Deerly Beloved

Gaynor Corr’s 1966 Chevrolet Impala SS was a birthday present to herself and it’s a gift that keeps on giving.

- Mike Renaut

Can you imagine buying this glorious 1966 ChevroletImpala SS coupe and then not driving it for a whole six months? Instead, putting it straight into storage? That’s exactly what owner Gaynor Corr did: “It was my birthday present to myself,” laughs Gaynor, “but I bought the Impala in October 2015 and my birthday wasn’t until March, so I forced myself to hide the car away in a barn.” Gaynor got into classic American cars through husband Wayne. “He’s always been into them and currently owns a 1957 Chevy Bel Air and a 1957 Dodge D300 ex-wrecker truck – my Impala is like driving a Rolls Royce compared to that!” Previous vehicles include a Fifties Chevrolet step side pick-up, a Chrysler 300, modern Dodge Magnum, a Rumble Bee and a Ford F150 Lightning the couple swapped for an Airstream caravan.

So what led to this Impala? “I wanted a 1966 car and it had to be a V8 and a two-door,” remembers Gaynor. “My first thought was a Mustang fastback, but then the Impala turned up on eBay. It was for sale about 20 minutes away from a country and western festival we were attending that weekend at Brean Sands, so just in case we took the trailer along too.” Of course they bought the Impala and the car was unveiled at Gaynor’s ‘surprise’ birthday party, fortunately none the worse for its six-month hibernation. “I fell for it because you don’t see many Impalas of this age,” explains Gaynor. “I only know of a 1965 and another ’66 that I’ve seen at shows. It’s been great to own so far, we put on a new carburettor and since you took the photos I’ve replaced that massive aerial on the back with two smaller, angled ones. It came with these American Racing Torque Thrust wheels and a set of original wheel covers. But the five spokes just suit the muscle car image better.