1959 Chevrolet® Impala™
"See the USA in your Chevrolet"
Was a siren song that tempted many in 1959, because Chevrolet had one of the most startling, most flight-inspired designs ever to grace American auto showrooms. Instantly recognizable, the Chevrolet of that memorable year featured a totally new, totally unprecedented look born of creativity, competitiveness and (ironically) cost-cutting considerations.
When the 1959 Chevrolet appeared, it was lower, longer (with a 119" wheelbase), and wider, more like rolling sculpture than any Bowtie™ model in history. The Impala was the newly expanded flagship series for '59. The name "Impala", which had first debuted on a '56 four-place Corvette- inspired concept car, had appeared in production as a sporty Bel Air™ offshoot in 1958. For '59 two four-doors a sedan and hardtop joined the coupe and convertible. The sweeping, deeply sculpted horizontal fins- emphasized by demon’s eye taillights-looked especially flamboyant on the Impala, where they were often painted to match the roof on two-toned cars. Dual headlights flanked the grill to emphasize width, while auxiliary grill "eyebrows" marked front fender ends.
The choice of power trains was extensive, especially since more choices were added as the model year progressed! For the economy-minded, a 235.5 cid/135 bhp six cylinder was a sensible choice. The base V-8 was a 238 cid/185bhp Turbo-Fire engine; other 238s included a 230 bhp 4-barrel Super-Turbo-Fire, the 250 bhp fuel-injected Ramjet, and the 290 bhp Ramjet Fuel-Injected Special. Additionally, there were the 348 cids, the 4-barrel/250bhp Turbo-Thrust and the 3X-2 barrel/280 bhp Super-Turbo Thrust.
Well into the model year, several competitions-inspired Turbo-Thrust Special 4-barrel 348s were added, rated at 300,305, and 320 bhp. Also screaming onto the option list was a pair of the of Super Turbo-Thrust Special 3X2-barrel 348s, rated at 315 and 335 bhp! Transmissions included a three-speed manual (with overdrive in some combination), a four-speed manual, and both Powerglide (heavy duty with some engines) and Turboglide automatics. Gadget inspired options abounded, including air-suspension, then in its last year of production. Needless to say, a '59 Chevrolet could take on one of many personalities!
With prices for the '59s ranged from $3009 for the Nomad down to $2160 for the Biscayne two- door Utility sedan, Chevrolet finished this model year at the top of the sales charts. The next decade would bring more conservative styling to GM, Harley Earl having retired at the end of the '50s. Nonetheless, as a shining example of styling’s sake of production automobile’s attempt to capture the Space Age, few cars come close to the 1959 Chevrolet.
