Bold and sophisticated Chevrolet Impala

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The Chevrolet Impala takes its name from the African antelope, and the word itself is of Zulu origin. It was introduced in 1958 as a very prestigious and expensive version of the Chevrolet Bel Air. Potential buyers could purchase either a two-door hardtop or a convertible. The car sold so well that it was decided to release it as a separate model. And in 1959, the Chevrolet Impala came out, which has a four-door version, and at that time became the best-selling model in the Chevrolet line. And a year later, it became the most popular car in the United States and remained so for the next 10 years. During this time, more than 13 million Impalas were purchased. Well, in 1965, a record was set, which to this day remains unbeaten - about a million Chevrolet cars were sold in one year.

What is the reason for such an unprecedented success? First, the engine of the car, which varied depending on the volume or power. Secondly, an acceptable price for such a car, which was $ 2,780. And most importantly - the appearance of the car, which even eclipsed the Chrysler Imperial. Chevrolet Impala is the latest work of the legendary car designerHarley Earl. His replacement, Bill Mitchell, retained the unique Coca-Cola-like body shape, but spared the car some ornateness, as clean and strict lines were fashionable at the time.

However, the energy crisis that erupted in 1973 and caused a shortage of fuel, significantly reduced demand for Impala, which consumed gasoline in huge quantities. But, nevertheless, the Chevrolet Impala still slowly returned to its former greatness and in 1977 received the title of "Car of the Year". Although, of course, it was far from its former popularity.

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To date, the most popular model can be considered the 1967 Chevrolet Impala. This is primarily due to the fact that it is on such a car that the main characters of the now popular Supernatural series drive around. According to the director and screenwriter of this series, Eric Kripke, for a long time he could not decide on the choice of a car suitable for the characters, until his neighbor advised him this model, explaining that a corpse could easily be hidden in the trunk of such a car.

The appearance of the 1967 Chevrolet Impala was slightly changed. The "bottle of cola" in the body stands out more than in previous models. In addition, the car received characteristic curves that were never used again in the future. Another difference is the large amount of chrome, which is not the case with other Chevrolet models.

The 1967 version was produced in six2-door coupe, 2-door convertible, 2-door hardtop, 4-door hardtop, 4-door station wagon and 4-door sedan. Of these, the 2-hardtop and 2-coupe were the most bought, although the four-door models were sold out quite well, as they belonged to the class of "family cars".

In a word, the Chevrolet Impala is a "muscular" "general purpose" car that ushered in the era of muscle cars.