American Graffiti sits on a pedestal as one of the great, classic American films. And we love it even more because it features some of the best moments from 1950s car culture.
Although character Toad’s 1958 Chevrolet Impala wasn’t a main protagonist car in the film, it remains idolized by fans and Impala fanatics all over. Now, the chance may be yours to own the coveted Chevrolet.
According to Hemmings Motor News, The Profiles in History Hollywood Auction will see of the classic Impala, where its pre-bidding estimates peg the car at $800,000 to $1.2 million.
In 1972, Henry Travis, who oversaw the vehicles involved in the film, sold the car to Mike Famalette in California, who purchased it for $325 less than the asking price. Originally, the 1958 Impala sported a 348 under the hood, unlike the 327 Toad boasts about in the film. Famalette proceeded to daily drive the Impala, replacing the 348 with a 283 and a Powerglide, then later upgrading to an LT1 V8.
The 1958 Impala was then moved to storage for 25 years until Famalette’s daughter, Ashley Famalette, decided to involve the car in her senior project. She replaced the LT1 V8 with the original 348 and installed a three-speed manual transmission.
Now, Famalette is ready to let it go, as he says the cost of fixing some of the minor blemishes is too rich for his blood. The 1958 Impala will also come with the original three-speed transmission, an original American Graffiti movie poster and a validated California DMV registration card, showing the car was in fact used in the film.
Comments
Ray Evernham wanted to buy this car in an Episode of his show, “Americarna”. Not sure if the owner was the name in this article? He told Ray he may be able to buy it in the near future. Wonder f he meant at auction?