In 1965, the Chevrolet Impala set an all-time U.S. industry record of more than one million sales in a single year. That story began in 1958 with the first Impala Sport Coupe, and it never really slowed down. Because Chevy built so many, it is easy to assume every Impala is a common car.
That assumption can be costly. In fact, the badge looks the same even when a car carries a rare engine, a short-lived roofline or a low-production package.
These seven are our picks for the Impalas that, in our view, are worth more than many owners assume. The production numbers, engines and sale results come from Hagerty’s market data, period sources and published build records. Our value calls are opinion, and we only quote a dollar figure where a sale record backs it up.
1. 1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
At first, the Impala was not even its own model. It launched as the top Bel Air, offered only as a two-door hardtop and a convertible. Even so, the Bel Air badge never appeared on the car. It also introduced dual headlamps to Chevy and wore symmetrical triple taillights that set it apart.
Engine choices are where the money is. The base V8 was a 283 with 185 horsepower, or 230 to 250 horsepower with Ramjet fuel injection. Above that sat the 348 big-block, rated at 250 horsepower with a four-barrel or 280 horsepower with three two-barrel carburettors. Chevy built 125,480 Impala coupes that year, along with 55,989 convertibles. For the full story of that launch, see when the 1958 Chevrolet Impala became a phenomenon.
The right engine changes everything. For example, Hagerty’s past-sales records list a black 1958 Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe with the 280-horsepower, triple-carb 348 that sold for $70,400. Our take: if your 1958 coupe has its original 348, check the paperwork before you put a price on it.
2. 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible
For 1959, the Impala became its own series, and it looked nothing like the year before. GM had decided to share bodies across Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick to save money. As a result, the new Impala sat three inches lower at the roof and two inches wider.
The styling was wild even by 1950s standards. Flattened tailfins pointed outward over teardrop taillights, and the convertible showed off that shape best. Under the hood, buyers could choose a 283 with up to 290 horsepower or a 348 with up to 335 horsepower. The line also grew to include a four-door Sport Sedan, a Sport Coupe and a wagon.
One-year styling is a big reason we rate this car so highly. Chevrolet changed the look again for 1960, so the 1959 shape stands alone. A convertible with one of the bigger engines is also the most dramatic version of an already dramatic car. In our view, a solid 1959 Impala convertible is worth far more than its “just an old Chevy” image suggests, especially with its original drivetrain.
3. 1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe 348 Super Turbo-Thrust
The 1960 Impala calmed down the 1959 look. Triple round taillights returned, now with a white band along the rear fenders. Inside, cruise control joined the options list. Meanwhile, fuel injection disappeared from full-size Chevrolets, so every engine that year breathed through carburettors.
The 348 came in several tunes, from 250 to 320 horsepower. At the top sat the Special Super Turbo-Thrust version with three two-barrel carburettors, rated at 350 horsepower. That was a lot of power for a family hardtop in 1960, and it gave the Sport Coupe real performance.
Because the 348 came in so many tunes, a car with the top 350-horsepower version deserves a closer look. In addition, Chevrolet introduced the Impala SS option on December 17, 1960. That makes the 1960 car the last full-size Chevy before the Super Sport era. Our take: an original-engine 1960 Sport Coupe with the big 348 is a sleeper in plain clothes, and we think it is often underpriced.
4. 1961 Chevrolet Impala Bubbletop Sport Coupe
For 1961, the Impala moved to a boxier B-body. However, the two-door hardtop kept something special. According to Old Cars Weekly’s look at GM’s 1961 bubble tops, it had a bubble-like rear window, with thin A and C pillars that gave it a large glass area. Chevy kept that roof for 1962 only on the Bel Air.
The 1961 car also launched the Super Sport package, with special emblems, sportier trim, a four-speed and a 7,000-rpm tachometer. Then, in January, the 409 V8 arrived. Rated at 360 horsepower, it was rare in 1961: only 142 SS cars came from the factory with it. Chevys with the 409 also finished first and third at the 1961 Pikes Peak hill climb.
The market has noticed. Hagerty’s analysis of the 1961–64 Impala found values up 11.5 percent over two years. Its average insurance quotes ran between $28,760 and $35,600 by age group. In our view, a real bubbletop, even without the 409, is worth more than many owners think, simply because that roof lasted just one year on the Impala.
5. 1964 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan
The 1964 Impala got a rounder, softer restyle, and Hagerty says that was the year “everything came together.” The Super Sport became its own series, and the 409 returned as the big-block choice, rated at 425 horsepower with dual four-barrel carburettors.
Most of the attention goes to the two-doors. Yet the four-door hardtop Sport Sedan has a strong case of its own. With no B-pillar, it gives you the open, pillarless look of a coupe and the practicality of four doors. It also shows where Chevrolet was heading. For 1965, the Caprice began as a luxury package for this very body style, coded RPO Z18. It became its own series in 1966.
That gives the Sport Sedan a place in Chevy history. It is the body that launched Chevrolet’s next luxury line. Our take: a clean 1964 Impala Sport Sedan, especially one with a V8, is worth far more than the usual “four-door discount” suggests. If yours has a 409, treat it like the find it is.
6. 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS427
Chevrolet built 76,055 Impala SS models for 1967. Only 2,124 of them were ordered with RPO Z24, the SS427 package. That package added F41 heavy-duty suspension and the L36 427 Turbo-Jet V8, rated at 385 horsepower.
The SS427 also looked different. It swapped the “Impala SS” badges for SS427 emblems and added a special hood with a fake chrome-plated intake. Those details matter today, because they help separate a real Z24 car from an SS with a big engine added later. For more on the small parts that make these cars tricky, read why 1967 Impala SS trim pieces can be hard to replace.
Then think about the numbers. Fewer than three percent of 1967 Impala SS buyers chose the SS427. That makes a documented car one of the rarer big Chevys of the decade. Our take: if you own a 1967 Impala SS with a 427, the first job is proving it is a Z24 car. If it is, it is worth far more than a regular SS.
7. 1969 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe 427
The Custom Coupe began as a Caprice exclusive with a formal roofline. Then, for 1968, Chevrolet made it available as an Impala. That gave Impala buyers a more upscale two-door without paying Caprice prices.
For 1969, the 427 V8 came in 335- and 390-horsepower ratings. The L72, rated at 425 horsepower, was also available in all B-bodies. That means a Custom Coupe could carry serious power under its formal roof. Chevrolet built about 777,000 Impalas for 1969, including Kingswood wagons. In addition, 1969 was the final year of the Impala SS until 1994. You can read about its return in our story on the 1994 Impala SS and its surprise comeback.
A 427 Custom Coupe is a big-block hiding in a dress suit. With so many plain Impalas built that year, a factory 427 car is easy to overlook. In our view, that is exactly why it is undervalued. Chevrolet built 768,000 V8 Impalas for 1969, so finding one with a factory 427 is the needle in the haystack.
More from Fast Lane Only
