Classic Muscle
Search cars, engines, parts...

Search Classic Muscle

Enter at least two characters to search the archive.

Enter at least two characters to search the archive.

Full-size performance

1968 Chevrolet Impala SS427

Full-size performance powered by Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8.

Licensed 1968 Impala SS427 exterior view with hood and side-gill visual context; not standalone factory proof.
Factory path RPO Z24 SS427 option-package path on 1968 Impala two-door and convertible body styles
Engine rating L36 Turbo-Jet 427, 385 hp and 460 lb-ft in checked 1968 full-size references
Reported production 1,778 Z24 SS427 cars reported; body-style split remains source-sensitive
Authentication boundary Z03 Super Sport and Z24 SS427 ordering details can differ; documents and drivetrain/cowl evidence matter

Story

1968 Chevrolet Impala SS427

For 1968, the Impala SS427 moved from the cleaner 1967 standalone-model story into a trickier option-code story. Checked references agree that Chevrolet no longer treated the SS427 as a separate model, but the RPO Z24 SS427 package still carried the big-block full-size performance path. Over-Drive lists RPO L36 427 CID 385 HP as standard with the RPO Z24 SS427 package, with four-speed or Turbo Hydra-Matic availability, and it treats the L72 427/425 as a special-order manual-transmission path.

That ordering complexity matters because 1968 Z03 Super Sport and Z24 SS427 claims can overlap without meaning the same thing. Some sources present Z24 as delivering bucket seats and console; another checked public reference reports that 1968 SS427 cars could be ordered without Z03, meaning SS427 equipment but without the bucket-seat, SS-door-panel, and console package. This page therefore keeps the public story clear: an SS427 visual package is important context, but an individual car still needs build paperwork, cowl/body evidence, engine suffixes, transmission tags, rear-axle codes, and paint/trim records before it should be treated as a documented factory Z24 car.

The baseline record centers on the L36 Turbo-Jet 427 at 385 hp and 460 lb-ft. It also notes the L72 special-order path without making every SS427 an L72 car. Reported production is held as a reported public count of 1,778 Z24 cars, while broader 1968 Impala or Impala SS totals are intentionally labeled as broader context instead of exact SS427 body-style splits.

Licensed rear/side view of a 1968 Impala SS427 with rear badging and body-line context.Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Market Observations

  • Price guide value $48,800

    Jul 28, 2026 · Hagerty Valuation Tools · Current guide point

    July 2026 #3 good-condition benchmark for the exact 1968 Impala SS427 two-door convertible with the L36 427cid/385hp four-barrel V8. · unknown · good Hagerty showed $48,800 for the exact SS427 convertible and L36 configuration in July 2026. This is an unadjusted guide value, not a completed transaction or individual-car authentication.
  • Auction sale $81,400

    Sep 6, 2024 · Mecum Dallas

    SS427 convertible 164678F202059 with a matching-numbers L36 427/385 V8, Turbo 400 automatic, and frame-off nut-and-bolt restoration completed in 2017. · restored · excellent Mecum records the $81,400 completed sale. The matching L36, convertible body, frame-off restoration, automatic, heavy-duty suspension, power equipment, and extensive convenience options materially affect comparison.
  • Auction sale $42,900

    Oct 6, 2023 · Mecum Indy Fall Special

    Z24/Z03 SS427 Sport Coupe 164478L121497 with a matching-numbers L36 427/385 V8, Turbo 400, Positraction, F41 suspension, comprehensive restoration, and disclosed upgrades. · restored · good Mecum records the $42,900 completed sale. The matching L36, automatic, factory equipment, restoration, Flowmaster exhaust, Bilstein shocks, upgraded wheels, and non-operating air conditioning materially affect comparison.

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Transmission

  • Factory transmission Heavy-duty 3-speed manual floor-shift path for 396 and 427 applications; exact build requires transmission code evidence
  • Factory transmission 4-speed manual path for 427 applications, with the L72 special-order path treated as manual-only in checked 1968 references
  • Factory transmission Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed automatic path with 427 applications; application tag and Protect-O-Plate evidence confirm car-level use

Options

Evidence graphic summarizing 1968 Chevrolet SS427 identity evidence.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration

Paint

Licensed SS427 fender badge detail from a 1968 Impala SS427; visual cue only, not standalone proof.Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Interior

Licensed 1968 Impala SS427 interior view showing Super Sport/SS427 trim and console context.Jeremy from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Authenticity

Evidence graphic summarizing 1968 SS427 driveline evidence.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration
  • Z24 paperwork boundary Build sheet, Protect-O-Plate, invoice or equivalent documents showing Z24 SS427 identity · Build sheet, owner documents, dealer paperwork, Protect-O-Plate · fraud detection
  • Z03 versus Z24 equipment Z03 Super Sport interior/trim evidence should not be assumed from Z24 without car-level documentation · Build sheet, cowl tag, trim code, interior evidence and original order documents · trim correctness
  • L36 SS427 engine suffix Impalas.org lists 427ci SS427 suffix-code context; exact suffix must match transmission and build evidence. · Engine pad ahead of passenger-side cylinder head · numbers matching
  • Turbo 400 / manual transmission code evidence Transmission code/tag and Protect-O-Plate should align with the claimed 427 transmission path. · Transmission case/tag and Protect-O-Plate · numbers matching
  • Paint and trim codes Cowl tag paint and trim codes should decode to supported 1968 Chevrolet colors and Impala SS/interior trim rows. · Fisher Body cowl tag · trim correctness
  • SS427 visual cues Special hood, SS427 badging and side-gill trim support visual context but are not standalone proof. · Exterior inspection and restoration documentation · fraud detection

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

Evidence graphic summarizing 1968 SS427 chassis and brake evidence.Classic Muscle · Reference illustration
1968 Impala SS427 L36 427/385hp Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8
1968 Chevrolet SS427 L36 Turbo-Jet 427 Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8
RPO L36 427 CID 385 HP V-8 Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8
1968 RPO Z24 L36 427 Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8
1968 Chevrolet Impala SS427 427/385 Chevrolet L36 427ci Turbo-Jet V8

Photo and video gallery

Gallery

5 photos and videos

Sources & Documentation

Reader contributions

Improve the record

Send a correction, source, or photo lead. Updates are checked before they appear on the car page.

Explore more Related cars & components 13 links