The Chevrolet Malibu has taken many forms as a midsize sedan throughout its 51-year lifespan, taking on the “intermediate” space between the Chevy II and full-size lineup when it was introduced.
Today, however, the Malibu nameplate has officially served ten million customers across the globe.
“The Chevy Malibu joins an exclusive club of vehicles that have achieved this extraordinary milestone and we acknowledge it today by honoring the common thread linking every one produced: The customer,” said Alan Batey, president, global Chevrolet brand chief. “Some people are buying their very first Malibu today and others may have driven a Malibu from a different generation as their first car, but it’s a car that has resonated with customers for more than half a century.”
The Chevy Malibu resonated very well with customers yearning for a “happy-medium” in the Chevrolet lineup, with 370,000 sold in the vehicle’s first model year, which includes the famed Chevelle models, station wagons, and Super Sport variants.
After the model’s retirement in 1983, the Malibu name returned as the Motor Trend Car of The Year in 1997, in form of a front-wheel drive midsize to do battle with the ever-crowding midsize segment.
The milestone marks its space in history just as the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu readies for production, bringing a host of advancements, efficient and technology with it.
Happy ten million, Malibu, and here’s to many more.
Comments
I may be wrong, but the car pictured was an “A” body and was origionally called a Chevelle and Malibu was an upscale Chevelle. Then came the Chevelle Malibu SS and finally the Chevelle Malibu SS 454 of which I personally do not think todays Malibu has any relation to other than the name Malibu. Other “A” bodies included the Pontiac Tempest and the infamous GTO.