In 1958, GM was in the midst of celebrating its 50th year of being in production. All the carmakers under the umbrella, such as Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac, were all producing a car that saluted the achievement. The Impala was the car chosen by Chevy to honor the moment in history, adding the new vehicle to the lineup, using design hints from the Corvette. The Chevrolet Bel Air Impala was created and quickly became one of the most amazing vehicles of the decade.
8 It Was The Top-Of-The-Line Trim Level For Bel Air
To this day, the Chevrolet Bel Air is a coveted car that collectors worldwide love to display at local auto shows. It is a classic car that set the tone for Chevy in the early 50s, so it was not a surprising decision when Chevy introduced a new vehicle by simply adding it on as a top choice for the Bel Air. The Impala, known as the Chevrolet Bel Air Impala, became the best version of the popular car, improving sales and pushing Chevy back to the top of the sales charts.
7 5.7-liter V-8 Engine Replaced The Six-Cylinder
Throughout the early years of the Bel Air, the standard engine placed under the hood was a small 145-horsepower six-cylinder mill. It was an engine designed to propel the car down the road, but not much else. In 1958, this engine was still an option, with a little more horsepower, but the go-to engine for the Impala was the 283 V-8. There were options above and beyond this engine as well, giving the buyer a 348 V-8 designed for everyday driving or a muscle car V-8 that could produce as many as 315 horses. Not too shabby when considering that it was the ’50s.
6 Introduced Coils For The Rear Suspension
The lower, wider stance of the 1958 Chevy Impala was not the only significant upgrade given to the car. It became apparent to the engineers that the automobile needed better suspension systems as it became more powerful. That is why coils were designed as a part of the new rear suspension on the Impala, giving the car more stability on rough and curvy roads. Up until that point, the rear suspension was nothing more than half elliptical leaf springs.
5 Helped Chevy Claim The Number One Spot In ’58
Out of all the Chevrolet production vehicles, around 15-percent of them were either the Impala coupe or the Impala convertible. The car came onto the market with the idea that a new and improved version of the Bel Air could create a marketplace that was leaning towards Chevy, and away from the competition that had slowly been taking business away from it. The Impala did as it was designed to do; capturing the hearts of consumers around the nation, leading them to open up their tightly closed pocketbooks and purchase nearly 200,000 cars by the end of the model year.
4 First Chevy With Dual Headlights
1957 was one of those years in the auto industry that was exciting because of the changes to regulations throughout the States. In this case, most states in the U.S. changed to allow the addition of dual headlights, meaning that the car could have two headlights on each side of the vehicle, creating more light when the brights were switched on. Chevy decided to continue production through 1957 with the single headlights until 1958 when they could produce all their cars with dual lights. Hence, the Chevy Impala was among the first to be designed and built with four headlights next to the grill.
3 Legendary Three Light Taillights
Another significant change that came along with the dual headlights was the addition of a second taillight to most of the Chevy models, except for the Impala. The Chevy Impala went one step further, offering three lights on each side of the car, two for brakes and one in the middle for the backup lighting. This was an all-new design for the 1958 Impala, setting it apart from the lower line of vehicles being offered simply by adding a lighting unit, a bulb, and a cover.
2 Tailfins Were Removed For The First Time
The 1957 Chevy is one of the most iconic cars of all time. It was known for its long angled fins in the back, which cannot be missed when looking at any car. In 1958, Chevy decided to tone the fins down a little, cutting them back to being shorter and more deeply sculptured rear fenders that blended into the car’s body. Even though they still resembled the fins, only smaller, it was the beginning of the end for the big fins that made the car so famous.
1 Only Convertible Chevy Available In 1958
Being able to drive with the wind rushing through the hair has always been a part of owning a convertible that consumers love. It is always surprising when the convertible option is only available on one specific model for the year, which is the position that the Impala was granted by the Chevy team. This promoted the idea of the Impala being a higher valued car, which allowed them to charge slightly more for the coupe as well as the convertible. It helped grow sales to push the ’58 Chevy corporation to the top of the sales charts, finally edging out Ford by over 2,000 examples for the year
