The 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS did not rely on brute size alone to win over buyers. It sharpened its styling, refined its driving manners, and packaged performance in a way that felt more sophisticated than the big Chevrolets that came before it. Those targeted changes turned a full-size coupe into a car that enthusiasts still single out as a turning point for the Super Sport badge.

Rather than a clean-sheet revolution, the 1967 model year was about carefully chosen upgrades that made the Impala SS look sleeker, feel more agile, and project a more upscale performance image. By tightening the design, improving the cabin and chassis, and pairing big-block power with more modern transmissions, Chevrolet created a car that felt closer to a grand touring machine than a simple boulevard cruiser.

Sharper “Coke-bottle” styling and a more athletic stance

The most visible refinement was the move to a more muscular body with pronounced “Coke-bottle” contours that pinched in at the doors and swelled over the wheel arches. Reporting on the 1967 Chevrolet Impala describes a fresh restyle with this Coke-bottle profile, a fastback roofline on Sport models, and a wider, lower stance that gave the big coupe a more athletic posture than earlier fourth-generation cars, while still preserving the long-hood, short-deck proportions that buyers expected from a full-size Chevrolet. That combination of curves and length made the Super Sport look less like a family sedan with badges and more like a purpose-built performance coupe.

On the SS specifically, those curves were paired with details that reinforced the performance message. Coverage of the 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS highlights “Distinctive Coke bottle styling with Corvette-inspired front and rear fender bulg…” that visually tied the car to Chevrolet’s halo sports car and made the big coupe appear tauter and more dynamic. SS wheel covers with a red-white-blue center cap wrapped around the classic “SS” logo added a patriotic, motorsport-flavored accent that stood out against the long body sides. Together, the sculpted fenders, fastback roofline, and wide track gave the 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS a sleeker, sportier appearance that clearly differentiated it from the more formal sedans in the same showroom.

Interior, chassis, and drivetrain tweaks that made it feel like a sports car

The refinements were not limited to sheet metal. Contemporary road-test coverage of the 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS, including a Car Club Road Tests feature from Apr 18, 2019, describes how the Super Sport felt closer to a big sports car than a traditional full-size cruiser when pushed on the road. Testers noted that the combination of a wide stance, revised suspension tuning, and the fastback roofline’s lower center of gravity helped the car respond more confidently in corners than its size suggested. That evaluation echoed period impressions that the 1967 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport was a refined and stylish entry in Chevrolet’s full-size performance lineup, rather than a simple straight-line machine.

Under the skin, the 1967 model year also benefited from a more modern transmission mix that better matched the available engines. Reporting on the fourth-generation Chevrolet Impala notes that the two-speed Powerglide automatic was the only shiftless transmission offered with the 250 6 and 283 V-8, while the three-speed Turbo-hydramatic gave buyers a smoother, more flexible option with larger engines. Paired with SS-specific big-block choices, including the Chevrolet Impala SS 396 Coupe that later coverage calls a “Classic American Muscle Icon The,” these driveline updates helped the car deliver both relaxed cruising and serious acceleration in a way that broadened its appeal.

Positioning the SS as a more focused performance flagship

Chevrolet’s strategy with the 1967 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport was to refine, not reinvent, its full-size performance flagship so it could stand out in a crowded muscle-car market. Reporting that compares the 1966 and 1967 models describes the later SS as a more polished and stylish entry in Chevrolet’s performance lineup, with the fastback roofline, Coke-bottle sides, and SS trim working together to signal that this was the most driver-focused version of the big Impala. That positioning was reinforced by the availability of serious big-block power, including high-output engines such as the L72 rated at 425 horsepower in broader coverage of the Chevrolet Impala SS, which gave the car credibility with enthusiasts who might otherwise have gravitated to smaller intermediates.

Later enthusiast write-ups from May 27, 2025, on the Chevrolet Impala SS 396 Coupe underline how those 1967 refinements have aged. The combination of the 396 big-block, Super Sport badging, and the sleeker body has led that Coupe to be described as a “Classic American Muscle Icon The,” a status that rests as much on the car’s balanced design and improved driving feel as on its raw output. When I look at the way the 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS blended Coke-bottle styling, a more composed chassis, and serious engine options, it is clear that these incremental upgrades collectively boosted its appeal, turning a large family-based platform into one of the era’s most enduring performance coupes.