IMPALA SS'S VALUE IS LIMITED BY ITS ENGINE AND DOORS (Autoweek, 8/19/96)

   D.L. of Elizabeth City, N.C., asks: "Will my limited

production 1994 Impala SS be worth more than the '96 models,

which have analog gauges and a floor shift?" It's a timely

question, given that Impala SS production will end in December.



   The current Impala has its appeal, both visually and in

performance terms, but its long-term value will be hampered by

two factors.   First, it's a four-door sedan, and no four-door

sedan has ever shown significant appreciation. Second, while its

engine is similar to the Corvette's, the Impala SS doesn't have a

true limited-production muscle motor like the 409s, 426 hemis or

427/435-hp engines of the 1960s.



   If we jump forward five years and look back, the most valuable

SSs will be those with the "preferred equipment" package

(auto-dimming mirror and other doodads), or anything that

differentiates them. Because while Chevy built only 6303 1994

Impalas, that's an enormous number by the standards of most

collectors, who consider a Ferrari 308 GTS QV (748 built) common.

Chances are good that if someone wants to collect an SS, they are

going to want the performance-oriented floor shifter and analog

gauges rather than a Caprice-style column shifter and digital

gauges.