What does the 'SS' badge stand for on classic Chevrolet muscle cars?

On classic Chevrolet muscle cars, the “SS” badge stands for Super Sport. It identifies a Chevrolet performance and appearance package rather than a separate automaker or universally identical engine.

Chevrolet first used the Super Sport name on the Corvette SS show and racing car unveiled in the 1950s. The production SS package appeared on the 1961 Impala, where it combined distinctive trim with chassis reinforcements, stronger springs and shocks, power brakes, special wheel covers, and other upgrades. Chevrolet later applied the badge to models including the Chevelle, Camaro, El Camino, Nova, Monte Carlo, and pickup trucks.

“Super Stock” is a tempting wrong answer because stock-car and drag-racing language often appears in muscle-car history, but Chevrolet’s official expansion was Super Sport. The equipment varied by model and year: an SS badge could signify suspension, braking, exhaust, engine, interior, or styling changes, not one fixed specification. Collectors also distinguish genuine factory SS cars from clones fitted with replacement badges and trim.