A FOND FAREWELL: Impalas leap to the end of an era
April 29, 2020
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by Eric Becker
An example of an Impala on the docket for the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Online Only May 2020 Auction is a head-turning black-on-black 1964 SS 409 (Lot #105) equipped with dual 2×4 carburetors and a 4-speed manual transmission.
February 27, 2020, marked the end of an era. General Motor’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant ceased production of the storied Impala, ending a more than 60-year lifespan. The leaping antelope badge was retired and the plant retooled, ready for an electric future full of lithium ions, supercapacitors and the Cruise Origin – a robot.
The Impala was introduced for the 1958 model year as top-of-the-line Bel Air hardtops and convertibles. (PHOTO: GM Heritage Center)
For six decades, the Impala set a standard in style, comfort and value; after all, it was a Chevy. Available as a sedan, coupe or convertible, the Impala was an affordable run at luxury and was even considered a precursor to the American muscle car. Not only one of Chevrolet’s most historic vehicles, but one of America’s as well. The Impala was the 50-millionth car to roll off a Chevrolet assembly line, and would become the best-selling car of 1965, selling more than a million units in the U.S. Since the model’s debut in 1958 it has sold well over 15 million units across 10 generations. That represents a lot of automotive history, and the Impala badge should not be consigned as simply forgotten.
The magnitude of its influence in both economic and social spheres requires not simply a mention, but recognition as well. There will be few vehicles that wield the same degree of social influence as the Impala in its prime. It would “giddy up giddy up” as The Beach Boys’ “real fine, 409” and would serve Eazy-E when “cruisin’ down the street in his ’64.” As cars uniquely do, the Impala was a bridge between generations and cultures. Everyone from surfers, hippies and G-men have made the Impala theirs. Its long, luxurious and wide body spoke to many.
Barrett-Jackson is proud to have been part of the Impala history, and we wave a fond farewell and salute an iconic piece of automotive Americana. Check out these stunning examples that have crossed the block over the years.
1958 CHEVROLET IMPALA CONVERTIBLE – $139,700
The 1958 Chevrolet Impala is a classic in its own right. The ritzy one-year-only body was initially introduced as the top-level variant of the Chevy Bel Air. Sporting much of the period’s Motorama-derived chrome décor, the Harley Earl-led design was a stunning depiction of Eisenhower-era Americana. Crossing the block at the 2019 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction was this striking 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible. Finished in Snowcrest White, the Impala presents itself in a stately manor, the interior is bathed in red, and the seats feature a gray, black and red tri-color motif. The folding white top settles in a red convertible boot and the exterior is adorned with a suite of period options. A statement to the time, the brightwork runs the length of the car with fender skirts and a Continental kit presents an unmistakable on-road presence. Power is sourced from 348ci V8 engine featuring a factory-style Tri-Power setup that includes three 2-barrel Rochester carburetors and Tri-Power air cleaner. The engine inhales through factory-style manifolds and exhales through a dual exhaust system. The V8 sends its power through an automatic gearbox and onto the rear wheels. This Impala went to its new home for a final price of $139,700. Being the first-ever year of the Impala, the ’58 would serve as the launching point for the model’s storied history.
1959 CHEVROLET IMPALA CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE – $165,000
For 1959, Chevy turned the Impala into its own stand-alone product line. For the first time Impalas were available as four-door sedans, as well as coupes and convertibles. Bill Mitchell would succeed Harley Earl as the chief of GM design and set to work creating a new stylistic direction, turning the Impala into one of the most distinctive-looking cars in American automotive history. Under Mitchell, the design was longer, leaner and wider. The brightwork continued at the front, but the headlights were spaced further apart and the air inlets above the grille resembled an almost furrowed brow. The rear end was capped off with a swooping “bat-wing” tail and “cat’s-eye” taillights. Before crossing the block at the 2018 Scottsdale Auction, this outstanding Impala convertible underwent a 7-year frame-off rotisserie restoration that was finished in 2014. It’s equipped with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine mated to a 4L65E automatic transmission. Other features include Air Ride Street Challenge suspension system, Wilwood disc brakes at all four corners, Be Cool radiator and Vintage Air. Inside, the ’59 Resto-Mod features Lipstick Red leather interior, German-weave carpet, and a fully detailed trunk with red leather and exposed sound system. The exterior is finished in Corvette Silver two-stage paint with a black German cloth soft-top, and it rides on Boss chrome 358 wheels. The beautiful custom would meet a final sale price of $165,000.
1961 CHEVROLET IMPALA BUBBLE TOP – $110,000
Crossing the block and ready to bask in the Florida sun was this 1961 Chevy Impala Bubble Top. Selling for $110,000 at the 2012 Palm Beach Auction, this ’61 featured a 1,000-plus man-hour restoration and is powered by a rebuilt 409ci V8 engine and 4-speed transmission. The 1961 model year is one of the most important in the Impala’s lineage, as it was the first year Chevy introduced the world to the Super Sport name. Many would consider the 409 big-block-powered SS to be the first true muscle car, an important milestone for those who crave performance. With a sub 7-second sprint to 60 mph, it’s no wonder The Beach Boys sang, “Nothing can touch my 409.”
1962 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS CONVERTIBLE – $220,000
For 1962 the Impala continued to evolve with a new redesign, this time straying further from the winged and ornate Jet Age and sporting a boxier, more conservative motif. Selling at a whopping final price of $220,000 at the 2015 Scottsdale Auction, this breathtaking factory 409 convertible is one of the most pristine examples sold by Barrett-Jackson. The factory-born Tuxedo Black coats the exterior and inside sits a delightful interior. Under the hood the factory-original 409ci V8 engine remains and is mated to a T10 4-speed gearbox with a 3.70 posi-traction rear end. This beautiful Impala is the quintessential boulevard cruiser and easily lives up to its tag line: “Space, spirit, splendor.”
1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS 409 – $62,700
A stunning example of early ’60s Chevy performance, this 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS 409 hardtop, powered by a matching-numbers 409ci W-head V8 engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, crossed the block at the 2018 Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction. The build took five years and started from the ground up. Each of the body panels were painted separately and then reassembled with painstaking detail. This arrow-straight 409 is finished in burgundy paint accented by chrome trim, emblems, SS spinner hubcaps and bias-ply whitewall tires.
1992 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS 510 – $75,900
A true cult classic, the Impala was reinvented in concept form at the 1992 Los Angeles Auto Show. The production model would debut in 1994, powered by a 260hp 5.7-liter V8. This one is different. Sold at the 2009 Scottsdale Auction, this big-block-powered street bruiser was the original pre-production prototype or “mule” car. The model’s original designer, Jon A. Moss, took his revamped Impala design up a notch, adding a 510ci V8 under the muscular sedan’s black bodywork.
2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS “SKOAL” FUNNY CAR – $101,200
Completing our list is a literal “funny car.” By the mid-2000s the Impala was riding on GM’s FWD W platform. Well, that was entirely done away with; the only resemblance to its road-going counterpart is the fiberglass body and maybe a few stickers. Roaring across the block at Scottsdale in 2017, this original “as-ran” funny car holds the significant distinction as the last funny car to be campaigned by legendary drag racer and team owner Don “The Snake” Prudhomme. The car was raced during the 2007 NHRA season and driven by Tommy Johnson Jr. Chevrolet selected Snake Racing as the team of choice to help debut the first-ever Chevy Impala SS body, which first took to the drag strip at the 2007 NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, California. Later that season, the Impala would record two No. 1 qualifier efforts (Englishtown, New Jersey, and Richmond, Virginia) and race to the winner’s circle at the historic NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown. The Impala, paired with Prudhomme’s Top Fuel dragster, were both category winners of the SuperNationals and marked the fourth time that Snake Racing recorded an elusive “double-up” victory.
The Impala name has left us before – twice, in fact – and we hope one day it will once again make a triumphant return, bringing with it that ultimate combination of performance, luxury and value. For now, we bid a fond farewell to a historic nameplate and look forward to seeing many more examples from this classic herd cross the auction block.