The year was 1958, and after previously testing the waters with a prototype, Chevrolet seemed ready to take the wraps off a model whose mission was extremely ambitious.
The Impala was a completely new nameplate that was supposed to put the GM brand back on the map at a time when Ford was already leading the market.
As a full-size car, the Impala was supposed to come with the best Chevrolet had to offer at that time. And the first model certainly didn’t disappoint.
Offered as the top-of-the-range Bel Air, the first Impala took the world by surprise, with surprisingly good sales happening almost overnight. It didn’t take long for General Motors to understand what it had to do.
In 1959, the Impala and the Bel Air embraced separate paths in the automotive world, as Chevrolet decided to upgrade its new superstar to a stand-alone series. It was the first year of the second-generation Impala, and this time, the nameplate was all alone in the fierce battle with Ford.
Produced for just two years (in 1959 and 1960), this second-generation Impala received major upgrades, though it continued to share most of the parts, the engines, and the design with the Bel Air. In 1960, for instance, the Impala received further polishing, with the quad headlights now integrated into the grille, while the six-round taillights provided the car with a more modern design.
All these changes paid off pretty quickly. With close to 512,000 units seeing the daylight, the Impala became the best-selling car in the United States.
If you too want to get your hands on this little piece of automotive history, someone on eBay has something that many collectors would probably drool over.
This 1960 Chevrolet Impala comes in excellent condition, and the images shared by seller adrnava.whwgd are here to confirm this. On the other hand, worth knowing is that the owner hasn’t shared any information on any potential restoration work the car might have received in the past. So for what it’s worth, we’ll consider this 1960 Impala a survivor that comes in a beautifully preserved original shape.
The owner explains the car is indeed entirely original, and everything is supposed to be stock. The air conditioning system, for instance, is the one installed by Chevrolet when the car rolled off the assembly lines, and as it turns out, it’s also complete.
A picture is really worth a thousand words this time, and the images in the gallery confirm this Impala looks like a new car both inside and outside. This is why some would be tempted to believe it has already been restored, so make sure you ask more questions in this regard if you’re interested in a purchase.
As for what’s under the hood, this Impala comes with the top engine option for this model year. It’s a 348 (5.7-liter) that’s the original matching-numbers unit, and unsurprisingly, it starts and runs just great. This isn’t necessarily a surprise given the car flexes such a solid shape, but on the other hand, it’s worth knowing that the engine is also paired with the original Powerglide transmission that continues to shift as smoothly as it gets.
All of the above makes for a great package that you can hardly find these days. And unsurprisingly, the car won’t be selling for cheap, as the owner is only willing to let the car go for approximately $65,000. On the other hand, they have also enabled the Make Offer button, which means they are also interested in other potential deals, so you know what you have to do if you believe this Impala should be parked in your garage.
The vehicle is parked in Placentia, California, if you want to see it live
