Chevrolet Impala: History of an icon, 1958-2014

The Chevrolet Impala was introduced as a 1958 model and was built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. Fifty-five years later, the Impala has advanced to its 10th generation with the introduction of re-designed  2014 edition.

It was recently honored by Consumer Reports as sedan of the year.

Available in three trims as a coupe and convertible, the original Chevy Impala ranged in price from $2,586 to $2,724. The starting price for the 2014 model is just under $27,000.

Named after the southern African antelope, the Impala became the best-selling automobile in the United States in 1965. Vying against the Ford Galaxie 500 and Plymouth Fury, about 1 million Impala units sold.

(Double click on thumbnails to view full-sized images.)

Distinguished for many years by its symmetrical triple taillights, the Impala continued as Chevrolet’s most popular full-size model through the mid-1980s. The carmaker touted it as a “prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen.”

The Chevy Impala has also had lean times. Prior the debut of the 2014 edition, car reviewers heavily criticized General Motors for the Impala’s stagnating models.

Last year, Consumer Reports reviewers, commenting on the 2013 model, said it was “woefully uncompetitive and not worthy of driving even as a free upgrade at a rental company.”

The 10th generation Impalas, featuring six-speed automatic transmissions with sport and manual shifting modes, were shipped to dealerships across North America on March 25, 2013. The cars went on sale to the public April 1, 2013.

Here are the model years and images of the 10 generations of the Chevrolet Impala:

1. First generation (1958); 2. Second generation (1959–1960); 3. Third generation (1961–1964); 4. Fourth generation (1965–1970); 5. Fifth generation (1971–1976); 6. Sixth generation (1977–1985); 7. Seventh generation, (1994–1996); 8. Eighth generation (2000–2005); 9. Ninth generation (2006–2014); 10. Tenth generation (2014–current).