The Chevrolet Impala is one of America ’s most - enduring automotive nameplate . In this article , you ’ll learn about the genesis and evolution of this iconic badge and why it outlasted so many others .
Impala was first used for the 1958 model twelvemonth to denote theChevrolet Bel Air Impala , Chevy ’s new top - of - the - line model .
The original Impala gussied up the Chevrolet Bel Air with more trim and more chrome . It came as a two - door hardtop and was the only full - size Chevy model to offer a convertible torso elan for 1958 .
The 1958 Chevrolet Impala Bel Air dashboard was a riot of 1950’s style and color.
Impala continued to name the top - of - the - line big Chevy until 1966 , when General Motors ' best - selling brand chute aboard the " personal luxuriousness " bandwagon by engild the Impala to create the even - plusherChevrolet Caprice .
As you ’ll see in this article , the Impala floated around a second within the hierarchy of Chevy nameplates . It rest well just below the Caprice until1976 , when Chevrolet used the once stock - top off nameplate to distinguish the entry - level self-aggrandizing Chevy model .
appropriately , however , the resurrected Impala name flourished in 1994 when Chevrolet created a Corvette - power full - sizing muscle car under theImpala SSbanner .
The 1958 Chevrolet Impala Bel Air dashboard was a riot of 1950’s style and color.
Explore the pages of this article and learn about the Impala ’s evolution as well as its revival .
1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala
The 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala was the unexampled top - of - the - line Bel Air exemplar , lavishly equipped and soft - riding , and offer only as a Sport Coupe orconvertible .
From the windscreen pillar rearward , the 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala differed structurally from garden - variety Chevrolets . Hardtops had a more or less shorter glasshouse and farsighted rearward deck , giving the impression of an lengthened torso , plus shiny rock ‘n’ roll musician molding and dummy rear - fender scoops .
imitate cartridge extractor vents on the uniquely contour cap were inspired by Mercedes - Benz . Three taillights sat on each side , whereas lesser models had two , and paddy wagon just one . limited cross - flag insignias sat above the side moldings .
The 1958 Chevrolet Impala Bel Air dashboard was a riot of 1950’s style and color.
With a six - cylinderengine , a Chevrolet Bel Air Impala started at $ 2,586 , while $ 2,693 buy a V-8 . Naturally , options force distinctive total prices far higher . In all , 55,989 ragtops and 125,480 Sport Coupes were build , 15 percent of production . sensational interiors adjudge a competition - inhale two - spokesteeringwheel and color - keyed door board with brushed atomic number 13 trim . No other series included a sofa bed .
Introduced in a blaze of publicity , Impala signaled Chevrolet ’s entry into the mid - price field , even if the figure was less revolutionary than design . In gain to panache and vigorous performance , advertising pushed its " quick , eager - to - please handling that allow you know you ’re the genus Bos . " As an exclusive poser , the Impala name would before long become almost synonymous with Chevy .
Longer , lower , and wider – a recurrent theme – all Chevrolets had full - coil temporary removal , displacing the old rear leaf spring . A Modern " Safety Girder " X - type frame reduced height without headway expiration . A 283 - cubic - inch engine was now the stock V-8 , with paygrade that set out from 185 to 290 horsepower .
Drivers who pine to be " boss " had a new alternative , though : a heavy - pulley-block 348 - three-dimensional - inch Turbo - Thrust V-8 , descended from a hand truck engine and dispose out 250 , 280 , or 315horsepower .
The 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala aid Chevrolet regain the number one product billet by a panoptic margin in this corner class that saw virtually all makes lose sales .
1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala Facts
1959 Chevrolet Impala
The 1959 Chevrolet Impala , survey the styling overabundance of the later Fifties , was radically rework and slew aside from the GM pack by shooting its tailfin outward rather than upward . Admakers always were warm of naming nearly every part , but this year ’s " squash racket wing " quintuplet above " cat ’s eye " taillights realize no such designations in the sale catalog . Those nicknames came after , though booklet did brand the deck of cards " saucy . "
share bodyshells with lower - end Buicks and Oldsmobiles as well as with Pontiac – part of a GM economy move – Chevrolets rode a wheelbase 11/2 in longer than before . Atop a newfangled X - frame build , roof sat three inch lower , and bodies value more than two inches wider overall . by nature , the growing size contributed to an abundance of poundage – one more drift of the times . Always - witty auto tester Tom McCahill , of Mechanix Illustrated , declared that a Chevy ’s decklid had " enough way to land a Piper Cub . "
Impala was now a separate series , including a four - room access hardtop and four - room access sedan chair , as well as the two - door Sport Coupe andconvertible . Sport Coupes featured a shortened roofline and wrap - over back window , predict a " almost limitless rearward view " to complement the car ’s novel compound - bend windshield . The hardtop Sport Sedan had a huge , pillar - destitute back windowpane , allow for scads of headroom beneath its slender " aviate wing " roofline .
The 1959 Chevrolet Impala became a separate series, distinct from the Bel Air.
lowly V-8 was the carryover 283 , at 185horsepower . Performance fan could pick out 283 - cubic - inch output signal to 290 horsepower – or turn to the big - closure 348 - cubic - inch V-8 , in a dizzying roster of rating , up to 315 HP .
With a V-8 , the Impala convertible lean at $ 2,967 , but a six - cylinder rendering save the client $ 118 . Aepyceros melampus interiors flaunted their top - of - the - line position , offering such pleasantry as front and rear armrest , an galvanic clock , dual sliding sun visors , and crank - operated front ventipanes . A contoured official document board make deep - set gauges residing below hood to forbid glare . On the comfort front , a fresh Flexomatic six - way power seat could be installed .
1959 Chevrolet Impala Facts
1960 Chevrolet Impala
The 1960 Chevrolet Impala agitate direction a small , creating a more conservative look than was take care on the redesigned 1959 model .
Looking back from today ’s advantage peak , the ' 59 Chevrolets do n’t look intimately as horrific as they did at the time . In the eyes of today ’s collectors and enthusiast , those scoff - at tailfins are a major part of the railway car ’s collection – the prominent the better . stylist and vendor back then , on the other hand , realized that the fin - and - chrome mode had about run its form . They need to shift direction a slight , creating a more conservative brass - rhytidectomy .
Those wholesale horizontal fins did n’t disappear , of trend . Not yet . For 1960 they were plainly modulate down a act , giving Chevrolets a more refined and temperate back end – an angular , taper shape that integrated neatly into the one-fourth venire . The effect was help by installment of three modestly sized round taillights on each side of the top - of - the - line Impala .
The 1959 Chevrolet Impala became a separate series, distinct from the Bel Air.
Up front , those ferocious snorting - anterior naris gentle wind intakes above the headlights were deleted all . By the standards of the Fifties , at least , the ' 60 redesign outrank as downright restrain , promote for " Space – Spirit – Splendor . "
More copiously chrome thanBel Airsor Biscaynes , Impalas found buyers more well , with better than 490,000 build up . Impalas displayed such whatsis as malfunctioning airwave - inhalation grievous bodily harm , plus a white band run along the rearward fender . Four body panache vied for customer : hardtop Sport Sedan ( with a bird’s-eye back window within slim rearward column ) , Sport Coupe , convertible , and four - door sedan chair . Impala hosted Chevy ’s only full - size sofa bed , leading the line at $ 2,847 ( $ 2,954 with V-8 ) .
Drivetrain choices diminished a bit , but no one could say they were deprived – with seven V-8engineratings to opt from , in 283- or 348 - cubic - column inch size . Top choice was the 348 - three-dimensional - in Super Turbo - Thrust Special , breathing through triple two - barrelcarburetorsand using 11.25:1 densification and dual exhausts to eke out 335 HP . More modest variants of the 348 yielded 250 to 320 horses . The carbureted Turbo - Fire 283 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 could have either 170 or 230 H.P. , but fuel injection no longer was an option under full - size Chevrolet hoods .
The 1959 Chevrolet Impala became a separate series, distinct from the Bel Air.
1960 Chevrolet Impala Facts
1961 Chevrolet Impala
The 1961 Chevrolet Impala was destine to become one of the most memorable Chevrolets of the 1960s by merge full - size of it luxury with sport , although few realized it as the model yr give . Mid - season not Âonly brought a Super Sport option for the Impala , but the legendary " 409"engineas well – soon to be immortalized in song by Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys .
Priced at a mere $ 5,380 , the Super Sport was promoted as the " highly personalised version " of Impala eubstance styles . The option group admit simulated knock - off wheel covers , laboured - responsibility fountain and shocks , metallicbrakelinings , padded instrument control panel , a Sun 7,000 - rev tach on thesteeringcolumn , and 8x14 narrow-minded - band whitewall tyre . The front passenger faced a grab saloon , not unlike that in Corvettes , but all occupants resided on bench seats .
Super Sports could have any of three version of the 348 - cubic - inch V-8 engine , with 305 to 350horsepower . Those ordered with a four - amphetamine gain a special floor - climb up gearshift with a precipitously bent lever . Powerglide was limited to the mildest mill . Only 453 Impalas had the SS selection , most of them Sport Coupes . Just 142 of those held the big 409 - three-dimensional - inch engine . Available in no other mannikin , the 409 breathed through a threefold - snorkel air cleaner to whip up 360 HP and 409 pounds - feet of torsion .
The SS aimed at " client who like sport car flair and go , team up with large motorcar elegance . " With a 409 and 4.56:1 axle proportion , an Impala SS could hit 60 mph in seven seconds .
Three Impala rooflines were employed this yr , including a Sport Coupe with gently sloping front pillars and pot of chicken feed . Impalas were n’t devoid of meretriciousness , with creased bodysides , tapered trimming strips , and sculptured rearward decks . They also wore deluxe bike discs , plus wide bodyside moulding with contrasting insert control board .
Chevrolet declared Impala " definitely the finest car in its line of business . " Production was almost very to the 1960 total , at 491,000 unit ( including 64,600 convertible ) .
The Impala’s “bat wing” styling was even more powerful on the convertible.
1961 Chevrolet Impala Facts
1962 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala
The 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air and Impala full - size cars get a cleaned - up , square up - off restyling , were a bite bulky than before , and feature a trail torso creaseline . advertising positioned full - size of it Chevrolets at airdrome , under the theme " super C - smooth Chevrolet , " proclaim their " room , zoom and a route buffer ride " as well as the smooth young shape .
Continuing their role as the posh Chevrolets , Impalas wore full - length upper bodyside moldings ( with contrast - color cut-in ) , laugh at body sill moldings , stainlesssteelwindow divulge passementerie , and special stern - fender handwriting . Each Impala framework had its own typical roofline , include the slim - pillar four - door saloon . Sport coupes gotconvertible - like rearward ceiling crease , while newfangled inside fender protect against rusting .
Impala output totaled a thumping 704,900 cars , versus 365,000 svelte - pillar Bel Air sedans and 160,000 Biscaynes , the latter minimally trimmed but promoted for its " beautiful simplicity . "
This twelvemonth , the grown 409 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 could be instal in any full - sizing model , not just the Super Sport , developing either 380 or 409 horsepower . The 409 - HP edition breathed through matching four - barrelcarburetors , while its less - stiff match made do with a single carb . Both had hearty lifters and duple exhausts , with 11.0:1 compression . All - out fancier could even order lightweight aluminum front organic structure instrument panel .
The 348 - cubic - in locomotive was gone , replaced by a 327 - three-dimensional - in option that delivered 250 or 300 horses . The 283 - cubic - inch V-8 came in only one guise , at 170 H.P. , as the standard V-8 powerplant .
The Super Sport option was now a $ 156 trim software for the Impala Sport Coupe or convertible , usable with any engine – even the Hi - Thrift six - piston chamber . That extra outlay buy front bucketful bottom of " leather - piano " vinyl with atomic number 13 edging , a passenger assist streak , a console with lock compartment , aluminum mould inserts , and knock - off - style wheel covers . Hard drivers could add sinter - metal brake linings , gravid - duty springs / shock , 8x14 tire , and a tachometer .
At $2,954, the Impala convertible was Chevrolet’s most expensive 1960 car.
1962 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala Facts
1963 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala
The 1963 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , and Impala relish a boxlike face - lift , with bodyside contours smartly altered to look like major change had taken blank space . " Clean - cut as a gem , " the sales brochure exact , " bland - horseback riding as a jet . " Ads boast such workaday feature as " air - washed rocker panels , " self - adjustingbrakes , and a foresighted - life exhaust system scheme .
The stock Turbo - Fire 283 - cubic - inch V-8 get a boost to 195horsepower , the mid - compass 327 - cubic - inch engine yielded 250 to 340 HP , and the big - block 409 cranked out 340 , 400 , or 425 horse . The latter used twinned four - bbl carburetors and 11:1 compression .
Quite a few buyers skip the V-8 , making do with the 140 - sawbuck Turbo - Thrift six . On the polar end of the public presentation spectrum , a few lucky retarding force racers were able-bodied to obtain one of a handful of cars that were jibe with lightweight Al front trunk board and held a 427 - cubic - inch enlargement of the 409 railway locomotive .
At $2,954, the Impala convertible was Chevrolet’s most expensive 1960 car.
Impalas again sold well , with 832,600 build up ( include 153,271 Super Sports ) . Sport Sedans had their own hardtop roofline , and Sport Coupes could now get a vinyl radical top . Most dearly-won model was the strong-growing - looking SS Impala convertible . usable with anyengine , an SS package added $ 161 to the ragtop ’s $ 3,024 Qaeda price and let in laboured - duty springs , atomic number 13 - trim bucket seats , and purl dashboard insert . All SS Impalas had floor gearstick , and a new console table include a lock compartment .
1963 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala Facts
1964 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala
The 1964 Chevrolet Impala bring a model to the line as the Super Sport became a distinct serial in ' 64 , in eitherconvertibleor hardtop coupe form . Super Sports held a pleated vinyl radical interior with front bucketful seats , and a cabinet with floor gearshift ( when equipped with a four - speed or Powerglide ) . vortex - pattern silver anodized material beautify the rear cove schema moulding and spacious upper body clipping cartoon strip of US Secret Service model .
Super Sports might have either a six - piston chamber or V-8 locomotive – though few of the former were sold . A tachometer and sportssteeringwheel could be supply to the software . Quick - ratio major power steering was available , along with a seven - position Comfortilt editorial .
update styling featured squarer corners along with a new full - width modeled grille . Impalas again had treble taillights on each side , plus plenty of brightwork . As usual , they were the top sellers by far , with 889,600 built ( include an impressive 185,523 Super Sports ) .
At $2,954, the Impala convertible was Chevrolet’s most expensive 1960 car.
Picking a powertrain was n’t easy – not with seven locomotive engine and four contagion to choose from . Engine offer run from a 140 - H.P. six through V-8s of 283 , 327 , and 409 three-dimensional column inch , the last described as " especially saucy in main road return situations . " V-8s whipped up from 195 to 425 horsepower , and top engine could get Delcotronic all - transistorignition .
1964 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , and Impala Facts
1965 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, and Impala
The 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , and Impala , big - bodied machine in any year , managed to produce bigger yet . For 1965 the full - size Chevys featured dramatically rounded side , curved windowpane glass , and an all - new front end with fresh hood contours . A new Girder - Guard physique reduced the size of the driveline tunnel in spite of appearance .
Chevrolet also upgrade the car ' Wide - Stance design , adhesively bonded windshield , and improved full - coilsuspension . Sport Coupes wear a satiny semi - fastback roofline , and rack well moldings were revised . A two - timber cat’s-paw panel put gauge in a break up area ahead of the driver .
Turbo Hydra - Matic was offer for the first prison term , the column - shift three - upper could have full synchronization , and a new 250 - three-dimensional - inch six - piston chamber engine fulfil a fair turn of buyers . A 396 - cubic - inch Turbo - Jet V-8 became uncommitted halfway through the model year , tamp down 325 or 425horsepower– the latter with 11:1 compression and solid weightlifter . The fabled dual - carb 409 was dropped , leaving only 340- and 400 - horsepower renditions .
Super Sports differed slightly from unconstipated Impalas , retain bright windshield moldings but not the rocker panel or downcast fender trim . A sum of 243,114 Impala SS coupe and convertibles were built . Their Modern center console house a rally - case electric clock , and full instrumentation now included a vacuum gauge .
For $ 200 , an Impala Sport Sedan could be transformed into a Caprice Custom Sedan , found a name fate for tenner of life-time . The Caprice choice chemical group let in a ignominious - out grille , vinyl radical top with fleur de lis emblems , unique wheel cover , and narrow sill moldings .
They also got suspension changes and a potent frame – plus the most grand interior ever reckon in a Chevrolet , and an regalia of ease / convenience features . Specially stitched cloth doorway panels were accented with simulated walnut , and contour - padded seats wore a combining of framework and vinyl . All of this aimed to give Chevy buyers a " one - of - a - kind " taste of Cadillac ’s look and ride . Its sale success instigate Chevrolet to make the V-8 - only Caprice a full serial for ' 66 .
The 1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan hardtop had a panoramic rear window.
1965 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , and Impala Facts
1966 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala and Caprice
The 1966 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice were marked by blockier eubstance line as well as new fenders , bumper , grille and orthogonal wraparound taillights .
A 427 - three-dimensional - column inch V-8 debut – an expansion of the 396 - cubic - column inch Mark IV engine – develop 390 or 425horsepower . Also uncommitted : a 396 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 range at 325 horses , and a 327 . Hardtop models got new perimeter frames and body mount as Chevrolet call a " Jet - smoother ride . " Each serial publication – Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice – included a station waggon . Three - speed column gearshift were in full synchronise in all forwardgears .
" Bucketed , handsome and out to on sport , " the Super Sports had new slight - profile Strato - pail seating room . Impala remained the kinfolk favorite , but the posher Caprice became a separate series as a result of the nameplate ’s 1965 success – when marketed as an option . Aiming at Ford ’s upscale LTD and billed as the " most luxurious Chevrolet yet , " the four - model Caprice series was strictly V-8 - powered .
caprice could have optional reclining Strato - back front seating . The Caprice Custom Coupe buzz off a more schematic , " one - of - a - kind " roofline with decorative exhaust fumes port under the rear window . Like its four - door counterpart , the coupe featured all-inclusive rocker sill moldings , dual color - key out striping , and fleur de lis emblems on roof quarters .
1966 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice Facts
1967 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
A top - of - the - business line 1967 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Coupe just happened to be the 100 - one-millionth GM vehicle construct in America . Perhaps it was n’t planned that style , but could this feat have been a boding of the subsequent popularity of Chevy ’s classy model ? possibly so .
Made at the Janesville , Wisconsin , facility on April 21 , 1967 , the milestone luxury coupe by nature featured the Caprice ’s exclusive stately roofline . Often sell with an optional vinyl group top , that silhouette was shared with no other Chevrolet simulation .
Freshly rebodied , the ' 67 full - sized cars look only more or less different from their predecessors . Dimensions remained some the same , too , still on a 119 - inch wheelbase – four inches longer than the mid - sizeChevelle . Chevrolet promote the " lattice - body of work grillwork playing peekaboo around the front fenders . "
All 1961 Chevrolet Impalas had bodyside sweepspears and triple taillights.
Less decorated than other Impalas , Super Sports had contraband grille accents and black - accented bodyside and rear fender moldings . Lesser models leaned more toward brightwork within and out . Both SS modeling – Sport Coupe andconvertible– lacked shining wheel well trim .
Buyers could choose either vinyl pail seats with a center console , or a Strato - back bench with a fold - down center armrest . Impala Sport Coupes ( and their SS cousins ) had a extra graceful roofline , which flow in an unbroken line into the rearward deck .
Top railway locomotive this time of year was a 385 - horsepower 427 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 . Of the 76,055 Impala SS models build , just 2,124 were SS 427 variant . Only about 400 Super Sports had a six - piston chamber engine .
All 1961 Chevrolet Impalas had bodyside sweepspears and triple taillights.
Unlike Biscayne or Bel Air , Impalas occur in a full complement of body panache , and account – as usual – for the lion ’s ploughshare of sales . Aepyceros melampus output , in fact , totaled 556,800 cars with V-8 big businessman and 18,800 carrying six - piston chamber locomotive engine , plus the Super Sports . Biscaynes go on to draw budget - minded customer , Bel Airs offered a slight extra luxury , and more than 124,000 shoppers pay the excess sawhorse to add a Caprice into the driveway .
1967 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice Facts
1968 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Imapla, and Caprice
The 1968 Chevrolet Caprice had a " classic " raw roofline , declared this year ’s sales folder . " Nothing on the road is more distinctively stylish . " Once again , Caprices held such sumptuosity as courtesy and ashtray lights , an galvanising clock , and a front center armrest – plus fancy seats and doorway panels . Caprice carpeting even ran up the side of kick panel and door bottoms .
promote as " The Grand Chevrolet , " Caprices were heavily advertised and would eventually replace the Impala as an icon in the American psyche . " It can make you feel rich , " the folder go along . " At a Chevrolet price . "
New windows lack ventipanes but promised greater profile . Astro Ventilation was supposed to pull in external air without having to break through open a window . Most Chevrolets make obscure wipers . Retractable headlights be $ 79 , but few were sell , despite the clean-living front - end look they helped produce . The courtly Custom Coupe , antecedently a Caprice exclusive , became usable as an Impala .
All 1961 Chevrolet Impalas had bodyside sweepspears and triple taillights.
Standard front ends had a new side , while rear bumper obtain three-fold " shoe " shaped taillights . Plush raw interiors also help attractbuyers . Biscayne again suffice as the lowest - priced full - sizing framework – and expect the part . Bel Airs keep to lure middle - of - the - roaders , but Impala overmaster the sales chart , as it had for years .
The posh Caprice was coming on strong , though , with 115,500 produced this season . Just as Caprice sales escalated , those of the Impala Super Sport suffer a decline . No longer a freestanding serial , the Super Sport was a mere $ 179 selection parcel for the two Impala coupes and theconvertible . Only 38,210 Impalas were so - equipped , including 1,778 with the 427 - three-dimensional - in V-8 engine ( dubbed SS 427 ) .
Full - sized cars could have a modest 250 - cubic - inch six , a 307 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 , either of a pair of 327s , or a 325 - H.P. 396 - cubic - inch V-8 . pinch the list was the fully grown 427 , betray at 385 or 425 HP – plenty of vigour , even in a fleshy Chevy . determination , decisions .
1968 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1969 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The 1969 Chevrolet Impala and other full - size car were redesign to give them a sculpted look on their bodysides and a slightly longer appearance overall , but relationship to anterior model was obvious . Wheelbases persist at 119 in – just three in longer than four - threshold Chevelles .
Reshaped fenders bug out around each steering wheel well . orthogonal taillights went within a fragile rear bumper . A freshened grille flank by four abstruse - mounted headlights were cast by a flimsy bumper .
" We ’re out to put everybody on Easy Street , " the sales agreement brochure importune . Impalas had Hide - A - Way wiper and vinyl - insert bodyside modeling . Biscaynes andBel Airsagain rounded out the full - size card , which also include the poshCaprice . Impala and Caprice coupe had a unexampled option : an electric rear - windowpane defogger . Ignition shift were climb on the guidance column .
The 1961 Chevrolet Impala had color-coordinated upholstery and body colors.
Base engine remain a 155 - horsepower , 250 - three-dimensional - inch six , but the bottom - closing V-8 produce to 327 cubic inches and 235 horsepower . Once again the Super Sport was an engine / passementerie package that cost $ 422 . A total of only 2,455 were ordered on the Impala Custom Coupe , Sport Coupe , and exchangeable . A 390 - horsepower , 427 - three-dimensional - in engine gave each Super Sport model an SS 427 designation .
In - between options include 255- and 300 - horsepower versions of the 350 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 , as well as a 265 - HP 396 .
1969 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1970 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The 1970 Chevrolet Impala and other full - size Chevrolets lost their combined grille / bumper . In fact , front and rear oddment were fully restyled , give the imprint of considerable alteration – essentially an illusion , because changes were actually quite modest .
Six - piston chamber engines come only in the four - threshold sedan , no longer being volunteer in two - doorway Impalas . Other full - size of it cars started with a 250 - H.P. 350 - cubic - column inch V-8 . Options included a 300 - horsepowerupgrade of the 350 , a 265 - HP 400 , and a pair of 454 - cubic - inch V-8s . Replacing the 427 V-8 and developed in part to meet forthcoming emissions standards , the new 454 - three-dimensional - inchenginesproduced 345 or 390 H.P. .
Biscaynes and Bel Airs came only in four - door sedan bod , accompany by tantamount Brookwood and Townsman station wagons . All two - door were hardtop - styled in the Impala and Caprice business line . Impala was one of three remain Chevy convertibles , and only 9,562 were build . intelligibly , interestingness in ragtops – whether full - size or any size – was beginning to dwindle down . So was the captivation with large sporty cars , prompting desertion of the Impala Super Sport .
The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air remained the mid-level full-size Chevy.
Output of full - sized auto dropped sharply , below the million mark , partly as a outcome of a 65 - day rap in the fall of 1970 . Impala sales , as expected , ranked far above other big Chevrolets .
1970 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1971 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The 1971 Chevrolet Impala , with its four body styles , was part of a long list of full - size Chevys for anyone who lacked the bucks to buy a posh Caprice hardtop coupe or sedan . In add-on to two- and four - threshold pillarless hardtops , the Impala came as a regular four - doorway sedan and also as aconvertible– a body style that soon would begin to disappear . An Impala Custom Coupe blend the up - level Caprice roofline with mid - range trimness .
Biscayne again served as the lowest - priced model and Bel Air the mid - range choice , both market only as four - doorway sedans . Standard engines were the 250 - three-dimensional - inch six and 307 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 , but alternative range all the way to a 425 - horsepower 454 .
In addition to stretch the wheelbase to 121.5 in ( 125 inch for Wagon ) , this year ’s redesign changed the physical body of great Chevrolets . Their body bulge in nearly every direction – at the beltline , along body sides , even at the cowling . A new eggcrate - patterned grille led the way , and prominent front - fender leading edge help give Chevrolets a confidential information of Cadillac ’s look .
The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air remained the mid-level full-size Chevy.
Aepyceros melampus production top 475,000 cable car ( not counting wagons ) , but only a handful had a six - cylinder engine . Chevrolet promote flow - through ventilation , but the blowhole louvers – stereotype into decklids and wagon tailgates – soon draw charge about water leakage .
Although the Biscayne – useable in sedan form only – was the unveiling - level full - size Chevrolet , its " thriftiness " roots were not particularly apparent at a coup d’oeil . Dressed up with chrome windowpane trim , side moldings , whitewalltires , and full roulette wheel cover , a Biscayne looked considerably courteous than its prescribed base - mannikin condition might paint a picture . Despite this , shoppers uncoerced to pay off more to move up to a Bel Air or Impala were indifferent to the ' 71 Biscayne job ; only about 22,000 went out the door . The air would disappear after the ' 72 model yr .
Although the fully grown Chevys maintained an enthusiastic interview , production was badly spite by a 1971 UAW smash that regard all Chevrolet plants and lasted two months . Still , a aggregate of most 668,000 big Chevys was nothing to sneeze at .
The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air remained the mid-level full-size Chevy.
Of that number , only 10,200 allow for the factory with inline sixes . intelligibly , purchaser wanted V-8 superpower to equal the line of reasoning ’s Cadillac looks , a resemblance that was peculiarly pronounce on the Caprice . And , as historiographer George Dammann has pointed out , a Caprice or Impala optioned to the hilt was hardly less prissy than a Caddy – short curiosity Chevy dealers had little trouble moving the big cars out the threshold .
1971 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1972 Chevrolet Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The wheelbase of the 1971 Chevrolet Impala grew by half an in , as it did on Chevy ’s other full - size of it railcar , and overall length reach 220 inch . dimension of that order of magnitude made Chevrolets the liberal of the " Big Three " makes . place wagons stick around with their former 125 - inch wheelbase but were stretched a chip to an immense 226 inch overall .
All - new front end built around a vee - shaped wicket gave the Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and honored Caprice a saucy and unique face , unrelated to other models . Said the Caprice sales brochure : " You ’ll like driving behind a stately grille that could be on cars priced hundreds of dollars more . " Brookwood , Townsman , Kingswood , and Kingswood Estate black Maria round out the full - size picture .
Full - size of it Chevrolet production ( including station coaster wagon ) topped the million target this time of year . Only 6,456 Impalaconvertibleswere built , but the Impala serial publication as a whole continued to deal strongly – a straight American dearie , and the most popular model nameplate in automotive history . In fact , the ten - millionth Impala was sold this year . Caprices were no slouches in the sales slipstream , either , with 178,455 cast out the factory door .
Engine selection reached as far as a 270 - HP version of the 454 - cubic - inch V-8 . Also useable : a 210 - horsepower 402 - cubic - column inch V-8 and a 170 - horsepower 400 , along with 165- and 200 - horsepower 350s . Fewer than 3,900 full - size Chevrolets had a six - cylinder locomotive .
Three luxuriousCapricemodels now were uncommitted , including a new pillared four - door saloon . caprice had nothing less than a Turbo - Fire 400 V-8 , with variable - ratio business leader steering and Turbo Hydra - Matic . Top - of - the - line station wagon , as before , was the Kingswood Estate with faux Mrs. Henry Wood along the bodysides . Ventilation louvre disappear from the tailboard of full - size station wagons .
Chevrolet ’s worldwide handler , John Z. DeLorean , left GM this year to start his ominous - fated speculation with the stainless - brand sports car that bear his own name .
The 1962 Chevrolet Impala offered a Super Sport Trim Package.
1972 Chevrolet Biscayne , Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1973 Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
asunder from Corvettes , the 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the only exchangeable in the Chevy card that year ; the fore - tie naval division build 7,339 of the $ 4,345 open - top model . Caprice was promoted in ads as " the upmost Chevrolet . " No more Biscaynes were built , making Bel Air the base theoretical account and Impala the mid - scope , with Caprice presiding at the top of the pile .
place station wagon were assimilate into passenger - car lines , so the top - line wagon was call the Caprice Estate , and the Biscayne - found Brookwood disappeared . Except for wagon , all Caprice models came with stock rear pilot skirts to accentuate the car ’s sweeping lines .
Five - miles per hour front bumpers now were required , but rearward bumper want only to meet a 21/2 - mph standard , so those were less noticeable . roof were tone up , and side door ray thickened .
alkali locomotive engine remained a 250 - three-dimensional - inch six or 307 - cubic - column inch V-8 , but full - size models might have a 350 V-8 . Caprices could even get a 454 ( 215 or 245 horsepower ) . Chevrolet ’s original " lowly - block " V-8 was blow up to 400 cubic inches , breathing through a two - barrelcarburetorto modernise a rather meagre 150 H.P. . Six - cylinder engine were installed only in Bel Airs with column - shift three - stop number . All full - size of it cable car with a 350 - cubic - inch V-8 or slap-up ran Turbo Hydra - Matic .
Fuel tanks held 22 congius of gas – and possessor had to make frequent stumble to thegasstation for filling - ups , as these biggies were far from frugal . That fiddling engine room imperfectness would loom bombastic when the gas crisis arrived of late in 1973 , and frantic motorists had to model in long lines to get at the pumps .
1973 Chevrolet Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice Facts
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe had crisp and angular styling.
1974 Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The 1974 Chevrolet Impala beget some unsound news : overall Chevrolet production skidded 15 percent this twelvemonth , due in large measure to the energy crisis that resulted from the OPECoilembargo of 1973 - 74 . much overnight , it seemed , Americans said " no " to big car like the Impala , Caprice and Bel Air , and turned to thrifÂtier , smaller vehicles . jack up price by 10 per centum surely did n’t help , either .
Dramatic new Custom Coupe rooflines continue the " Colonnade " styling that debuted on the previous year ’s Chevelles , with long fix quarter windows – larger in size this time of year – rather of ringlet - down meth . lawful pillarless hardtop coupes rest , let in the Impala Sport Coupe that go forward the roofline introduce in 1973 – rather reminiscent of the original ' 66 Caprice ’s roof treatment . A restyled grille had typical , bright - accented vertical bars . Caprice Classics could have a 50/50 reclining passenger seat .
gross sales brochures promoted the Caprice Classic ’s " enviable luxury , " take aim at " the great unwashed who think ram is something the machine should do . " curiously , the Caprice Classic four - doorway sedan was outsold by coupe and hardtop sedan twin , both of which cost more . Not many convertibles remained in the American marketplace , but Chevrolet continued to offer the open Caprice Classic . Full - sizing cars hinge on a new radial - tunedsuspensionand steel - belted radial tires .
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe had crisp and angular styling.
A circumscribe - edition " Spirit of America " series debuted in the Impala , Nova , and Vega lines , bearing a patriotic theme . Each car was painted clean with cherry and drear accent denude and exceptional identification . Impalas also got typical wheels .
Full - size of it wagons again had the Glide - Away tailgate . With the optional 454 - cubic - in V-8 and its 235horsepower , a full - size of it post beach waggon could tow as much as 7,000 pounds . Station wagons had a standard 400 - cubic - inch V-8 , rated at 180 horsepower , whereas other full - size modelling started with a choice of 350 - three-dimensional - inch V-8s . impulse receive a 150 - horsepower rendition of the 400 - three-dimensional - inch powerplant .
1974 Chevrolet Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice Facts
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe had crisp and angular styling.
1975 Chevrolet Bel Air, Impala, and Caprice
The 1975 Chevrolet Impala was sell on an publicizing theme of " Chevrolet makes sense for America . " And bigcarslike the Impala and Caprice – despite theirgas - hungry nature – were heavily advertised .
Chevy ’s flagship , the Caprice Classic hardtop saloon , measured 223 inches from stem to stern . Side windows were cut into the cap ’s sail control board , pass on the four - room access hardtop a refreshful appearance . Fender skirts were standard , along with shining wheel moldings . All Caprices were fully trim back classic , available in five body styles : coupe , Landau coupe , four - door sedan , sport sedan , andconvertible .
This was the last year for the full - size Chevrolet sofa bed – a Caprice , which listed for $ 5,113 but typically transport a lot of extra accessories . For the first time , convertibles could have a 50/50 reclining passenger seat and a sport cloth interior . output of 8,349 full - sizing ragtops actually was higher than it had been since 1970 , when 9,562 open Impalas went to dealerships . The years of the outsize , pretentious American sofa bed was over .
Two coupes and two sedan , pillared and pillarless , made up the Impala furrow , still promoted as " America ’s favorite elevator car . " A Landau coupe also was uncommitted but sold sparsely . Only 2,465 were raise .
Wearing its raw roofline with big rear threshold windowpane , pillared Impala sedan sell well , with 91,330 built . Facing its net time of year , the Bel Air line included nothing other than a four - door sedan chair , which had a lot more hassle rule client . Total sales of full - sizing exemplar continued their downward slide , pass on about half their 1973 amount .
All Chevrolet passenger cars stick a " GM Efficiency System " that included a catalytic converter and electronic High Energy Ignition system . Installation of the " CT " permitted engine recalibrations which , in many cases , broughtimproved gas mileageand durability . The full - sizing extract included three station wagons : Caprice Estate , Impala , and Bel Air , each with either two or three seat .
The Impala SS convertible was the most expensive full-size Chevrolet in 1963.
1975 Chevrolet Bel Air , Impala , and Caprice fact
1976 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice
The 1976 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice were the only full - size Chevys this year ( Bel Airs were gone ) , and they shared novel front - end styling that included a make over wicket . Caprices displayed unexampled orthogonal headlights and three-fold - unit wraparound rear light , while Impalas used four round headlights . The pillarless Impala Sport Coupe faded out of the card , so a conventional - profiled Custom Coupe was the only Impala two - threshold . After 1976 , the four - door hardtop body manner also would melt .
Measuring more than 222 inches overall on a 121.5 - in wheelbase , the Caprice Classic and Impala ranked as the last of the really giving Chevys . For the last clock time , a 454 - cubic - inch V-8enginecould be installed in Chevrolets , now yielding 225 horsepower . Full - size cars made the most of their border frame and full coil - springsuspensionto deliver a fluent ride that please their owners .
Both models had such luxuries as feign rosewood vinyl radical trim on the instrument panel , steerage steering wheel , and doors . Each rode steel - belt out radial tires and carry an automatic transmission , powerbrakes , and varying - ratio power steering . The stock bench buns could be replaced by a 50/50 split front tooshie . Landau Coupes had a harmonizing padded moose - grain vinyl half - roof .
" There ’s no such thing as too much ease , " said the sale brochure of Chevrolet ’s Caprice Classic , offered as a sedan chair , sport sedan , coupe , and Landau coupe . Interiors control new received knit cloth / vinyl group upholstery or flaccid amplify all - vinyl . Front and rearstabilizer barswere monetary standard , along with a radial - tune up suspension organization with modified shock absorber .
Impalas came in the same four body styles as the Caprice , placard as " a tradition that keeps get better . " Low - budget vendee could get an Impala S four - door sedan chair , lacking spare passementerie and blade - belt tires . Options included a recline rider posterior , power six - way front buns , business leader curl and window , magnate torso untier , rear defogger , and Four - Season or Comfortron air conditioning .
1976 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice fact
The 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS came only as a two-door hardtop or convertible.
1977 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice
The 1977 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice , like other GM models , receive a spectacular curtailment for 1977 as part of a entire B complex - dead body redesign . Shorter , grandiloquent , and narrower , billed as " The New Chevrolet , " the new full - size cars prognosticate to be " more appropriate for the meter , " more accomplishable , and occupying " a picayune less space in the earth . "
Of course , customers were assured that the reduce - sizing manakin in reality offered more interior space , not less . In fact , promontory way and rear leg room were capital than in ' 76 mannequin . So was trunk outer space , measuring 20.2 cubic feet in the sedan chair .
Chevrolet pulled out all the stops to launch its freshly shrivelled furrow . Motor Trend honored the downsized Chevrolet , describe it Car of the Year . In this raw , sleeker cast , the biggest Chevrolets would continue – with a modest facelift in 1980 – all the path through the 1990 model year . Downsized full - size models would see monolithic service in police fleets through the late 1970s and ' 80 ( and beyond ) , a tribute to the gondola ’s engineering excellency – and the public presentation of the small - block V-8 in particular .
The 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS came only as a two-door hardtop or convertible.
Six - cylinder engines were back as part of the efficiency focus . EPA milage evaluation reach 22 - mpg highway and 17 urban center with six - piston chamber power , and 20 highway/16 city with the new 305 - cubic - inch V-8 . The latter was the most popular , producing 145 horsepower with a two - barrelcarburetor , though a 170 - horsepower 350 - cubic - inch V-8 was also useable . In other news show , a new Smart Switch function the dimmer andturn signal .
place beach waggon lost their Glide - Away tailgate , replaced by an ordinary Door - Gate that opened sideways or folded down . police wagon wheelbase shrunk from 125 to 116 inches , the same as coupes and saloon , and overall distance cut down by more than a ft .
The Impala series consisted of a coupe , four - door sedan , and four - door station beach waggon ( with two or three seats ) . At midyear , a lavishly trimmed Impala Landau Coupe fall in the assembly line . The completely dissimilar Caprice redefined the intact construct of the American - made full - size machine , signalise " the physical body of railway car to follow . "
The 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS came only as a two-door hardtop or convertible.
1977 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice fact
1978 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice
The 1978 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice , in their 2nd example year , were " tailored , sharp , beautiful , " according to the companionship line . Of of course , this came after Chevrolet proclaimed that its downsized ' 77s had become " the most successful novel gondola in the nation . "
Caprice Classics had a typical new grillwork and put up - up hood summit , and their own wheel blanket . Taillights were modestly restyled , and a Power Skyroof became uncommitted . impulse also had carpeted lower door panels , simulate woodiness accents , and extra levelheaded insularity . Impalas got a fresh grille and redesigned taillights with bigger backup light source .
More than 609,000 full - size Chevrolets headed toward franchise , with Impala and Caprice four - door sedans the most democratic models . Big coupes drew far fewer gross sales , and Landau variant even less . Only 33,990 Impala coupes and 4652 Landau coupes were produce . Most coupe buyers preferred the posher Caprice Classic . Interior fall in cloth or vinyl group , but one option included a 50/50 fragmented front seat .
Impalas and Caprices still came stock with a 110 - horsepowersix , but two V-8s were available : 305- or 350 - cubic - inch , grow 145 or 170 sawhorse , respectively . As with most cars in the late ' 70s , California engine evaluation were lower than those trade elsewhere . All full - size cars had automatictransmissions .
1978 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Facts
1979 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice
The 1979 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice were a " criterion of winner by which other full - sizecarsshould be judged , " according to Chevrolet .
Then again , this is the companionship whose ads in 1979 promoted fuel efficiency even for the Caprice , still billed as " The New Chevrolet . " That appellative had been given to downsized full - size models in 1977 , but changes were modest this twelvemonth . Caprice Classics got a newfangled segmented grille with bluff vertical accent and a revise headlight design . coupe and sedans also adopted a refinement of the traditional triplex - segment taillights .
" America has driven it to the top , " the sales leaflet crowed , as this " new contemporaries " had " become the most popular of our time . "
The 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne looked mundane but had a 425-horsepower engine.
Engine choice again start with a 250 - cubic - inch six and 305 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 , with a 170 - horsepower 350 - three-dimensional - inch V-8 optional . Options include a Power Skyroof , six - way power seat , intermittent wipers , Comfortron automaticair conditioning , galvanizing rear defogger , power transmitting aerial , and power trunk opener . A disjoined brochure described Chevrolet police force vehicles : Malibus and Impalas , with part Novas omitted .
yield of full - size car dipped just a little , to 588,638 units . Even so , that totality stood beyond any other series , though Malibu was n’t so far behind . For million of Americans , the name Chevrolet and great cars , even the downsized biggies , were nigh synonymous .
1979 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Facts
1980 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
The 1980 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice received their first facelift since being completely redesign and " downsized " for 1977 . Differences , however , were pernicious : The toughie and front fenders were lower slightly and give a more rounded configuration , while the coupe ’s wraparound rear windowpane gave direction to a bland rearward window fixed to more upright cap pillar .
emptor were offered a choice of V-6 or V-8engines . supervene upon the onetime 250 - cubic - column inch inline six as the base powerplant was a new 229 - cubic - column inch V-6 rated at the same 115horsepower , though California buyers got a Buick - built 231 - cubic - inch V-6 with 110 . V-8 options include a 267 - three-dimensional - inch whole packing 120 horsepower and a 155 - horse 305 .
Charles’s Wain came standard with the smaller V-8 , while the 305 and a 105 - H.P. Oldsmobile 350 diesel engine V-8 were optional . The standard , and only , transmissionwas a three - f number automatic .
The 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS and other full-size cars got rounded bodysides, a higher beltline, and an aggressive rear-quarter bulge that year.
Full - size Chevys continued their two - tier lineup . Impala carried on as the groundwork - trim model , while Caprice Classic designated the ritzy variant . Four - door far outsold two - doors and wagons , and Caprices generally outsold Impalas .
The fuel crisis of ' 79 put a gouge in all big - automobile sales , and the Impala and Caprice were no exception . Furthermore , the novel quotation may have skimmed off some more potential emptor , and the result was a dismal year for the big Chevys : From over half - a - million sale in 1979 , volume drop to less than half that number in 1980 . The Impala and Caprice would never retrieve their former popularity .
1980 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic fact
The 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS and other full-size cars got rounded bodysides, a higher beltline, and an aggressive rear-quarter bulge that year.
1981 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
change for the 1981 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic were almost dramatic compare to the subtle class - to - year change usually seen on Chevrolet ’s full - sizing air . Visually , the car changed picayune , but underneath were some laudable improvements .
GM ’s Computer Command Control ( CCC ) expelling organisation meliorate driveability somewhat while lending a hand in foregather 1981 ’s stricter emissions regulation , but bigger news came in the sort of a new four - speed automatic transmission with long - legged 0.67:1 overdrive fourth geared wheel . compound with a curl - uptorque converter , a Caprice or Impala with the 305 - cubic - inch V-8 ( the only engine available with the four - speed automatic ) registered an impressive 26 EPA main road miles - per - gallon , a pattern that could very nearly be duplicated in " real domain " driving .
Engine choices continued from 1980 but with somewhat lesshorsepower . The nucleotide powerplant was again a 229 - three-dimensional - inch V-6 , now with 110 H.P. ( California elevator car get a Buick - built 231 , also with 110 H.P. ) . Optional was a 267 - cubic - in V-8 with 115 horsepower and the said 305 V-8 with 150 .
The 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS and other full-size cars got rounded bodysides, a higher beltline, and an aggressive rear-quarter bulge that year.
For 1980 , only place beach waggon could get an Oldsmobile 350 - cubic - inch diesel V-8 , but availability of that railway locomotive was expanded to include all Impala and Caprice models for 1981 .
1981 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic Facts
1982 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
Because the 1982 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic were ab initio rumor to be in their last twelvemonth , the duo intelligibly receive few changes . Offerings were trimmed , however : The slow - sell Impala play coupe and Caprice Landau summercater coupe did n’t make the cut , leave the Caprice mutant coupe as the only two - room access offering .
Powertrains remained the same , except that the four - focal ratio automatic introduced the previous yr for the 5.0 - liter ( 305 - cubic - inch ) V-8 was now available on the smaller 4.4 - liter ( 267 - cubic - column inch ) V-8 as well . Chevy ’s 3.8 - liter 229 - cubic - column inch V-6 rest received on coupes and sedan chair , while wagons again come with the smaller V-8 ( except in California , where coupes and sedans got Buick ’s 231 - cubic - inch V-6 , and the standardenginefor wagons was the 305 - cubic - inch V-8 ) . As before , the Olds - build 350 diesel V-8 was optional across the board .
Though big , old - fashioned cable car like the Impala and Caprice lost much of their appeal in the wake of highfuel price , the duad represented great note value . With base of operations cost of $ 7,918 for a roomy Impala sedan and just $ 8,367 for the ritzier ( and far more pop ) Caprice Classic sedan , these big home cruisers looked downright cheap next to $ 8,100 Cavalier CL subcompacts and $ 8,600 Celebrity intermediate .
1982 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic Facts
1983 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
The 1983 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic was rumored to be facing extermination , but the good example hold on , albeit with a trimmed model lineup . Gone was the Caprice coupe , the last two - threshold version , and the Impala wagon .
move , too , was the belittled 4.4 - liter V-8 , which was never very popular , even during the gas - crisis twenty-four hours . That leave the 3.8 - liter 110 - H.P. Chevy V-6 as the radical powerplant ( though Californians once again get a similar Buick - builtengine ) , with option being the 150 - H.P. 5.0 - liter gas V-8 ( standard on wagons ) and 105 - horsepower 5.7 - liter diesel V-8 . With all engines , a three - speedautomatic transmissionwas standard , a four - hurrying automatic optional .
Since these were skimpy years for Chevrolet , and GM in cosmopolitan , it was believably unmanageable to justify a replacement for the aging full - size railcar . But with gas prices stabilise and purchaser once again leaning toward larger vehicles and V-8 locomotive engine , it was hard for Chevy to ignore sale that continued to hover near 200,000 unit annually .
This 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible is shown in the color Evening Orchid.
And the Impala and Caprice – despite the loss of their coupes – were not only sell well than the year before , they were selling better than any other Chevrolet .
1983 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic Facts
1984 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
While the Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan continue to anchor Chevy ’s full - size batting order , the Chevrolet Caprice Classic coupe returned to the ranks for 1984 . The Caprice Classic coupe had been dropped at the final stage of the 1982 model year . The 1984 Caprice Classic coupe , was the lone two - door vehicle bid in the full - size Caprice / Impala line of descent and garner nearly 20,000 orders for the year .
Other changes to Chevy ’s big fundament - drivecarswere fairly minor . Windshield wiper restraint were move from the elan to a more commodious locating on the turn - signaling still hunt , while the optionalcruise controlnow allowed incremental swiftness change of one mph at a time .
Powertrains stay much the same as before , with a Chevy - work up 110 - H.P. 3.8 - cubic decimetre V-6 standard in coupe and sedan chair ( a exchangeable Buick V-6 again went into California cars ) . Standard in wagons and optional elsewhere was the good ol' 5.0 - cubic decimeter V-8 , still with 150 horsepower , and optional on all was the 105 - horsepower 5.7 - cubic decimeter diesel V-8 . A three - speed reflexive was standard on all but the 5.0 - liter V-8 , which got a four - speed automatic that was optional with thediesel .
With price starting at under $ 9,000 , the Impala and Caprice represented quite a steal in 1984 dollars . Over 276,000 buyers agreed , prompting a 25 - percent increase in sales over 1983 .
1984 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic fact
1985 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic
The 1985 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic received a number of nuance under the skin , although picayune changed visually . at heart , there were Modern instrument panel graphics , and underneath , thesuspensionwas firmed up so as to reduce the " floating " that plagued earlier modeling that lacked the optional F41 suspension package .
grown news program appear on theenginecharts . The premature 3.8 - liter Chevy and Buick V-6s were replaced by a new 4.3 - liter V-6 , which was based on Chevy ’s legendary pocket-sized - engine block V-8 , with two cylinders chop off . Fitted with throttle - physical structure fuel injection , it bring forth 130 horsepower , 20 more than the old 3.8s .
The optional 5.0 - liter V-8 received a compression boost that helped it find 15 more horse , now totaling 165 . Returning unchanged was the 5.7 - cubic decimeter Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel V-8 with 105 horsepower . The V-6 and diesel engine V-8 came stock with a three - speed robotic infection , with a four - speed automatic optional ; the 5.0 - liter V-8 come standard with the four - pep pill .
In 1966, the Chevrolet Impala SS V-8 convertible was the best-selling SS model.
With a lineup that again admit an Impala saloon and Caprice coupe , sedan , and wagon , the full - size Chevys continued to be as pop as ever , with sales nearing 265,000 unit .
1985 Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic Facts
1994 Chevrolet Caprice and Impala SS
The 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS was free-base on a 1992 show cable car and set enthusiast ’s hearts afire when it burst on the scene halfway through the 1994 poser twelvemonth . revive a name from Chevy ’s performance root , the Caprice - based Impala SS was little more than a styling exercise , but its success would spawn a serial of likewise clothe construct automobile from Chevy ’s rather flavourless stable of front - drive mass - mover .
Coming just in time to give the Impala SS some sting to back up its barque was a heavily revise 5.7 - liter V-8 carrying the prestigious LT1 label . take to the woods on lower compression that allowed it to get by on regulargas , it produced 260 horsepower in this software , versus 275 in the Camaro Z28 and 300 in the Corvette – both of which required agiotage . Nevertheless , it represented an 80 - horsepowerincrease over the former 5.7 - liter V-8 offered in Chevy ’s full - size line .
Also newfangled was a 4.3 - l V-8 producing 200 horsepower , which was the standard engine in Caprice saloon and wagons . While the Impala SS get received with the 5.7 - cubic decimetre LT1 , that engine was also optional on Caprices . Regardless of locomotive engine , the onlytransmissionoffered was a four - speed robotlike .
In 1966, the Chevrolet Impala SS V-8 convertible was the best-selling SS model.
What made the Impala SS special were its monochromic paint scheme , available in black only ; singular " dogleg " degree centigrade - pillar inserts ; " retro " Impala insignias ; rearward spoiler ; and specially its wide 17 - column inch five - speak aluminium wheels . A lowered sports suspension with De Carbon gas - pressurized shocks gave it better road manners than any previous full - size of it Chevy could go for to attain , and the potent powertrain drove through a received limited - gaffe differential backed by four - wheeldisc pasture brake . inwardly , bucketful seats and black splasher trimming signaled its sporting intent , but enthusiasts bemoaned the column - rise shifter and want of a tach .
Other news regarding Chevy ’s full - size line for 1994 blanch by equivalence , but there were some meaning changes . The improver of a passenger - sideair bagprompted a redesigned dash with digitalspeedometerand analogue supplemental gauges housed in one rectangular pod , and wireless / clime controls in another . Also , the standard air conditioning now used CFC - free refrigerant .
1994 Chevrolet Impala SS and Caprice Facts
In 1966, the Chevrolet Impala SS V-8 convertible was the best-selling SS model.
1995 Chevrolet Impala SS
The 1995 Chevrolet Impala SS , with the nameplate ’s mid-1994 unveiling sparking rave reviews from the automotive pressure , returned with only minor changes . Most noticeable was a wide of the mark pallet of hues that expanded the original " any color so long as it ’s grim " philosophy to include Dark Cherry and Green - Gray .
Interior Department remain available in gray-haired leather only . Like its Caprice similitude , optional premium cassette andCDplayers featured f number - even off volume control that adjusted radio volume to ambient noise tier .
The only powertrain propose was again the 260 - horsepower 5.7 - cubic decimetre LT1 V-8 pair to a four - speedautomatic transmitting . Since this same combination was optional on the Caprice , the Impala SS remained largely an appearing acclivity – and even that was compromise middling this year , as the Caprice consider on the Impala ’s " dog leg " rear ceiling pillar .
However , the Impala featured a more sophisticatedsuspensionsystem that chip in it amazing lightsomeness for a two - gross ton sedan . It also hold back its unique homochromatic paint treatment , aero body aids , and those beautiful 17 - inch Al wheels .
1995 Chevrolet Impala SS Facts
1996 Chevrolet Impala SS
The 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was in its best year , and it was a shame that 1996 would also be Impala ’s last . Doomed to extinction by the demise of the Caprice on which it was base , the highly boast Impala SS saw a issue of significant refinement that meliorate what was already an exceptionalcar– just as the ax get to fall .
In retrospect , it was surprising that the Impala received any changes at all . There had long been rumors that the Arlington plant would switch over to building pickup , so it could n’t have come as a shock to anyone on the Impala squad . The Caprice return in virtually carbon paper - copy chassis , and Chevrolet could probably have sold as many Impalas as it could build even if it , too , were a carryover .
But whatever the reason , Chevy applied scientist fixed almost every complaint leveled against the original concept , most aimed at the interior . It was n’t sporting , after all , to shiftgearswith a column - mounted lever tumbler , and what functioning railcar could possibly be squall utter without a tachometer ?
The 1966 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Coupe had its own distinct roofline.
In response to the first objection , Impala was given a story - mounted shifter domiciliate in a proper console – bearing an Impala logo no less . Then the instrument jury was wholly redesigned , sum not only an analog tach , but also an analogspeedometerto put back the former digital social unit . Both revision served to not only further distinguish the Impala from a garden - smorgasbord Caprice , but also to make it fit the mold of a honest sport sedan chair .
Chevy foreknow building only about 15,000 Impala SS sedans for 1996 . In most enthusiast ’s creative thinker , it would n’t be nearly enough .
1996 Chevrolet Impala SS Facts
1967 Chevrolet Impala SS models sported black trim in place of chrome.
1967 Chevrolet Impala SS models sported black trim in place of chrome.
1967 Chevrolet Impala SS models sported black trim in place of chrome.
The 1967 Chevrolet Impala featured a roofline that sloped into the decklid.
The 1968 Chevrolet Caprice sold well, spurred by the model’s claims of luxury.
The 1968 Chevrolet Caprice sold well, spurred by the model’s claims of luxury.
The 1968 Chevrolet Caprice sold well, spurred by the model’s claims of luxury.
The 1968 Chevrolet Impala had redesigned front and rear bumpers.
Styling changes to the 1969 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys gave the line a bigger, more imposing look.
Styling changes to the 1969 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys gave the line a bigger, more imposing look.
Styling changes to the 1969 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys gave the line a bigger, more imposing look.
The 1969 Chevrolet Impala was the only full-size Chevy with a convertible option.
The 1970 Chevrolet Caprice remained the highest expression of Chevrolet luxury.
The 1970 Chevrolet Caprice remained the highest expression of Chevrolet luxury.
The 1970 Chevrolet Caprice remained the highest expression of Chevrolet luxury.
Chevrolet redesigned the front and rear ends of 1970 full-size Chevys.
The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice resembled the Cadillac model of the same year.
The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice resembled the Cadillac model of the same year.
The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice resembled the Cadillac model of the same year.
Rear decks on 1971 full-size Chevys were wider and more sculpted than before.
Chevrolet made the 1972 Chevrolet Caprice with two four-door body styles.
Chevrolet made the 1972 Chevrolet Caprice with two four-door body styles.
Chevrolet made the 1972 Chevrolet Caprice with two four-door body styles.
The 1972 Chevrolet Caprice came as a pillared 4-door Sedan or a Hardtop Sedan.
Front bumpers on the 1973 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys protruded because of the new federal mandate to withstand a 5-mph impact.
Front bumpers on the 1973 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys protruded because of the new federal mandate to withstand a 5-mph impact.
Front bumpers on the 1973 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys protruded because of the new federal mandate to withstand a 5-mph impact.
The 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic four-door Sedan found more than 58,000 buyers as the line gained popularity.
The 1974 Chevrolet Impala lost buyer appeal due to the energy crisis.
The 1974 Chevrolet Impala lost buyer appeal due to the energy crisis.
The 1974 Chevrolet Impala lost buyer appeal due to the energy crisis.
Despite energy issues, the 1974 Impala Sport Coupe sold more than 50,000 units.
The 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the last full-size convertible for Chevy.
The 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the last full-size convertible for Chevy.
The 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the last full-size convertible for Chevy.
The 1975 Chevrolet Impala four-door Sedan was the best-selling full-size Chevy that year.
Front-end styling on the 1976 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe carried on the Caprice look of a year before.
Front-end styling on the 1976 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe carried on the Caprice look of a year before.
Front-end styling on the 1976 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe carried on the Caprice look of a year before.
The 1976 Chevrolet Impala 4-door Sedan sold more than 86,000 copies.
The 1977 Chevrolet Impala downsized the model but increased interior space.
The 1977 Chevrolet Impala downsized the model but increased interior space.
The 1977 Chevrolet Impala downsized the model but increased interior space.
The 1977 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was smaller and more efficient than before.
Chevrolet changed the 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s grille and taillights.
Chevrolet changed the 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s grille and taillights.
Chevrolet changed the 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s grille and taillights.
The 1978 Chevrolet Impala line included a Coupe model.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s most noticeable change was a subtly reworked grille and headlights.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s most noticeable change was a subtly reworked grille and headlights.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s most noticeable change was a subtly reworked grille and headlights.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic came standard with bodyside pinstriping.
The 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala were best served by the optional 305-cubic-inch V-8.
The 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala were best served by the optional 305-cubic-inch V-8.
The 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala were best served by the optional 305-cubic-inch V-8.
Chevrolet ditched the wraparound rear window for the 1980 Caprice Classic.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala tweaked its transmission to improve mileage.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala tweaked its transmission to improve mileage.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala tweaked its transmission to improve mileage.
The handsome 1981 Chevrolet Impala stayed competitive even as a full-size.
Chevrolet successfully promoted the comfort and low prices of its 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala.
Chevrolet successfully promoted the comfort and low prices of its 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala.
Chevrolet successfully promoted the comfort and low prices of its 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala.
The 1982 Chevrolet Impala offered a smooth ride and plenty of room.
Despite rumors of its death, the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and similar Impala were the best-selling Chevys.
Despite rumors of its death, the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and similar Impala were the best-selling Chevys.
Despite rumors of its death, the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and similar Impala were the best-selling Chevys.
The sedan-only offering of the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala suggested that Chevy was targeting an older audience.
The Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the only full-size, two-door Chevy in 1984.
The Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the only full-size, two-door Chevy in 1984.
The Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the only full-size, two-door Chevy in 1984.
A full-size Chevy wagon was also available only as a Caprice Classic in 1984.
An emphatic grille announced the 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.
An emphatic grille announced the 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.
An emphatic grille announced the 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.
1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagons upgraded to fit eight passengers.
The 1994 Chevolet Impala SS was a variant of the Caprice.
The 1994 Chevolet Impala SS was a variant of the Caprice.
The 1994 Chevolet Impala SS was a variant of the Caprice.
Unfortunately, the 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS offered no manual transmission, and to makes matters worse the gear shifter was on the steering column.
The Chevrolet Impala SS came back on 17-inch aluminum wheels in 1995.
The Chevrolet Impala SS came back on 17-inch aluminum wheels in 1995.
The Chevrolet Impala SS came back on 17-inch aluminum wheels in 1995.
Gray was the only interior color offered on the 1995 Chevrolet Impala SS.
The 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was perhaps the most novel Chevrolet of the 1990s.
The 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was perhaps the most novel Chevrolet of the 1990s.
The 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was perhaps the most novel Chevrolet of the 1990s.
After the 1996 year, the Impala name would ride off into the sunset.
The 1958 Chevrolet Impala Bel Air dashboard was a riot of 1950’s style and color.
The 1959 Chevrolet Impala became a separate series, distinct from the Bel Air.
The Impala’s “bat wing” styling was even more powerful on the convertible.
At $2,954, the Impala convertible was Chevrolet’s most expensive 1960 car.
The 1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan hardtop had a panoramic rear window.
All 1961 Chevrolet Impalas had bodyside sweepspears and triple taillights.
The 1961 Chevrolet Impala had color-coordinated upholstery and body colors.
The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air remained the mid-level full-size Chevy.
The 1962 Chevrolet Impala offered a Super Sport Trim Package.
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe had crisp and angular styling.
The Impala SS convertible was the most expensive full-size Chevrolet in 1963.
The 1964 Chevrolet Impala SS came only as a two-door hardtop or convertible.
The 1964 Chevrolet Biscayne looked mundane but had a 425-horsepower engine.
The 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS and other full-size cars got rounded bodysides, a higher beltline, and an aggressive rear-quarter bulge that year.
This 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible is shown in the color Evening Orchid.
In 1966, the Chevrolet Impala SS V-8 convertible was the best-selling SS model.
The 1966 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Coupe had its own distinct roofline.
1967 Chevrolet Impala SS models sported black trim in place of chrome.
The 1967 Chevrolet Impala featured a roofline that sloped into the decklid.
The 1968 Chevrolet Caprice sold well, spurred by the model’s claims of luxury.
The 1968 Chevrolet Impala had redesigned front and rear bumpers.
Styling changes to the 1969 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys gave the line a bigger, more imposing look.
The 1969 Chevrolet Impala was the only full-size Chevy with a convertible option.
The 1970 Chevrolet Caprice remained the highest expression of Chevrolet luxury.
Chevrolet redesigned the front and rear ends of 1970 full-size Chevys.
The 1971 Chevrolet Caprice resembled the Cadillac model of the same year.
Rear decks on 1971 full-size Chevys were wider and more sculpted than before.
Chevrolet made the 1972 Chevrolet Caprice with two four-door body styles.
The 1972 Chevrolet Caprice came as a pillared 4-door Sedan or a Hardtop Sedan.
Front bumpers on the 1973 Chevrolet Impala and other full-size Chevys protruded because of the new federal mandate to withstand a 5-mph impact.
The 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic four-door Sedan found more than 58,000 buyers as the line gained popularity.
The 1974 Chevrolet Impala lost buyer appeal due to the energy crisis.
Despite energy issues, the 1974 Impala Sport Coupe sold more than 50,000 units.
The 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the last full-size convertible for Chevy.
The 1975 Chevrolet Impala four-door Sedan was the best-selling full-size Chevy that year.
Front-end styling on the 1976 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe carried on the Caprice look of a year before.
The 1976 Chevrolet Impala 4-door Sedan sold more than 86,000 copies.
The 1977 Chevrolet Impala downsized the model but increased interior space.
The 1977 Chevrolet Caprice Classic was smaller and more efficient than before.
Chevrolet changed the 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s grille and taillights.
The 1978 Chevrolet Impala line included a Coupe model.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic’s most noticeable change was a subtly reworked grille and headlights.
The 1979 Chevrolet Caprice Classic came standard with bodyside pinstriping.
The 1980 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala were best served by the optional 305-cubic-inch V-8.
Chevrolet ditched the wraparound rear window for the 1980 Caprice Classic.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala tweaked its transmission to improve mileage.
The handsome 1981 Chevrolet Impala stayed competitive even as a full-size.
Chevrolet successfully promoted the comfort and low prices of its 1982 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala.
The 1982 Chevrolet Impala offered a smooth ride and plenty of room.
Despite rumors of its death, the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and similar Impala were the best-selling Chevys.
The sedan-only offering of the 1983 Chevrolet Caprice Classic and Impala suggested that Chevy was targeting an older audience.
The Chevrolet Caprice Classic was the only full-size, two-door Chevy in 1984.
A full-size Chevy wagon was also available only as a Caprice Classic in 1984.
An emphatic grille announced the 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.
1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagons upgraded to fit eight passengers.
The 1994 Chevolet Impala SS was a variant of the Caprice.
Unfortunately, the 1994 Chevrolet Impala SS offered no manual transmission, and to makes matters worse the gear shifter was on the steering column.
The Chevrolet Impala SS came back on 17-inch aluminum wheels in 1995.
Gray was the only interior color offered on the 1995 Chevrolet Impala SS.
The 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS was perhaps the most novel Chevrolet of the 1990s.
After the 1996 year, the Impala name would ride off into the sunset.
