A Look Into The 1959 Chevy Impala’s Fame And Glory

The Chevrolet Impala is a big name in the history of American automobiles. And the car has been featured in some famous Hollywood movies too, thereby increasing its popularity further. While the modern Impalas are treated as regular cars, the vintage ones from the early 60s and 70s are considered classics. And the rarity of them makes the old Impalas even more desirable.

By Joshua Burnett

Published January 30, 2024

A Look Into The 1959 Chevy Impala’s Fame And Glory

The Chevrolet Impala was a popular full-size sedan from General Motors and was discontinued back in 2020. The car was launched back in 1957 as a two-door coupe while that generation was quickly succeeded by the second generation model in 1959. From there on, the car was offered in both four-door and two-door models along with a convertible variant as well. After its launch, the production of the car took some brief hiatuses in between while its production finally stopped back in 2020.

Chevy designed and developed the Impala keeping in mind that it will ferry Americans with comfort, and style while keeping the practicality part intact. However, the early models ended up being more design-oriented. The 1959 Impala adeptly embodies the culture and genres of the early 60s through its design and has become a collector’s classic at present. And it is a rare sight today which is complemented by the struggles one needs to face to dig out a decent used example from the market as well.

1959 Chevrolet Impala Design

1959 Chevrolet Impala front view, rear view, exterior design, 1959 Chevy Impala convertible

Before the Impala became an independent nameplate and a car, the Chevy Bel Air’s top model was offered in 1958 with the Impala nameplate. And it was also the time when GM’s design legend, Harley Earl, was retiring. As such, he, in a way, left a gift for the upcoming generations with the 1959 Impala’s design. Much like other luxury cars back then, the Impala’s design was less focused to aid handling and more focus was put to make the car stand out wherever it went.

The most distinct design characteristic of the 1959 Impala is the couple of tail fins which were complemented by three tail lamps on each side. From the rear, the design looked slightly polarizing to some, but with the outlandish fins, complete with the tail light shape made an aggressive appeal but in reverse. At the front, the car received four headlamps, a first for the Impala lineup. There are plenty of chrome details and strips all around the car that would make a strong statement about the owner after arriving at a destination.

Engine and performance of the 1959 Impala

One might get baffled by the flashy chrome bits and the iconic tail fins on the 1959 Chevy Impala. However, it wasn’t that all-show-no-go case with the car either. There were multiple engines on offer with multiple transmission options as well. While it is still a norm for big luxury cars to have a V8 under their hood, hybrid techs are quickly replacing the V8s with smaller V6s that make more power than the naturally breathing V8s with the help of the electric systems and forced induction as well

That was not the case during the earlier days though. The base Impala was offered with a 3.9L Blue Flame I-6 motor which was paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. However, the bigger V8s were the popular picks either way. A 4.6L V8 was offered with two states of tune which are 170 or 230 hp. Then a massive 5.7L Turbo-Thrust V8 was offered with power figures ranging from 250 to 320 hp. In the transmission part, a 3-speed manual, a 3-speed manual with overdrive, a 2-speed Power glide automatic, and a 3-speed Turbo glide automatic transmission were offered. Despite the car’s substantial weight, the most powerful model would hit 60 mph within 9 seconds.

What About The Car’s Fame?

1959 Chevy Impala reference in the Disney movie "Cars"

After starting its journey as a top-end model of the Chevy Bel Air, the Impala’s road success was fast-paced. And it went on to break several sales records by snatching the title of the best-selling car for a decade. At that time, the Coupe was offered at $2,586 and the Convertible was priced at $2,724. Despite the higher price, the Convertible was more popular among the shoppers.

Not only sales numbers, but the car also secured a couple of roles in three movies too. The first two noteworthy roles were in Cars and Cars 2 made by Disney Pixar. There the car was shown as a side character named Ramone. Another popular movie, Gone In 60 Seconds saw the Impala being used as a gangster car. At present, a well-maintained example of the 1959 Impala can cost anywhere around fifty to sixty grand.