1958 Chevrolet Impala - Much More Than A Placeholder

The common perception is that 1958 Chevrolet production had the misfortunate of being between the legendary 1957 Chevrolet and futuristic 1959 Chevrolet. For the 1958 Chevrolet Impala the reality is that none of this matters, it was a modern state-of-the-art sporty car that was much more than a placeholder. Watch this video to find out why the 1958 Chevrolet Impala was much more than the placeholder that many try to portray it as being.

[@tomryan943]

I can't believe that they only made this model for one year!! I think it's the most elegant and classy car Chevy ever made!! It was much nicer looking than the 58 Ford Galaxy, and the Mercury from that year. I was only 10 years old, but if I could go back in time, I would definitely get one of these!! The only problem I would have is choosing a color. They all looked great!!

[@michaelsimko7694]

My dad's grandfather bought a brand new shrimp pink 1958 Impala when it first arrived in his local dealer. I never got to meet my great grandfather, but he never got rid of the beauty. As my great grandmother stayed alive living in the same exact house, my dad would occasionally take the car out for a spin and keep good care of it in the garage. When I was a kid, I always loved going for a ride in it with my dad. It was such a beautiful car with a comfy interior and smooth ride. We even took it on a weekend stay to Lime Rock Park CT while there was a special classic car only event going on. Once my great grandmother passed away in 2002 at 101, "the old Chevy" was part of the estate and it was time to say goodbye once there was a buyer. I still have a picture of me kneeling down next to the passenger's side door on a cold spring day. It was a pink on pink hardtop with the automatic. No idea which engine was in it. It had a sporty appearance with the perfect touch of chrome and no vinyl roof or rear fender skirts. I can still remember on weekends during summer vacation, I'd say to my dad in the morning, "can we go for a drive with the old Chevy?".

[@DeutschlandGuy]

Thank you (literally) giving us that ride down memory lane.

[@kmath50]

The 1958 has always been one of my favorites. I liked it even more after seeing the one in American Graffiti.

[@rickeyb.9072]

I'm with Kirk on this one. I was just thinking that I like new model for that year the1958 Chevrolet Impala over the 57 and 56 Chevy Belairs.

[@kmath50]

@@rickeyb.9072 I like all the '55 and later Chevy's. It's just that the '58 really stands out. Ford and Chrysler did a big re-design for 1957. It took Chevy another year, but it was worth it. Very beautiful styling.

[@davidallen5776]

Mine too. I have scale models on it!

[@bartricky5894]

The '58 Impala is my favorite Chevy. We loved the 348s back then it was like a luxury hot rod. I remember seeing a lot of manuals.

[@mu99ins]

As a kid, growing up in the 1950's, it was exciting when the new models of Fords and General Motors cars debuted each year. They were great looking. The '58 Impala was my favorite. I remember my surprise with the disrespect that the guys would express, in the 1960's, that the '58 was not as good looking as the '57. I've always loved that car for the looks. I bought a beat up, 20yo 1960 Impala that was indeed ugly, with a 283 V8 and was surprised at it's power to pass on the freeway. I loved the space under the hood and smiled at the generator instead of an alternator. As far as styling goes, GM dropped the ball for 1960, but they hit a home run for the 1958 Impala. I don't like the styling of the '57.

[@dicarlo57]

Not me. I dont like the '58s at all. Thank you.

[@darylmatis4061]

My dad had a 58 Impala coupe that he restored. The car was fathom blue with blue interior, 348 3 duice 2 speed powerglide, great running and diving car

[@sambaritone]

When I was a kid, our neighbor had a 58 Impala, which I thought was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. I’ve always admired them, and thought they were much better looking than the 57.

[@conniewojahn6445]

I like both 57 and 58, can't stand the 59. Ugly. Go ahead, jump on me.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Ahhhh! Memories of my first ride. But, mine wasn't the Impala. Mine was the 1958 Chevy "Delray" model. It was the very basic trim model that lacked many of the chrome outer trim features. With the 235 cu. in. flat six, standard 3-speed transmission, combination vinyl and cloth interior, two tone paint (seafoam blue & white) and a fitted rubber floor mat (carpet was an option). It was a beast, but at age 16 it was heaven.

[@georgefitter7656]

My first car was a 1958 Impala convertible. I was in high school and it was 1968. Wish I had that car today.

[@darreljohnson3644]

I'm a Ford guy........but the 58 Impala is a GORGEOUS car from ANY angle!!!!!

[@BL-jt3qt]

I owned a '58 Impala 'Super-stock' 348 with 3 two barrel carbs. It was a 'sleeper' for street racing. Thankfully gas was cheap back then cuz it only got an average of 7 miles per gallon... but it sure was fast!

[@manicmechanic448]

The 58 just happens to be one of my dream cars, and I've got a Rochester carb off of one of the tri-power 348s.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Ironically enough, the '58 is actually my favorite 50s Chevy. It and the '59, and the '56 round out my top three...but to be honest, there was no bad looking Chevrolet in the 1950s! I'm glad the '58s are starting to get some love, even if they never reach the pure iconic status of the '57.

[@jamesslick4790]

Shhh. We don't want the to get that same status, Makes the more affordable for the rest of us, LOL!

[@elizandrolopez6295]

They say Ford outsold the 58' Chervrolets,and Mopar Outsold both with the legendary Plymouth Fury and its aerodinamics they forgot to mention that.

[@frankgiaquinto1571]

Elizandro Lopez - Your history of 1958 sales of the low priced three is not correct. It is true that Ford slightly outsold Chevrolet for the 1957 and 1959 model years.Although Plymouth had fairly good sales figures from 1957 - 1959, they were never anywhere near the sales levels of Chevrolet and Ford,in any year. In the 1958 model year,Chevrolet sales figures were more than two hundred thousand units ahead of Ford,and roughly triple the sales level of Plymouth.Hope that this clears up any confusion about which company sold the most vehicles in each of those years.Have a great day....

[@bobpierce115]

@Jeff Oliver Hi Jeff. I know what you mean about the '60 Impala, I like the wild '59 better too. Let me explain something about the '60. Chevy/GM spent a FORTUNE on the COMPLETEly new '58. THEN the COMPLETELY new '59 which wasn't supposed to have happened Jeff. It's a long story, but I'll tell you this much. The '59 was a "crash course quick" completely new car instead of a faelifted '58, done between January and May '57. Once the '59 came out they knew it had to reigned in, and look more 'conventional' while still being a carryover car. It was toned down enough to please a lot of people that wanted a more toned-down car. So the cool thing about the '60 is that the rear end is actually kind of a hybrid of the '58 and '59 back ends so you could kind of have both in the '60. The '61 was just kind of fading out of the branching out from the center look started in '59, but just a mild ridge instead of fins that wrapped around the sides. All traces of the '50s were gone on the '62.

[@nelgstuart3442]

same here

[@cliffordkiehl3959]

My parents had a 1958 Impala Convertible with the 348 single 4 barrel Carburetor and Turbo Glide. I was 18 years old and the car was fantastic for me to use. My sister and I dragged a friend who had the same car with Powerglide. We raced him twice and beat him both times. It was a beautiful and powerful car to drive.

[@Impalaman1968]

I used to own a 1958 Chevrolet Del Rey Yeoman station wagon with a 235 stovebolt six, and a 3 on the tree, combined with the 4:11.1 gears in the rearend it would scoot along quite nicely. Not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it always turned heads, even in gray primer. ... and it was a lot of fun to cruise around in. I was made a offer that I couldn't refuse, and I let it go. Now, almost 20 years later.....I still regret that decision, unless I hit the lottery, it was most likely my only shot at owning a 50's Chevy that was up, running and driving. Oh well.....you live and you learn. But I still miss that oddball wagon. Great video, brought back some cool memories. As always, Peace and love from Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A!

[@jimmontrealca.9000]

Yup oddball, 1 tail light per side as well for the sedan delivery.

[@Impalaman1968]

@@jimmontrealca.9000 Yup..... exactly. I actually thought they looked cooler than the Impala with the three per side. And it didn't have any reverse lights either. Actually a relatively rare car. The sedan delivery 2 door wagons were the rarest of the bunch. I have only seen 2 in person myself. I almost bought one with a 348 and a 3 on the tree. But it was too rusty to save. Very cool car ,but would have taken too much time and effort and money for my tastes.

[@rayjames6096]

Beautiful car, always has been a favorite.

[@bruceg.6282]

I was only in the 2nd grade when the man across the street got a 1956 Ford Fairlane. I used to just sit on my grandma's porch and look at it. Then we moved and the man across the street had a red 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible. I've been in love with cars ever since.

[@dlmullins9054]

Back in the day i loved the 58. Everyone else thought i was crazy, but the 58 to me was cool. I still love them.

[@blipco5]

My father had a 57 for many years and I rode in it every day. I never liked the 58 but after watching this....I love it. 👍

[@blipco5]

Jeff Oliver ...I've seen them at car shows before but to be honest I wasn't much interested in them. (I think it is the tilted tail fins, then the 59 with its flat fins). But the next time I see the 58 I'm going to look at it with newfound interest.

[@blipco5]

Jeff Oliver ...Yes, it seems Chevy kept transitioning. I actually like boxy cars so after the 57 I didn't start liking Impalas again until 64. And another car that I owned, a family hand down, was the 1965 Ford Fairlane. It was a one year only car. It looks like a shoebox with a smaller box on top. Very roomy inside, and it wasn't even a Fairlane 500. Mine was the cheapest Fairlane that my Uncle Norm could find. No options. It actually had an all metal dashboard.

[@blipco5]

Jeff Oliver ...One will turn up. Be ready. 👍

[@skip7243]

@Jeff Oliver I wish I had bought one of these back when nobody wanted them, I always thought they were classier than the 57. They are now very pricey as people have learned to appreciate them.

[@blipco5]

Jeff Oliver ...That's how it goes but hang tight and don't hesitate next time. You could swap in an LS, all the cool kids are doing it. And it would be a less expensive swap though not as romantic as the 409. I had the pleasure (mid seventies) to ride in a 1963 (Impala SS convertible, maybe?) 409 dual quad, 4 speed. A friend of mine got it for free from his uncle who had died. It was all stock, mint, no rust and had less than 20,000 miles on it. It may have been a Biscayne. It was white with black convertible top. What a tank.

[@larrytillick952]

When I was in high school, 62 thru 66, the 58 chevy was the car to own, not the 57. The rise of the 57 came several years later. Me? I could not afford a $200 scooter!

[@aa64912]

We had a 58 six banger and I loved it. Today’s cars all look alike now. A Mercedes and a ford look about the same. If they still made cars like this sales would be better

[@dukeman7595]

That's a fact..

[@DrewLSsix]

Cars back then looked alike also, if you paid attention in this video you might have noticed that the 58 chevy looked an awful lot like the 57 ford. A car that dominated chevy the year before. Another factor that would come into play shortly after this timeframe is the advent of full range manufacturers as we know them now. First compacts then intermediates, eventually each brand got a set of cars from subcompact to full sized a truck and SUV selection along similar lines etc. In 1958 chevy built the chevy, and a truck also called the chevy, and a weird little sports car. That was it.

[@aa64912]

DrewLSsix not really

[@65csx83]

@@DrewLSsix I owned a '58 Chevy Impala convertible and a '57 Ford Fairlane hardtop and the only similarities are they both had 4 wheels and there was some similarity in both vehicles' wing windows. You could maybe make a case for similarity to '58 Ford in that they both had similar dual headlights and multiple, but very different, taillights. Grilles, bumpers, hoods, trunk lids, side accent chrome strips, all distinctively different.

[@merc-ni7hy]

@@DrewLSsix a ford and chevy did not look alike..but you look at a 58 chevy,,and 58 pontiac,,,both used the same simulated vent on the roof and same roof style ,,and a 58 chevy looks alot like a 58 caddy

[@sammolloy1]

No machine could finish the body around those abbreviated tailfins. All were ground by hand. Doing one white convertible Impala, a GM employee later reported the brass came up to him. “Make sure that one looks real good” they told him “It’s going to be on the Dinah Shore show.”.

[@davidhempel4700]

You must be referring to the leaded joint, that is right in the middle of the rounded back of the fin.

[@nekoprincess7489]

The '58 Chevy has an elegant, luxurious look. Besides being a sort of transition from 1950s to '60s styling, its definitely worthy of admiration in its own right

[@UberLummox]

I agree with the Impala yes, very much! But the lower trim levels were stodgy, styling dogs imo. ChryCo. smoked GM (only time ever) from '57-'58, and back then, the '57/8 ChryCos. were longer, lower, wider, & with much bigger fins making the GMs seem dated to people back then. GM hadda play catch-up by adding giant fins to the '59 Cad. By I love'em all...and I've owned them all!

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

The Impala had too much trim that did not compliment each other like the hash marks, pitchfork, and that oval behind the rear wheel. The 1958 Biscayne was restrained looking. The 1958 Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buicks were awful. The 1958 Cadillac looked better than the 1958 Lincoln. The 1958, 1959, and 1960 Chevrolet were all over styled compared to the elegant 1957 and 1961 Chevrolets.

[@UberLummox]

@@SpockvsMcCoy Definitely a fan of the '61 Chevs. '59 &'60 Pontiacs & olds's don't do much for me. The '58 Chev. BelAir & Biscaynes roofline is what kills it for me, so the Impala for the win imo. Otherwise I like many low-level trim packages on some.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

@@UberLummox My family had a 1961 Impala Sport Sedan in Tuxedo Black with a red interior when I was a small child. Before I was born my parents had a 1957 Bel Air Station Wagon in Imperial Ivory over Dusk Pearl. The ugly 1958 Oldsmobile was still the 4th best selling car of that model year...at that time GM quality was better than both Chrysler and Ford so bad styling didn't deter their loyal buyers.

[@UberLummox]

@@SpockvsMcCoy Black & red is my favorite. I'm shocked Olds was #4. I don't believe they garnered that spot too often. I think Buick might've been #4 a few years in the '60s. Even #3 several times I read, beating Plymouth.

[@richcoleman469]

58 Impala was always my favorite, but I finally ended up with only a 58 Delray. I'm satisfied.

[@AtlantaGymFan]

Terrific car and the Impalas driving in our neighborhood drew many fans!

[@johnericejr2902]

Your doing a great job on these cars and trucks thank you

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

I personally thought the 58 was the best looking chevy of the 50s.However I grew up in the muscle car era.

[@Death_Jaw]

I like the 58 although it's missing a 4 door version

[@mistyjohnson662]

Car colors of the 50s are the best by far to say nothing of the great style!

[@plymouthduster2252]

My Uncle and Aunt got married in 1962 and my Uncle had a red 1958 Impala convertible with a white top and the 348 with 3 2 barrel carburetors and a 3 speed manual transmission. In 1964 he found a wrecked 1962 SS Impala with the 409 with dual fours and a 4 speed and he put that in the 58 with 4.11 gears. He traded it for a new 1966 SS Chevelle with the 375 horsepower 396 and 4 speed. They gave him 500 dollars trade in for the 58 Impala convertible.

[@chriscatarcio2983]

Now it's worth 90 thousand.

[@joesmith4222]

The first car I had was a 58 Chevy Del Rey I bought running in good condition for $35 in 1971. They had weird yoke set up on the differential that kept ripping loose, and it only had a six.

[@deanouellette1868]

One of my earliest memories is of my grandfather's 1958 Chevrolet Impala. It was painted in Sierra Gold with a white top. His next car was a tan 1964 Buick Special sedan!

[@thomasc4753]

I’m not a Chevy guy at all. My heart belongs to Ford and Mercury, but the 1958 Impala is one of the most beautiful cars ever made it my opinion.

[@merc-ni7hy]

ford and merc man here too...not a chevy fan either but the 58 aint bad here...and for some reason i like the 62 impala's

[@thefettfan3994]

Good presentation of an American 1950's iconic classic, produced during what I would personally describe as "The Golden Age of Motoring"

[@nextphase5854]

Love all of your video's,mainly because of your voice as well as how knowledgeable you are.keep them coming!

[@fredhind4992]

58 Impala convertible , just loved that car, could not afford one tho. Beautiful

[@JeffFrmJoisey]

Watching this video leads me to believe that the 58 Impala was a major test bed for GM's newest technology.

[@christolbert4628]

In the movie "American Graffiti", my favorite car was the 58 Impala.

[@willstikken5619]

@Rich Santoro I definitely prefer the 58 over the merc. I prefer the yellow 32 over the merc. I wont go so far as to say I'd prefer Toad's scooter of the merc, but I'd consider it.

[@melgrant7404]

Great movie xx

[@UberLummox]

What, no love for that bad '55 Chev.??? All 4 cars are like my babies. Love them all equal. ;-) "Clap for the Wolfman!!!"

[@davekana8388]

327 4 speed!

[@USCG.Brennan]

Driven by "The Toad" through most of the movie. ;-)

[@collinsje5]

I drove a '58 Biscayne 2-door when I was a Junior and Senior in college 1968-70. It had a 235 straight 6 and a 2 speed auto trans. It was originally white but had been painted beige at one of those cheapo paint shops that then charged $29.95 total. It wasn't long before it started to peel in patches that looked like automotive leprosy. The best part was that it never let me down - even in frigid northern Illinois winters, it always started.

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

Earl Scheib? _(3/18/2023)_

[@collinsje5]

@@knowbodiesfull5768 Yep!

[@srercrcr]

Ironically GM's Cadillac took fins to the max in '59 and it would be several years to see them vanish. Chrysler Corp stayed with fins a few more years. I recall being a confused kid regarding the Chevys. '57 had high, sharp fins, '58 had them smoothed away, and '59 had them reappear headed for orbit.

[@02chevyguy]

If you look at the grille of a '58 Impala and Cadillac, you can see a strong resemblance between the two.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@02chevyguy ; The frame appears identical.

[@02chevyguy]

@@Johnnycdrums Exactly.

[@mrcoz1764]

The 58 chevy has always had a special place in my heart,,At about 10 my neighbor had 1,,a deep red color convertible with the twin antannae and skirts at a later date,Loved the way it looked,,,at 16 i bought my first car,,,a 55 belair coupe,,which was my 60`s street rod dam i miss those days

[@etiennegiroux9146]

Had a wonderful ride in Cuba 2 years ago...going to a restaurant, it was dark red 1958 Chevrolet 4 door, looked new and was such a beautiful car.

[@willstikken5619]

With cars today having so little variation over entire decade its hard to imagine an era where cars had different sheet metal every year.

[@glennso47]

Will Stikken planned obsolescence it was called.

[@willstikken5619]

@@glennso47 That's not planned obsolescence... It was a different set of expectations from consumers and frankly a simpler engineering tasks than getting a new model on the road today. If you told GM today that they had to design and retool for new models every year they'd laugh at you.

[@DrewLSsix]

@@willstikken5619 it is planned obsolescence, it is not a concept restricted to hard engineering. It applies equally well to styling or any other factor that may coerce consumers to buy the latest product. "Planned obsolescence describes a strategy of deliberately ensuring that the current version of a given product will become out of date or useless within a known time period. This proactive move guarantees that consumers will seek replacements in the future, thus bolstering demand."

[@willstikken5619]

@@DrewLSsix That's not quite what's happening here. With planned obsolescence you design a product with the intent of forcing someone to purchase a new one at a point earlier than they normally would. In this case the drivers are different, it is closer to what happens in fashion. Instead of intentional obsolescence they rely on the social drivers and esteem that come with having the hot new thing to drive you into the showroom. These cars were designed at the pace of fashion, not technology. The differences are subtle and the end result may look the same they aren't the same process.

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

It was possible because there were far fewer makes and models of automobiles than now so tooling costs could be spread out over vehicles made in the quantity of 100 thousand or more annual units. Nowadays, many models of automobiles sell in the U.S. in the tens of thousands of units on a yearly basis. The 1957 Chevrolet and Ford each sold 1.5 million units...now Camry and Accord each sell about 300 thousand units per year.

[@danielbennion80]

I really like the styling of most Impalas and Malibus from start to finish, but the '58 is an all - time favorite. Being a Buick die hard, it's hard to admit that some of those Chevys have 'em beat, at least, as far as looks.

[@thomasowens6041]

Beautiful examples pictured here. But to me, it's one of those rare cars that look so much better in person than in pictures.

[@johnmirbach2338]

i personally love the 58 chevy !!!!

[@billolsen4360]

Especially when you compare them to the fat-looking Caddys, Oldsmobiles, Buicks of 1958.

[@fredregler5055]

Bought my 57 Chevy, 2 door, Belair sport coupe in 1972 for $700. Still have it.

[@Tomgillchevy]

Love the throwback. Personally, the '59 was the pinnacle of the Impala line

[@davevann2925]

When I was born, I came home in a 1960 Impala (white with turquoise interior). When I was 6, I got to sit on my dads lap and steer grandpa's 1956 chevy wagon ( turquoise and white) through the California desert for a few minutes.

[@dbeaus]

At :24, my very first car. 57 convertible, same color, 283, automatic with a 2 barrel carb. Bought it in 62 for 600 dollars. I didn't know at the time it was stolen in 60 and stripped. The car had a new engine, trans and interior. In those days insurance companies rarely totaled cars. It was heavy, slow, but the girls loved it. Drove it for 4 years and never had a problem. There is a reason it was so cheap, but that is a long story. I bought it from Riley's Auto on Western Ave and it was legal. I sold it in 66 for $300. That car today would sell for probably around 100K. My cars kinda went downhill after that.

[@JohnDoe-bh7uj]

These cars are works of art on wheels.

[@bobmarker6812]

I always liked the look of the '58 GM cars reversed C pillar and wrap around rear window combination.

[@mattrowan2680]

I think the 55 Chev was the sharpest of all full size chevys in the 1950's.....looks WAY better to me than the 57 which always struck me as overdoing it with the rear chrome. 55 looked very clean and "finished".

[@sonofelohim9857]

I feel what everyone is saying I drive a 2014 impala and I love this car I Remember my grandfather had a 1969 white impala with red leather interior man it was beautiful......

[@_charlesphoenix]

always LOVED 58 Impalas !!! ...

[@micksterboone4517]

I didn't know you could get a three-speed automatic in '58. That is why I love this channel. Keep up the good work!

[@thomasfletcher1971]

Thats not true . Powerglide had low and high , thats all .

[@micksterboone4517]

@@thomasfletcher1971 7: 50 says it was available, first I've heard about it. Never seen one, though.

[@yuddyferrarisouthafrica8674]

2 speed powerglide

[@billdescoteaux]

The Turboglide wasn't actually a 3-speed automatic transmission. It was a triple-turbine automatic transmission that worked on the concept of the Buick twin-turbine Dynaflow. There was no shifting, it was constant torque conversion. Instead of a "L" position for Low (or 1st) gear, it had "Gr" for Grade Retarder, which locked out the two higher-speed turbines and gave the equivalent of a low gear for descending steep hills. This turned out to be a troublesome transmission, however. My Dad had a '58 Impala when I was born in 1961. The transmission failed once, and needed to be rebuilt. By February of 1962, it failed again, and Dad traded it in on a '60 Olds Dynamic 88.

[@davidhempel4700]

@@billdescoteaux through the years my Turboglide could never be made to not leak. I am replacing it with a TH350 as part of a complete restoration that is ongoing. My understanding is the Turboglide could never be sorted out properly by GM, and the TH350 was essentially it's replacement.

[@gregorylangford5256]

The automobiles of the 50's, 60's & 70's were real cars. They had class, style, room, comfort and because of the materials used to build them, they offered protection, more than just a seatbelt. We'll never see these kinds of cars again except at maybe some vintage restored car auction

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

I like the '58 Chevy better than the more popular '57 Chevy myself. Beautiful car!

[@s.geo.7639]

I had one in 1969. Paid a hundred bucks for it. It was fun to drive. I was in Highschool. Thanks good breakdown

[@HALWG51]

When I was growing up the 1958 Chevy was my favorite.

[@armadillotoe]

When I was growing up in small-town Texas, a young man had a shiny black 58 Chevy with a Continental kit, and a white rolled leather interior. It was a daily driver and part show car. It was called The Black Widow and had spider webs painted on the hub caps. Beautiful car!

[@stephenvelden295]

Reading the comment below, one thing rings true. The older these cars get the better they look! They are aging well!

[@es7614]

Another great video, love this channel! THANKS

[@jamessawyer8889]

I have to say that the '58 Chevy lineup was a good looking bunch that was very sleek, as well as very upscale with the new Impala leading the way. If I won the lottery I would definitely want to own a '58 Impala because it does look like a baby Cadillac. In fact if you look at the '58 Pontiacs they almost look identical to the Chevy because the Bonneville & the Impala shared the same body shell but only that year. The Impala did inspire the long low sporty look that ended in '69 with the seldom seen 425hp 427 that nobody knew existed but that would be a car to have as well

[@pancakeman3626]

OUTSTANDING VIDEO !!! Thank you sir, once again, for the lesson and the video.

[@tonychavez2083]

Great video thanks! 61-63 were my favorite Impalas ..

[@hivicar]

Such a badass rear look in black w/ whitewalls! 7:45

[@tomcarlson3913]

The 58 Chevys to me were always the best looking of the 1950's models. 1958 was a unique year for every GM brand. That was because as they were coming out so were the forward look Mopar (ever seen the movie Christine?..That car was one) brand cars. Forward look Mopar styling leapfrogged Mopar styling from being badly behind trend setting GM to being substantially ahead of GM. GM was used to being at the forefront of styling and panicked at losing that advantage. The result: their styling and mechanical heart skipped a beat. Normally GM would scratch build their car line every 2 years doing minor cosmetic adjustments between years. The 1958 was all new body and frame and the 59s should have been a slight tweak of that, but instead GM completely redid the body and frame for 59 to try and beat the forward look...This is what resulted in many notable somewhat over the top styling cues like the giant fins (with rocket flame tail lamps) of the 59' Caddilac and the quad tail fins on the 1959 Pontiac. 1958 models are not just rare from their 1 year only chassis design, but also did not sell well due to an economic recession that year that hurt the entire auto industry (IIRC it was based on bad auto loan practices catching up with the industry). Any telling of the history of 1958 and 1959 GM that fails to mention the effect forward look had on GMs design and planning is remiss in its efforts to provide historical context.

[@billmagorian490]

What was missing in this report on the 1958 Impala was the myriad of luxury options that a customer could order.

[@billolsen4360]

When I was a 16, bagging & carrying groceries out to customer cars at Safeway supermarket, a local doctor had a 58 Impala, lime green with triple-carb, power windows, power seat & (whoo-hoo!) air conditioning. It was 12 years old by that time, but it looked brand new. Dr Kato said she saw no reason to trade it in on a new model. Wish I'd kept in touch because I'm sure it's long gone by now.

[@westcoast3595]

One of my favorites of that era in cars. I also liked the 55

[@kennybranshaw7526]

The '58 is THE STUFF!

[@ladylandr]

What a beautiful car! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@HiPlains1]

57's are still plentiful since collectors started saving them early on. 58's are pretty rare but the 59's are really rare air now and prices for mint examples are insane. I've always like the 58 but am leaning more towards the 59 now because of the iconic rear lights. If you ever see the brake lights on a 59 at night you know what I mean. It takes it to another level.

[@lynwoodloco77]

To me the 57 Bel Air and 58 Impala are the most beautiful cars ever designed. The peak of automotive design in America.

[@PavethaWay]

Thank you answering my prayer request!!

[@crushingvanessa3277]

I have a Delray 4 dr that I hope to get on the road eventually. Had it since 1995. Still original paint, like to try save it. Unfortunatly I got no one who's knowledgeable to help with it so it sits until I do something, at least it's inside.

[@rsstrazz6261]

In the 1963 film "The Thrill Of It All" James Garner drives a '58 black Impala convert into a swimming pool -

[@billolsen4360]

Oh yeah, I remember that well. Poor Impala had to sacrifice itself for laughs.

[@kencooper2059]

Love your channel, please keep up he good work!

[@billolsen4360]

For years & years, Impala was the most beautiful American car. Can you sometime do a review of the 1955 thru 1957 Chevy Nomad?

[@alexbenjaminlubbers]

Congrats on 100K!!!! Could we get a video on the 4th gen F-bodies?

[@arevee9429]

The Impala was one of the "it" cars of the 60's. My first memory is of my mother's '63 Impala convertible. Pity that sedans are going extinct. But good time to get one if you want to save some money.

[@Kinseydsp]

They were very Beautiful and good cars! My favorites were in the 1950, Chevy's were the 1952 Chevy Belairs, the 1955 Belair's had both and the 1958 Chevy Impala.

[@fericyde]

Great video!! Really love your work. You should approach Amazon or Netflix and get them to sponsor you.

[@williamaviles2647]

My Grandpa had one. Sweet Ride. Caddy feeling with Speed.

[@robertbeirne9813]

Favorite feature of 58’s was that roof line.

[@idessaoutlaw]

I LOVE MY 58 BELAIR 2 DOOR HARD TOP 283 4 BBL POWERGLIDE😎👌WHEN CARS HAD CLASS & AMERICA WAS STILL GREAT 😎🥃

[@torque3022]

Disneyland in Anaheim CA had a miniature track mock-up of a freeway system with small replicas of the 1959 Chevrolet Impala, notably with the the futuristic, exotic horizontal tear drop tail lights. They were fast and fun to drive for a little kid. Outside of vehicles from Italy and the US, no other country has introduced such original and timeless car models.

[@flyonbyya]

Best KZbin channel ever !!

[@12yearssober]

Beautiful cars!!!!

[@12yearssober]

D T Tel Aviv 😈

[@warrenny]

lol. this was the last thing I thought I'd see scrolling through "1958 Chevrolet Impala Much More Than A Placeholder". Good show, old chap

[@OLDS98]

Informative for the content. I liked the information. I never really thought about some of the things stated.

[@thebionicbassplayer]

Impala SS, I own one great car, Thanks for producing this one, great tribute.

[@timothykeith1367]

The '58 to '65 full sized Chevies used a similar chassis - they all look differently. All had the W-series big block motor as an option. GM stylists were cranking them out!

[@1575murray]

All of the big three manufacturers introduced big block engines of about 350 cubic inches in 1958 as the first generation V8 engines were becoming inadequate due to the increased size and weight of the newer cars.

[@sdmurphy20]

My gramps had a 57 bel air. Baby blue and off white. From the pics it was a beauty

[@youtruckrek5121]

i was born in 1958 so it was a very good year

[@richmcintyre1178]

That blue convertible with the blue top was stunning. Too bad no 4 speed but the 3 speed with O/D and tri-power would be just fine by me.

[@buckshot6481]

The 58 was a beautiful car, radical departure from the taxi cab fifties.

[@michaelcook768]

The 58 Chevy was treated as an orphan for many years. Nobody wanted them, and so many of them went to the crusher. I wanted one in the late 1970s...Dad said they were not desirable, so, I finally found a 1970 Chevelle in the early 80s. I wish I had bought that 58...it barely had any rust. I had a 72 400 SB that would have fit nicely.

[@garbage854]

Very nice 😀

[@SpockvsMcCoy]

He forgot to mention that the 1959 Chevrolet was originally planned to be a facelifted 1958 model. Those plans were changed in 1956 when GM designers saw the upcoming designs for 1957 from Chrysler Corporation. The other divisions of GM had also planned for carryover designs for 1959. This was what Harley Earl had planned but he was in Europe at that time so GM designers scrapped his designs. The 1958 Pontiac is also a one year only design. In 1959, all GM divisions now shared the same cowl and windshield which are the costliest components to engineer.

[@that70sschwinn]

The Chevrolet Impala - Full-size car built by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 onward. The Impala is Chevrolet's popular flagship passenger car and is generally among the better selling American made automobiles in the United States. For its debut in 1958, the Impala was distinguished from other models by its symmetrical triple taillights. The Chevrolet Caprice was introduced as a top-line Impala Sport Sedan for model year 1965, later becoming a separate series positioned above the Impala in 1966, which, in turn, remained above the Chevrolet Bel Air and the Chevrolet Biscayne. The Impala continued as Chevrolet's most popular full-size model through the mid-1980s. Between 1994 and 1996, the Impala was revised as a 5.7-liter V8-powered version of the Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan.😏👍🚗🏡

[@bextar6365]

I bought a used 60 Impala In 1964. Mint cond. metallic blue, 283 engine with a Turbo-glide trans plus AC and power windows. Was very rare with all those options back then. Dealer price was $1280. Later I traded a 53 Ford Victoria with a Chev. 350 eng. for a 58 Bel Air 4DR sedan in x-lent cond. My last Chev. was a customized 1951 Bel Air HT ...… Also owned a few Street Rods mixed in...Lasting memories, now own 2 new SUVs and luv them !