Not many people mourned the loss of the Chevrolet Impala when production ended earlier this year, and to be honest, it’s easy to see why. The Impala was once a beloved part of the Chevy portfolio that was offered as a sedan, a stylish coupe or a ritzy convertible, but the nameplate slowly morphed into a rather tame family car as the years went on and consumer preferences shifted.
This 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible is a prime example of why the Impala is a vehicle worth remembering, though. This beautiful, second-generation example of the iconic Impala recently sold on eBay motors for $135,600 – a significant sum that serves as evidence of GM fans’ enthusiasm for the early Impala generations.
This car was sold with the original, numbers-matching 348 cubic-inch V8 engine and a recently rebuilt two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. The car also received a service not too long ago that included new brakes, rebuilt carburetors, new shocks and new coil springs, among more. The interior is also showing very little signs of wear and the seats look almost brand new thanks to the newly replaced seat foam.
The listing for this 1959 Chevrolet Impala does not say if the vehicle was ever restored, so this just may be an all-original survivor. The current seller says the car was sitting in a museum before they took possession of it and has just 25,000 miles on the odometer – potential signs that this car has simply just been very well looked after since it left the factory back in 1958. Its originality may also explain the rather high selling price.
Want to see more of this drop-dead gorgeous ’59 Impala? The old listing can still be viewed at this link.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet Impala news, Chevrolet news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
$135K for a ’59 Chevy? Oh, please…………………………….
I wouldn’t put much stock in ANYTHING posted on ebay.
Probably a wealthy baby boomer who had one back in the day and wants to ‘relive that memory’. I know I have a couple favorites I wish I still had.
Find one. That’s the challenge. Find a 1959 Impala convertible, with a 348 and tell us how much it is. Doesn’t even have to be as nice as this one. Obviously, you haven’t a clue of the rarity of such. Guaranteed a fun search for ya’.
348, but with a PowerGlide. H’mm. I wonder if that is original, or if it was one where the dealer did a factory-approved swap-out of the horrendous TurboGlide? At least a few were converted over.
08/03/2020 and nothing about the production start of C8 HTC?
Why would there be, given that the topic is a 1959 Chevrolet Impala, and not a 2020 or 2021 Corvette?
Back in the day, us Chevy guys used to say, “Slip and slide with Powerglide”. For those who don”t know, the 348 engine was the original big block. It was the beginning of the NASCAR race engine of 427 cubic inches. It was designed as a truck engine and was offered in dump truck and school bus chassis and farm equipment. The next version of the big block led to the Rat motor 396, first used in 1965 in both cars and trucks. The version also offered in heavy trucks was a 366 cube Rat motor, which ha 4 sets of rings on the pistons It was also known as the Porcupine Head engine, which had canted valves that were carried over from the original first gen big block 348 cube design. In 1965, it was the only year that the next gen 396 was installed in a Corvette. The next rear, 1966, the 396 was replaced in the Vette by the 427 Rat motor. It had more than one horsepower version in 1966 and later years. You guys can check online at the Wiki pages, but as i recall, the 348 used in cars, had a much higher compression ratio than the version used in the heavy trucks. The camshaft was also a much hotter version as well, with carbs to match. A low CR engine back then, had a likely 8 to one CR, maybe as high as 8.5 to one. The higher output car engines would have a 10.25 or a 10.5 to one ratio. The 4 speed manual really started becoming popular during this time. In high school i used to say, “Three on the tree, four on the floor, 2 in the back seat and a couple of bodies in the trunk.”
VERSION BELOW IS DIFFERENT. EDITORS PLEASE REMOVE THE FIRST VERSION,
Back in the day, us Chevy guys used to say, “Slip and slide with Powerglide”. For those who don”t know, the 348 engine was the original big block. It was the beginning of the NASCAR race engine of 427 cubic inches. It was designed as a truck engine and was offered in dump truck and school bus chassis and farm equipment. The next version of the big block led to the Rat motor 396, first used in 1965 in both cars and trucks. The version also offered in heavy trucks was a 366 cube Rat motor, which ha 4 sets of rings on the pistons It was also known as the Porcupine Head engine, which had canted valves that were carried over from the original first gen big block 348 cube design. In 1965, it was the only year that the next gen 396 was installed in a Corvette. The next rear, 1966, the 396 was replaced in the Vette by the 427 Rat motor. It had more than one horsepower version in 1966 and later years. You guys can check online at the Wiki pages, but as i recall, the 348 used in cars, had a much higher compression ratio than the version used in the heavy trucks. The camshaft was also a much hotter version as well, with carbs to match. A low CR engine back then, had a likely 8 to one CR, maybe as high as 8.5 to one. The higher output car engines would have a 10.25 or a 10.5 to one ratio but only with a hydraulic cam. The 396 had an automatic or manual trans option The ultra high 425 HP versions had a solid lifter cam and a CR of 11 to one but only with the 4 speed manual. The 4 speed manual really started becoming popular during this time. In high school i used to say, “Three on the tree, four on the floor, 2 in the back seat and a couple of bodies in the trunk.”
A true classic, very beautiful…but…saw a youtube video a while back where NHTSA or IHS crashed a ’59 Impala coupe into a 2013 Malibu, 50% offset, both vehicles at 35MPH. The Impala was utterly destroyed and any occupants would have had NO chance of a good outcome. Any Malibu occupants would most likely open the door and walk away. I love cars of this era and would love to own one, but keep them in a museum or in a parade.
Phil…….Do you believe everything you see on Youtube?
It was a legitimate crash test, not a 20/20 invention. Phil needs to realize the vast changes from 1959 to early 2000s.
The video referenced was interesting to say the least, however I wonder about the integrity of the ’59 they used. Upon impact there was a huge cloud of orange dust! Arguably new cars (modern) are much safer when kept in good repair. However older cars in some ways can be safe too, just make sure you are not getting a bondoed over rustbucket that looks nice but is a basketcase underneath. Get a proper inspection done by a mechanic well versed in vintage and classic cars, or at a minimum go over it yourself, crawl underneath, use a magnet. Just because it looks good does not mean it is roadworthy.
I’m curious if others on here also think this same thing. Please let me know!
I often look at the many vehicles on the market today and think, how will any of these current cars ever become classics? I’ve thought this for many years going back to around 1990 on up. At the start of this article, they kind of bring that point up as well. For example (I’m not talking about exotics or cars like the Vette or Prowler, etc), but normal everyday vehicles. Could the current Impala ever become as coveted as the old ones, even the non-convertible cars? Could a Cadillac CT5 ever be as sought after as a 1966 DeVille? I could go on with many examples, but you get my point. I don’t know the answer to this and I’m sure people back in those days probably didn’t look at cars like this ’59 Impala as future collectibles.
I’d love to see other’s comments about what cars from today they may think could become classics from the mainstream vehicles sold.
I think this may be an example:
I’ve got a 2014 Cad CTS-V coupe with a 6 speed stick. One of 200 with a stick, and less than 20 made red with black and tan interior. Blown 6.2L Chevy small block, 556hp, dual plate clutch, 3:73 rear gears, Recaro seats, Brembo brakes, mag shocks etc. All Factory! I put Borla exhaust on it, cause it was too quiet. The thing is a BEAST. We’re going to grow old together. It’s a blast to drive!
With the exception of a very small number of performance vehicles still being manufactured (i.e., ZL1, the Shelby Mustang, Dodge Hellcat, Corvette)—and apparently the Camaro is not long for this world—one look across the parking lot of any big-box retailer will reveal little more than an ocean of SUVs and pickups that all look so much alike that the owners have to use their key-activated alarm function in order to locate their own vehicle out of the masses.
For other than the very few die-hard performance enthusiasts still breathing, cars these days are little more than transportation; most of today’s cars are soulless, and at the end of their useful lives, will go to the crusher with nary a tear being shed for them.
Times change, as does the public’s taste.