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"original
as you can get"
There's not much that I
can add to the volumes the pictures to your right already speak about this
beautifully restored automobile. If you know much about Impalas, you'll
appreciate the pristine specimen!
Previously owned by an avid car collector in Utah, this is just one of the
many Impalas he has owned over the years. He has enjoyed it thoroughly and
is now ready to pass it on to another good home.
This Rio Red '58 Impala has been lovingly cared for, garaged AND covered
when not in use. And, yes, it got its exercise regularly to keep
everything lubed up and in tiptop condition.
If you or someone you know (hint-hint) is looking for a mint condition
1958 Chevrolet Impala Coupe, your search is over. Please feel free to
contact the Optimist Club to answer any questions you may have (contact
info below). You may also
contact Greater
Dakota Classics for information about the car.
This was a ground up restoration with a rebuilt 348 ci
original motor with three 2BRL Carbs, rebuilt original auto trans, rebuilt
power brake system, complete new exhaust system and power steering system,
new interior, all chrome redone, twin rear antennas, continental kit, new
tires - original as you can get.
Brief
Specifications
Engine: 348 ci Tripower stock
Tansmission: Stock Automatic
Rear End: Stock
Wheels: Stock w/spinner hubcaps
Tires: Remington 4 plt whitewalls
Paint: Rio Red
Interior: Red vinyl with red, black and correct light gray cloth inserts
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Chevrolet Impala History
At
the 1956 GM Motorama car show, Chevrolet unveiled a concept car named
after the African gazelle-like Impala. Since it was first introduced in
1958, Impala has become more than just a car . . . its unique combination
of style, performance and value made it an off-the-charts favorite for
millions of Americans. In fact, with sales in excess of 13 million from
1958 to 1996, more American households chose Impala as their car than any
other full-size car in the history of the automobile.
For many, just hearing the name Impala brings an emotional response.
Whatever comes to mind probably depends on your perspective. For some,
Impala meant vacations in the family station wagon, or sun-drenched rides
in the back seat of a big convertible. To others, it meant the venerable
Impala SS Coupes of the ‘60s, packing big-block V8s and "four on
the floor."
But for most owners, Impala was a roomy cruiser that provided them with
"something extra" compared with the competition.
Ed Cole, Chevrolet’s chief engineer in the late ‘50s, said it best
when he defined Impala as a "prestige car within the reach of the
average American citizen." In essence, the Impala was built
on
a simple formula — provide a good-looking car with more performance,
amenities and value than you might expect, all at a Chevrolet price, and
the rest will follow.
The formula worked like magic and helped turn Impala into an American
icon. Impala became the best-selling Chevrolet car in its first full year
as a model line. The very next year, it became the best-selling car in
America . . . a position it held for more than a decade. In 1965, Impala
set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than 1 million units.
Thus, this "magic formula" (one which Chevrolet had championed
for decades) was perfected in the Impala.
THE '50s
The year was 1958. At Chevrolet and throughout the auto industry,
change was in the air. GM's legendary styling chief Harley Earl had left
an indelible mark on Chevrolet (Corvettes, tail fins and lots of chrome
were but a few of his myriad contributions) and was on his way to
retirement, leaving understudy Bill Mitchell in the driver's seat as vice
president of the GM styling staff.
Meanwhile, the auto industry was booming. Americans were hitting the road
in droves. According to government statistics, the number of passenger car
miles traveled on America's roads grew 62 percent from 1950 to 1960. And
since gasoline was cheap, consumer demand for power exceeded the need for
efficiency.
Impala became an immediate top-seller. Buyers were clamoring for as much
room, performance, amenities and quality as they could get for their
hard-earned dollars. Chevy filled that need with the Impala.
1958
Chevrolet Impala
Introduction of the 1958 Chevrolets by dealers took place in October 1957.
Full coil spring suspension, high-level ventilation, anti-dive
braking/built in leveling and foot operated parking brakes were new for
1958.
The Impala's trim features included Impala script; insignia and
crossed-flag emblems at the front of the stylized cove on the back fender;
large dummy air scoops in chrome ahead of the rear wheelwells; a
competition-style two-spoke, deep-hub steering wheel with Impala
medallions; Impala dashboard script; a standard rear radio speaker grille
with Impala script and medallion between the rear seatback dip; and triple
taillamp arrangements (the regular Bel Air had only two taillamps on each
side).
The Impala Sport Coupe also had a chrome-edged, rear-facing dummy air
scoop and curved contour crease molded into the back of the roof.
Chevrolet produced 125,480 Bel Air Impala coupes and 55,989 convertibles
in model-year 1958. Engine options were a 235-cubic-inch six-cylinder, a
283 V-8, or a new 348 V-8. Base price of a new Sport Coupe in 1958 ranged
from $2,586 to $2,693; the convertibles ranged from $2,724 to $2,841. |
