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The Impala was introduced in 1958 as a new up-level, sporty trim package created for Bel Air coupes and convertibles. Unique to the model were its six taillights, a classic styling cue that became its trademark. It was named for a southern African antelope. The Impala became a separate model in 1959 in both two and four-door versions and it that year became the best selling car in the Chevrolet product line. The next year it became the best-selling automobile in the United States and held that position for the next decade. From 1958 until 1996 it resulted in sales in excess of 13 million units, more than any other full-size car in the history of the automobile. In 1965, the Impala set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than 1 million units, which has never been bettered.
The Impala is often credited with starting the muscle car era. In the 1960s, gasoline was cheap and consumer demand for power exceeded the need for efficiency. Buyers were clamoring for as much room, performance, amenities and quality as they could get for their dollars. In 1961 the first true muscle car was introduced with the Impala SS or Super Sport. The SS badge was to become Chevrolet's signature of performance on many models. The SS package in 1961 was truly a performance package. Nothing less than the high-performance 348 cubic inch (5.7 litre) engines or the new 409 in³ (6.7 L) could be ordered. The 348 options were 305, 340 and 350 horsepower (230, 255 and 260 kW) engines. It consisted of upgraded tires on station wagonA station wagon ( United States usage), wagon ( Australian usage) or estate car ( United Kingdom usage) is a car body style similar to a sedan car but with an extended rear cargo area. The first station wagons were a product of the age of train travel. wheels, springs, shocks and special sintered metallic brake linings. The Impala SS could be identified by SS emblems on the rear fenders and trunk lid. The Impala SS became its own series (separate model rather than an option package) for 1964Events January January 1 Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. January 3 Senator Barry Goldwater announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President. January 5 In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Ort. A 1967 Chevy Impala was the focus of a (debunked) Darwin Award in the JATO Rocket CarThe famous JATO Rocket Car story was one of the original Darwin Awards winners but has now been debunked as an urban legend, though the staff of the Darwin Awards decided it was such a funny story to "grandfather" it in and let it keep its award. It was o story.
The 1970sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Years: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Events and trends showed a change in the U.S. view of the automobile. The impact of the 1973Events January events January 1 United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark enter the European Economic Community now known as the European Union January 3 Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sells the New York Yankees for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led oil embargoThe world oil shock of 1973 began in earnest on October 17, 1973, when Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in the midst of the Yom Kippur War, announced that they would no longer ship petroleum to nations that had sup on the industry was dramatic. Gasoline prices doubled between 1973 and 1979. Industry car sales plummeted 20 percent between '73 and '74, and for the first time in recent history, annual passenger car travel in the U.S. actually went down. This change in the automobile market resulted in Chevrolet redesigning the Impala once again in 1977 to meet changing demands. The new Impalas were shorter in length, taller in stature and narrower. The Impala embodied the new image of the full-size American car - smaller, lighter, more efficient. For example, even with its trim dimensions, the new Impala featured increased headroom, legroom and trunk space. Production of the downsized model actually increased in '77 versus a year prior.
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