1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, Nomad and Biscayne

[@robertsenior7439]

My parents ordered a new 1959 Chevy Nomad 9 passenger wagon back in November '58. It was ordered with a solid tone creme tan paint, a 283 4v, Powerglide, and a Posi rear axel. We extensively traveled cross country in it for 13 years, and 230K miles, trouble free. I remember my Dad saying that the tires from the factory were junk and he replaced them with ones called "Dual 90's". He also almost immediately replaced the shocks with much heavier duty ones. Loved that car and it's "cats eye" taillights and fins! It was roomy and comfortable and my Dad used to brag that it got 20mpg on the highway. Eventually Dad replaced the wheel covers with early Chevy rally wheels, and it looked great! The O.E.M. caps are still on my garage wall!

[@kwd3109]

Enjoyed your story, thank you for sharing it.

[@rexluminus9867]

Great story & car. Thank you.

[@rickslife]

Robert Senior great memories!

[@danobrien5154]

If it was a 9 passenger....it was the Kingswood. The only wagon available as a 9 passenger in 59.....was expanded and available in more models in 1960.

[@pghsquid]

Dual 90s were made by General Tire. I had a set on my '64 Dodge Polara and they wore like iron!

[@aspierunner1725]

My dad once had a '60 Impala. He bought it new and kept it for seven years. Then he traded it in towards a Datsun pickup. Man, I wish that he kept the Impala!

[@fleetwin1]

I remember these ads when I was a kid, the new models were so exciting back then!

[@1940limited]

Kramden: I remember looking at cars in the showrooms back in those days with plastic on the seats and that new car smell. They were exciting. My earliest recollection of new Chevy's was 1958. My older brother went with my grandmother to buy a new chevy in 1952; a Deluxe 2-door sedan with a clock and heater; 6/stick. $2000 cash. He'd never seen that much money in his life! :-) I was too young for that trip.

[@RivetGardener]

I wish they made cars as stylish as they were back then. They all look like unimaginative bubbles today.

[@richardmaaske2601]

My first car, after High School. Graduated in June 1965. In august of 1965 . Bought a 1960 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. It had the 348 cubic inch Engine. With 3- two barrel Carburetors. It had the mild Hydraulic Cam. The Transmission was a 4- Speed. Also had Positraction Rear End. Car was bright Red with a new white Convertible Top. Love that Car . But in 1966. I ordered a new Chevy SS 396 Chevelle. Light Blue, 4- Speed Transmission Bucket Seats. All the Gauges. Positraction Rear End. Sold The Impala to a young Guy.

[@fthcm101]

My dad had a 1959 Chevy Impala wagon, he would let the window down in the back and we would catch the breeze. Those were the good ole days!

[@malachijoya4280]

I just got a 60 chevy Impala Nomad wagon so excited you really don't see them out here in California

[@barrysnider635]

beautiful cars 59 and 60 chevys love those fins!

[@danweiers6950]

You and me both

[@WINGGULLSEAGULL]

Both years were great

[@bobpierce115]

@@WINGGULLSEAGULL Absolutely. I always kind of thought the '60 was a good choice for someone that liked the look of '58 and '59 in the one car. I mentioned the '58 because if you took the inner part of the '60 fin that turns downward and completed that, it would be reminiscent of the '58---sort of. :-)

[@WINGGULLSEAGULL]

@@bobpierce115 You're right the '60 was the '58 & '59 in one. The Impala triple lights with back up light in the middle set the tone for years to come. I grew up with these cars in the '60's. By the late '70's they were getting scarce & becoming dinosaurs.

[@bobpierce115]

Thanks for your positive reply to my comment. I want to ask you something else here. I don't know if given the choice on a '59 or '60 Impala (short of the convertible of course) if I'd like the 2 door coupe or the 4 door open "flattop" roofline model better! I know it sounds crazy initially, but I love them both equally. The 4 door here is no "sedan" by any stretch of the imagination. It really doesn't seem like a 4 door at all. I like that 'flying carpet' look too! By the way, after the '60, my next favorite skips ahead to the '63. With that beauty, it's the open 4 door over the coupe, hands down, even though I love the coupe.

[@StSomer]

« Start the 60s right » I love the slogan

[@bobpierce115]

I agree 100%. The fact is, the '60s DID start out right; they really did!

[@johna.4334]

@@bobpierce115 But ended in a disaster with the Vietnam conflict -thank you Lyndon Johnson & Robert McNamara.

[@bobpierce115]

@@johna.4334 Whom I believe orchestrated JFK's "removal from office" that kicked the Vietnam conflict into high gear by mid-1964, long before the '60s ended. The U.S. is always involved in starting and maintaining wars it has no business being in to this very day. Gotta keep feeding the military industrial complex no matter what, right Bloodthirsty Joe?

[@KMauriceCrooms]

GM was kicking a$$ back then, they were at the top of their game. GM was getN down!!!!!!

[@jerrygiarratana9462]

Doy

[@raybrensike42]

I remember this commercial as a kid, the music notes at the beginning, but to me, it was just a car commercial. Little did we know what classics they really were.

[@dennisfrey4625]

i had an IMPALA SUPER SPORT i loved that car best car i ever owned

[@rikray1]

I remember as a kid growing up in Levittown, my parents bought a 55 red/white bel air and the they bought a 60 silver/red impala, til this day a love those two autos!!!!!

[@Dec3.1903]

I took delivery of my black 60 BelAir coupe in Nov 59. I still have it.

[@РомкаМоток]

Beautiful cars!

[@Handiman544]

My first car was a Chevy Belair four door sedan. I loved that car.

[@MrObsessiveakaPlastiksurgeon]

Interesting that this is in color.....a rarity back then! To think these were brand new cars when I was just coming along. 👶 Makes you wonder if any of them in this commercial still exist somewhere. Thanks for posting!

[@nlpnt]

I doubt it, they would've been very early pilot production if not prototypes. Most likely they went from the studio to the press fleet and from there to the crusher without ever being owned by anyone other than GM.

[@Basedapple]

@@johnbeer5242 wtf

[@johna.4334]

@@Basedapple ???

[@danweiers6950]

The convertible at the beginning is the one I want breathtakingly beautiful and 1960 was the year I was born

[@bobpierce115]

I was born in '57 Dan, the first year of the fins (on the Chevy) and '60 the last. All those years in there were wonderful. I have several high-end diecast models of those cars from the Franklin and Danbury Mint. The 'real thing' is waaay out of my $$ league, so videos and car shows are my main "fix" for seeing my favorite mid-century cars. A definite antidote to today's all-look-alike truck, SUV's, 4-door sedans, etc. Ugghk.

[@nathanduckeorth806]

Those were some Beutifull cars for sure!

[@dmoore7519]

Back when men were men & cars were cars.

[@errorsofmodernism9715]

eben kalb

[@marvinmartian7281]

Yes! Real man & real cars indeed.

[@nultari1]

Today saying men being men implies something else lol… they have a distorted view

[@johna.4334]

Back when the chrome was thick and the women were straight.

[@duane3719]

Restored a 59 Nomad. People didn't believe that there was a 4 door Nomad. Had to prove with a brochure.

[@johnbeer5242]

Duane Doerr u didn't Start the 60s right😁

[@bobpierce115]

That just shows the ignorance of their part Duane. Anyone that knows anything about Nomads knows the "real" Nomads were the '55, '56 and '57 2 door models. From 1958-'61 it was still the 'top' wagon, but was strictly a 4-door only. In a nutshell, the tri-5 classic Nomads were too beautiful and luxurious for their own good. Very expensive, a good 'halo' car to draw people into showrooms, but not to buy. Of COURSE a limited number of people did buy some, yes, but not to justify keeping it in production. It was about the same price as a Corvette too. The '58 from the back end (tailgate) still lent itself to the Nomad look and might have worked otherwise done out like the tri-5. The '59 & '60, not really, and the '61 definitely not.

[@duane3719]

Bob Pierce Very true Bob. Miss that car. It had the 283. Was done so I put in a 350. Originally had the turboglide but at some time was switched to the powerhouse.

[@duane3719]

Oops mean't to say powerglide.

[@packard5682]

When I was in the 5th grade (1966), our neighbors had a 60 Nomad in copper metallic and beige. Very nice car! They took us to the lake in it one time and I remember how nice the air conditioning was on a hot day!! They had 5 kids and it was a 9 passenger. I always wondered what happened to that car.

[@jimm3205]

Wow, would I love to take a road trip in one of these beauties. Imagine the adventure not knowing when it's gonna break down, overheat, not start and the joy of stopping every 30 miles to fill up! And I mean that sincerely.

[@akishot6735]

People I know with this era of car(american boats not compacts) they have spare Jerry can at all times

[@DSGNflorian]

American mass produced cars from the 1920s to the early 1970s were, on average, reliable, serviceable and by and large almost as easy to own as most cars today. In those days all cars, regardless of their origin, were much more likely to rust, required more frequent maintenance (adjustments and chassis lubrications) and tires didn't wear nearly as long as today. That being said, I own several classics in original condition, the oldest of which is now 58 years old (a 1959 Impala) that has over 200,000 miles on its original powertrain. I've put over 60,000 of those miles on it and it's never broken down on me. I frequently take it on trips several hundred miles long and the only adventure is the enjoyment of its glorious space age hardtop styling, all windows down on a warm day, cruising effortlessly at highway limits without the slightest draft or buffeting felt inside. It starts and runs with Toyota-like reliability, gets better mileage than a typical SUV and I would take it on a cross-country trip any day without the slightest hesitation.

[@johnbeer5242]

Jim M yeah that's a project car if u got your car right it's not gonna do that to you there is alot of upgrades now days😉

[@1940limited]

These cars were dependable as hell and went a lot further than 30 miles on a tank of gas.

[@1940limited]

Ron: Points & plus about every 10,000 miles was a good idea.

[@leeclark4495]

1960 was the last year for fins on a Chevy.

[@bobpierce115]

That's right, Lee. What was clever about the 1961 Chevy is that they transitioned away from the fins via a "ridge" that branched out from the center of the trunk and wrapped around the sides of the car. So even though the fins were gone, there was still a little styling tie to the '59 & '60. By '62 there wasn't.

[@leeclark4495]

@@bobpierce115 True. You're right about the 62 as well, no trace of a fin. I had a 60 Chvey, and even thought I never cared much for fins, I liked the way the fins on the 60 were horizonal as apposed to the vertical ones on the Chryslers, although, I liked the 1956 Dodge a lot , my friend had one back then and I always thought it was sharp looking ride, front and rear, but the push button auto transmission was a joke, I'm glad that was fazed out. But the Honda Acura luxury brand is just now launching its key new TLX midsize sedan, which uses a push-button array on the console in place of a traditional gear lever in V-6. Oh my!

[@herrunsinn774]

Thank you, Captain Obvious. Ha ha! 😅 😂 🤣

[@1940limited]

It's amazing how beautiful they were when new. No restoration can replicate how they came off the assembly line. It's too bad the Nomad became just a fancy wagon from 1958 on. I think 61 was the last year for it.

[@johngrub2594]

The 59 was a badass need to respect that it's one of its own so let's keep it that way you know

[@johngrub2594]

I own one I'm restoring it it's going to be bad ass when it's done

[@johngrub2594]

Origin cars for 46 years you know so don't spoil it

[@johngrub2594]

What do you need to understand these cars in respect I mean

[@johngrub2594]

Keeping the way they are if you can

[@DesertDigger1]

Too bad we lost baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet in America, it's so sad.

[@billaltier510]

The Chevy late 50's to 1960. Classic designs. Choose '57, '58, '60. Or all 3.

[@spartan-df3cx]

Massive wheel wells, but itty bitty tires that were so out of proportion.

[@brianmoore6306]

That was FUN!

[@giancarlozarlengo1096]

Great Video ... Thanks!

[@christiangauthier8446]

C'était des oeuvres d'art

[@johna.4334]

???

[@stevenhuckaby2902]

My first car was a 59 chevy Biscain,

[@alcoholic2412]

I had a '60 el camino kicking myself now for selling it.

[@genewood3421]

Where can I find those models. I would like to get one of each at least for myself.

[@luckap79]

60 rag 😍😍😍

[@buckyflywoodie3905]

LOVE IT!

[@ebe7840]

Nice.🎯🇸🇪

[@0tya]

この時代に生まれたかった

[@marvinmartian7281]

Eat my katana.

[@johna.4334]

???

[@johna.4334]

Where's Dinah?

[@tedlahm5740]

1958 Biscayne $1800 out the door.

[@georgesand4629]

I wonder how many kids ran into those fins

[@martinbeneteau309]

I have A '59 Belair and I've bumped into the fins a couple of times. Ouch!, right on the funny bone. I keep my elbows next to my body now when I walk by her!

[@keithstudly6071]

We had a 60 Biscayne and one summer my dad rented a camper for a trip to Colorado. At one point he had to make a 180 degree turn which required a three point maneuver. He went too tight and put the fin point on the right rear through the aluminum siding on the front of the camper. Yep, punched right through it!

[@lotsaluck721]

I used to fart allot in my parents 1960 Nomad…my dad would always say that we will never run out of gas with me in the car….mom was not happy…

[@stevenpeterson9571]

And cost about $2500

[@ivanaldana2424]

Me pregunto ahora donde estaran esos autos

[@johna.4334]

???

[@ДенисУсков-д8ш]

Импозантные автомобили были в то время.

[@johna.4334]

???

[@surgecorleone9358]

It will cost you 100k today

[@MrLeonightis]

The designers were clearly drunk from drinking their own kool aid , that was about the most unsensible looking mess of sheetmetal to come out of Detroit. Was it trying to be a plane ?

[@luckap79]

MrLeonightis get off the drugs

[@whodaneighbor5027]

You must drive a new mustang and crash into crowds of people. Probally a ford girl

[@rexluminus9867]

Yes it was designed to resemble a ✈️plane as other cars. 😂Haha!

[@martinbeneteau309]

Actually it was designed to look like a jet! Look at the side emblems! The 59 and 60 were true examples of "the race for space!" You have to understand the time to truly appreciate how great these Chevy's were!

[@denissplette9481]

Recherche vielle voiture américaine chevrolet blair

[@johna.4334]

???