Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
Manufacturer General Motors
Production
1958–1985
1994–1996
2000–present
Predecessor
Chevrolet Lumina (For
post-2000 models)
Class
Full-size
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-sized auto-
mobile built by General Motors for their
Chevrolet division. Ed Cole, Chevrolet’s chief
engineer in the late 1950s, defined the Im-
pala as a "prestige car within the reach of the
average American citizen."
From 1958 until 1965, the Impala was
Chevrolet’s most expensive full-size car. In
1965, Chevrolet introduced the more-expens-
ive Caprice.
In the late sixties, the Impala was typically
positioned just below the top luxury trim, the
Caprice, and above the more economical
models like the Biscayne or the Bel Air. The
Impala, named for a southern African ante-
lope, is most readily distinguished by a pair
of three rather than two taillights at its rear.
It competed in the market against other full-
size cars such as the Ford Galaxie 500 and
the Plymouth Fury.
One of both General Motors’ and Amer-
ica’s most successful auto nameplates, the
Impala was often the best-selling automobile
in its formative years when full-sized cars
dominated sales. The 1965 sales of over one
million units in the U.S. still stands as a re-
cord. From 1958 through 1996, Impala sales
were in excess of 13 million, more than any
other full-size car in the history of the
automobile. In 2008, Impala was the 8th best
selling vehicle (of any kind) and 6th best
selling car in the United States and had the
distinction of being the top selling American
nameplate sedan, according to Reuters Top
20 Best-selling Vehicles Scorecard.[1]
Impala showcar
The Impala name was first used for the
Corvette-based show car at the 1956 General
Motors Motorama. Painted emerald green
metallic, with a white interior, the Impala
featured hardtop styling.
1958–1960
First generation
Production 1958-1961
Body
style(s)
2-door convertible
2-door coupe
2-door hardtop
4-door hardtop
4-door sedan
Layout
FR layout
Engine(s)
235 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6
283 cu i