stripes, which were directly borrowed from the 1973 Malibu SS, and the “S” in “S-3,” which was of the same font used in the 1973 Malibu SS.

Although there was no longer a Chevelle or Malibu SS after 1973, a Chevellebased El Camino SS trudged on through the 1970s and into the 1980s, the period in which the Monte Carlo SS returned. Chevrolet occasionally rekindled the SS monicker thereafter, the most notable example being the black 1994-’ 96 Impala SS sedan, but few of the subsequent SS models ( Trailblazers, Cobalts, etc.) could compare to those from Detroit’s original muscle car heyday.