In 1956, Chevrolet unveiled the Impala as a concept car to the public. The excellent reception from the public prompted General Motors to expedite work on the production vehicle.
The Impala was finished in just two years, and it made its premiere in 1958 with a highly difficult and, in many respects, ambitious goal. Impala was meant to help Chevrolet regain its reputation and retake the top rank in the American auto industry.
After years of Ford dominance, Impala and the other full-size models in Chevy’s lineup propelled the company to the number one place, fueling record sales almost overnight.
Impala debuted as the top-of-the-line Bel Air hardtop and convertible, becoming an instant hit. The hardtop production included 125,480 units, while the convertible output came down to 55,989 units. Impala eventually accounted for 15 percent of the entire Chevrolet production, so the company’s decision to promote it to a stand-alone series in 1959 wasn’t by any means surprising.
It’s time to test your detective skills and decipher what could be a very rare 1958 Impala convertible project.
Someone on Craigslist posted this compelling Impala online with zero information, letting the pictures speak for themselves and convince a buyer to give the car a second chance.
The images reveal a solid Impala with the typical problems. The body exhibits the usual problems, though it might still wear the original paint and the factory top. It’s impossible to tell if the Impala has even been repainted, but you’ll need to contact the seller for more information. All parts are still there, including the headlights, the bumpers, the stoplights, and the chrome.
The interior also looks good, with the seats still in place. It requires the usual repairs, so the buyer should get new upholstery if the plan is to bring this Impala back to tip-top shape.
The usual suspects are there when it comes to rust. We can see underneath the automobile in one of the pictures, and the floors look rusted. You’ll require new floorboards and a new trunk pan, but this is expected given that I think the car has been parked for a long time.
The car still has an engine under the hood, but more information cannot be deciphered from the pictures. The 1958 Impala was offered with a six-cylinder Blue-Flame engine producing 145 horsepower, a 283 rated at 185 and 230 horsepower, and a 348 with the Special Super Turbo-Thrust upgrade that could create up to 315 horsepower.
Overall, this Impala appears complete and solid for restoration, and all of these justify its high price