1958 Impala

1958 Chevrolet Impala.

My March 2008 Classic-Car magazine makes the interesting assertion that the 1958 Chevrolet Impala was a landmark car, a huge stretch for Chevrolet.
I always thought of it as such, as it was the first Chevrolet glitzmobile, in contrast to Chevrolet’s humble stature.
But apparently the firewall and body were lower than the Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac (the GM B-car, on which it was based); so the Impala could be dramatically lower.
The Impala shared its C-pillar with only the Pontiac Bonneville, another glitzmobile. The B-O-C cars didn’t have it.
Also, only the Bonny and the Imp have that faux rear scoop-outlet on the roof.
Thankfully, the glitzmobile was only made one year — although 1959 was even worse; the ugliest Chevrolet ever.
In 1958 the Impala was a subset of the BelAir.
The next year the Impala became the premier model; the top of the line and the BelAir second.
They weren’t as attractive to hot-rodders as the ‘55-‘56-‘57.
The 1958 Impala was a glitzmobile; rolling sculpture — a car possessed of long rakish lines.
I remember Duke-of-Earl wannabees dressing them up with Cruiser-skirts and Continental kits. Pink Fuzzy-dice on the inside rear-view mirror, and raccoon tails on the twin swept-back radio antennas, and the Everly Brothers blasting out of the AM radio (“Don’t want your love; any more.........”).

(I remember seeing that gorgeous steering-wheel often installed in ‘55 Chevy hot-rods.)

The ‘58 Impala was a final expression of post-war Eisenhower exuberance — also the end of the Harley Earl era at GM; Bill Mitchell replaced him. 1959 and ‘60 were worse, but in 1961 GM cars started getting more sensible.

“GM” is of course General Motors.

RE: “B-car.....” —General Motors made essentially three cars in the fifties; the A, B, and C-cars. A was the smallest, and C was the largest Cadillac. B was in between. B-O-C equals Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac.

“C-pillar” is the rearmost roof support of a car.

“Cruiser-skirts and Continental kits.....” —“Cruiser-skirts” were a special manifestation of rear-wheel fender-skirts; available at custom-car shops for just about every car-brand. They skirted the rear-wheel and extended along the lower body all the way to the rear bumper. Longish cars (e.g the ‘58 Chevy and the ‘57 Ford and Mercury) looked great with them. They were usually the same color as the car-body; and had a chrome band on top. A “Continental-kit” was the spare-tire seated in a rear-bumper extender outside behind the trunk. Often the spare was encased in a metal shroud the same color as the car.

RE: “Twin swept-back radio antennas......” —Young Car owners used to mount dual radio-antennas on the rear deck of a car. The radio antennas were swept back. It was part of “the look.”

“Harley Earl” was the chief GM auto stylist for nearly 50 years. He was replaced by Bill Mitchell in 1958.