The Chevy Impala was a full-size car that was built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to 2020. The Impala was Chevrolet’s popular flagship passenger car and was among the better-selling American-made automobiles in the United States. For its debut in 1958, the Chevy Impala was distinguished from other models by its symmetrical triple taillights. In 2000, the Chevy Impala was reintroduced as a mainstream front-wheel drive car. In February 2014, the 2014 Impala ranked No. 1 among Affordable Large Cars in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. Did you own one?
Chevy Impala Generations
First Generation
In 1958, General Motors was promoting its 50th year of business and introduced anniversary models for each brand. The 1958 models shared a common appearance on the top models for each brand: Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Limited Riviera, Oldsmobile Starfire 98, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and the Chevy Impala. The Impala name was first used for the full-sized 1956 General Motors Motorama show car, and the car was named Impala after the graceful African antelope. The concept car was painted emerald green, with a white interior, and featured hardtop styling.
Second Generation
As part of a General Motors’ economy move, the 1959 Chevy Impala was redesigned to share bodyshells with lower-end Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs. Using a new X-frame chassis, the roof line was 3 inches lower, bodies were 2 inches wider, the wheelbase was 1-1/2 inches longer, and curb weight increased. Flattened tailfins protruded outward, rather than upward. The taillights were a large “teardrop” design at each side, and two slim, non-functional front air intake scoops were added just above the grille.
Third Generation
The Impala was restyled on the General Motors B platform in 1961. The new body styling was more trim and boxy than the 1958–1960 models. Sport Coupe models featured a “bubbleback” roof line style for 1961, and a unique model, the 2-door pillared sedan, was available for 1961 only. It was rarely ordered. A “Super Sport” (SS) option debuted for 1961. This was also the last year the top station wagon model would have the Nomad name. Power brakes were just $43.
Fourth Generation
Redesigned in 1965, the Chevy Impala set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than 1 million units in the United States. This was an important milestone. All new full-size Chevrolets eschewed the “X” frame for a full-width perimeter frame, a new body that featured curved, frameless side glass (for pillarless models), a sharper-angled windshield with newly reshaped vent windows, and redesigned full-coil suspension.
Fifth Generation
The Chevy Impala remained Chevrolet’s top-selling model with the fifth generation. A high-performance big block V8 was still available in the form of the Turbo-Jet 454 engine, which produced 365 horsepower (272 kW) in 1971, but power decreased as the years went along. The 1971 redesigned B-body would be the largest car ever offered by Chevrolet.
Sixth Generation
The Chevy Impala was redesigned for the 1977 model year to meet changing demands and was named the Motor Trend Car of the Year. It had a body and went on sale in late September 1976. The new downsized Impalas were shorter in length, taller, and narrower than before. The new Impala’s frame was a shortened version of the one introduced in 1970 and would be used until 1996, when the body production line was shut down. Even with its smaller exterior dimensions, the car featured increased headroom, rear-seat legroom, and trunk space.
Seventh Generation
The seventh-generation Chevy Impala SS went into production on February 14, 1994, and had a chromed bowtie logo on the grill and a shortened frame. The car was, in essence, a high-performance version of the Caprice, heavily based on the Caprice 9C1 police package. It got much of the equipment formerly available only to law enforcement and government agencies. This included a sport-tuned suspension with reinforced shocks and springs, a high-capacity reverse-flow cooling system, four-wheel disc brakes, transmission cooler, dual exhaust, a higher-output electrical system, and other minor mechanical and electrical alterations.
Eighth Generation
The Chevy Impala name was revived for the 2000 model year, after a four-year break. This was the eighth generation of the car. With a wheelbase three inches longer than the mid-size Lumina, the car was categorized as full-size by Cars.com but mid-size by Consumer Guide Automotive. Unlike the earlier Impalas built on a B-body, this one was front-wheel drive and was available with a choice of two engines: the 3.8-liter V6 and the smaller 3.4-liter V6 engine. A new Impala SS with a supercharged 3.8-liter V6 debuted in the 2004 model year.
Ninth Generation
The 2006 Chevy Impala was introduced at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. It was the ninth generation of the car. It used the updated General Motors W platform. The base engine was a 3.5-liter V6 producing 211 horsepower. The Impala featured new taillights, different from the four-circle style of the previous generation. The Ninth-generation Impala was mostly sold to fleet operators, with private buyers accounting for a quarter of sales.
Tenth Generation
The tenth-generation Chevy Impala was introduced at the 2012 New York Auto Show for the 2014 model year, with sales and production commencing on March 4, 2013. The tenth-generation car was the first North American sedan in 20 years to earn Consumer Reports’ top score, with a score of 95 out of a possible 100 points. It makes one wonder why this was the last generation of the car.
Conclusion
The Chevy Impala, too, was raced. In 2007, the Impala began to replace the Monte Carlo on the NASCAR stock car racing circuit. The Impala was also used to represent Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series. In 2013, the Impala was replaced by the Camaro in the Nationwide Series. The Impala was also used in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. It was replaced by the Camaro in 2018. With all of this success, one wonders why the car was discontinued in 2020.
