Would $15,000 Buy This Well-Kept 1996 Chevy Impala SS?

Chevrolet no longer builds a single sedan, and this 1996 Impala SS highlights what’s missing from today’s lineup. The car is a large, traditional American muscle sedan, a style that has largely disappeared as buyers shifted to SUVs.

This particular Impala appears to have been fan-owned, with the seller claiming it has been well-maintained and kept away from smokers, pets, and abusive relationships. It carries a clean title and shows 115,000 miles on the odometer.

The SS is based on the Caprice 9C1 police package, giving it heavier-duty brakes, suspension, and cooling. Under the hood sits a 350 cubic inch LT1 V8, derived from the C4 Corvette’s engine but with cast iron heads and two-bolt mains to cut costs. It makes 260 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque, paired with a four-speed 4LE60 automatic, a transmission often seen as the model’s weak spot.

The seller says the car runs great and everything works. New BF Goodrich tires sit on the factory five-spoke alloys, and a fresh battery is installed. The Dark Cherry Metallic paint still pops, wheels are unmarred, and headlamps are clear. One oddity: a strip of self-sticking chrome rub molding on the driver’s-side front wheel arch.

Inside, the leather driver’s seat shows some wear and could use cleaning, but it’s intact. Carpet swatches protect the footwells and are removable. All other surfaces, plastics, and controls look excellent, with no screens, just analog knobs and an AM/FM/cassette stereo.

The asking price is $15,000. Given the Impala SS’s devoted following and limited supply, the question is whether that figure is fair or just a starting point for negotiations. The car is listed in Seattle, Washington, on Craigslist.