1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409

1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409
©2007 Publications International, Ltd. the Super Sport package and the 409-cid V-8. See more muscle car pictures.

Chevrolet brought muscle car power to the people in the early 1960s, especially with the 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 409. The mid-1961 introduction of the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport option package showcased another new arrival, the 409-cid V-8.

Muscle Car Image Gallery

Advertisement

A bargain at just $53.80, the SS "kit" was offered on any Impala. It included Super Sport trim inside and out, chassis reinforcements, stronger springs and shocks, power brakes with sintered metallic linings, spinner-type wheel covers, and one of Chevy's earliest uses of narrow-band whitewall tires. The dashboard gained a Corvette-type passenger grab bar and the steering column got a 7000-rpm tachometer.

Only Chevy's toughest V-8s were offered with the SS kit. The available 348-cid mills ranged from a four-barrel with 305 bhp to a tri-carb with 350. The other choice was the 409. Essentially a larger-displacement 348, its upgrades included forged aluminum pistons, a wilder camshaft, and 11.25:1 compression. A single four-barrel mated to the aluminum manifold. It made 360 bhp. It also made history.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. The engine in the Chevy Impala was all about power.

Chevy built 491,000 Impalas for '61. Only 453 had the SS package and of those, just 142 got the 409. But word spread quickly. Here was a mainstream Chevy V-8 with 409 lb-ft of torque and the ability to turn mid-15-second quarter miles with the standard 3.36:1 rear axle and mandatory four-speed manual. "She's real fine, my 409," sang the Beach Boys, and a legend was born.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Debuting on hardtop and convertible Impalas, the SS option included narrow whitewalls, SS tags, a passenger grab bar, a steering-column tachometer, and suspension upgrades.

The SS badge would grace great Chevys into the 1970s before going on an extended hiatus. The 409 lasted only through 1965. It would eventually make as much as 425 bhp and be offered even in stripper Bel Airs and Biscaynes. But a basis design traced to a late-1950s truck engine and incompatibility with serious performance hop-ups doomed it in an era of modern high-performance engines.

All told, the 409 went into just 43,775 cars. That its reputation outshines its production numbers shows how much impact the 409 had on muscle's early days.

Return to Classic Muscle Cars Library.

For more cool information on muscle cars, see:

  • Chevy muscle cars beat at the heart of big-cube high performance. See profiles, photos, and specifications of Chevy muscle cars.
  • Muscle cars came in many shapes and sizes. Here are features on more than 100 muscle cars, including photos and specifications for each model.
  • Muscle cars created their own culture. To learn about it, read How Muscle Cars Work.

Advertisement

These muscle car profiles include photos and specifications for each model:

  • The 1961 Pontiac Ventura 389 was among the most stylish early muscle cars.
  • Fastbacks were nothing new, but none was faster than the 1966 Dodge Charger 426 Hemi.
  • The 1963 Plymouth 426 Wedge was so undomesticated it came with warnings not to use it on the public roads.
  • Any '71 Chevelle could wear a Super Sport badge, but only the 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 earned the right to display its engine size, too.
  • The engine is what gives a muscle car its flamboyant personality. To learn everything you need to know about car engines, see How Car Engines Work.
  • Muscle cars wouldn't have much muscle without horsepower -- but what exactly is horsepower? How Horsepower Works answers that question.
  • NASCAR race cars embody the muscle car philosophy of power. Read How NASCAR Race Cars Work to find out what makes these charged-up racers go.
  • Are you thinking of buying a 2007 muscle car, or any other car? See Consumer Guide Automotive's New-Car Reviews, Prices, and Information.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Loading...