Impala’s first decade on the market was marked by several milestones. The car debuted in 1958 as the top Bel Air version, but Chevrolet decided to promote it to a stand-alone series only a year later.
It didn’t take long for the GM brand to give its first major refresh, as the second-generation model remained on the market for just two years. 1961 witnessed the debut of the SS, the version that eventually became the icing on the Impala cake in the United States.
In 1963, Chevrolet built its 50 millionth car, using an Impala to mark this historic occasion. Two years later, Impala became the first car in the U.S. after World War II whose sales surpassed the 1-million-unit milestone in just a single year.
Getting back to the 1963 event, the production of the 50 millionth car was an impressive achievement. To celebrate this landmark, Chevrolet picked a white 1963 Impala Super Sport to be the vehicle marking this milestone. New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller drove the Impala off the assembly line in Tarrytown, New York, in front of a huge audience.Sure enough, the 1963 Impala has therefore become the dream of many petrolheads, though buying an example in tip-top shape isn’t possible without a small fortune.
This mysterious 1963 example that I recently discovered on eBay promises a more affordable package, but only because it lacks an engine and a transmission. As such, nobody can blame a potential customer if they walk away after opening the hood, but if another engine is available, the car makes for a very intriguing restoration candidate.
The Impala has apparently been sitting in a garage under a cover for a very long time, possibly as it originally served as a donor for another project. The metal doesn’t look that bad, but I would personally inspect the undersides and the trunk. A car that’s been sitting for so long is very likely to exhibit major rust problems, and the photos don’t seem to tell the full story.
The carpets must be removed to check out the floors thoroughly, especially because no information on this front is available. Other than that, the Impala appears to come in decent shape, though it’s unclear if any big parts are missing. The images don’t help much, as they show the car sitting in a very narrow place, probably a garage.