Of the many US-made cars produced within the last 50 or so years, none is as iconic as the third generation Chevrolet Impala. Built between 1961 and 1964, these boxy, rear-wheel-drive vehicles quickly became the embodiment of a new class of financially independent Americans. Fast-forward a couple of decades and the ‘64 Impala had managed to carve itself a spot in US pop-culture that, even today, the car still tightly hangs on to.
But how did this vehicle go from a relatively cheap family-oriented ride to any ghetto gearhead’s forbidden dream? In today’s video, we’ll look at what made the ‘64 Chevy Impala unique and why this particular model has enjoyed such a huge degree of popularity over the years!
The History of The Chevy Impala
To better understand the legend surrounding the ‘64 Chevy Impala, it’s important we take a step back and look at the social and economical circumstances under which this car was born. The journey will take us all the way back to the mid-1950s when General Motors first unveiled the solution to what they perceived as a rising need for affordable transportation: a sleek, low-hanging car, aptly named after an African antelope and designed by the legendary Harley Jefferson Earl himself.
When the Impala first hit the market in 1958, its success came almost overnight. The car’s carbon-fiber body and the features that resembled those of early-model Corvettes stole the crowd’s hearts to the point that, even today, the 1st generation Impala is widely considered one of the best looking and top-selling cars of the period.
Riding on the success of the 1st generation, the designers at Chevrolet quickly scurried back to the drawing board and got to work. Between 1959 and 1960, the Impala went through a major re-engineering process that would further define its unique style. Roofs were lowered, engines were swapped, and, among other things, the car finally got the iconic X-frame chassis that many still consider its best feature. Although it only survived until late 1959, the Impala’s popular alien-looking backside, with its protruding tailfin and the eye-shaped lights, also dates back to those years.
But it was a business decision, rather than a design one, that really helped the car reach entirely new heights of popularity. Alongside signing off on the updates, General Motors eventually decided to move from producing a single model to making a full series out of it. By the end of the 50s, on top of the original 2-door Sport Coupe and the convertible, buyers could also choose between a 4-door hardtop or a sedan version. And with a base price of about 2100 1960s Dollars – a little more than 17K in today’s money – it’s not surprising that the 2nd generation soon became the best-selling car in America!
The End Of Automotive Segregation
National politics also played a huge role in defining how the Impala would go down in history. While, by the first months of 1961, the staff at General Motors had once more redesigned the vehicle and the car’s third generation was finally entering production, thousands of black people were already swarming the streets throughout the country. Their requests were simple: all they wanted was an end to racial segregation, the right to vote, and equal opportunities regardless of a person’s cultural background.
Although the famous Civil Rights Act was still in the making as the first 3rd generations of Impalas rolled off the production line, when the document was finally signed into law on July 4th, 1964 its mere existence meant that not only white people but also African Americans and other minorities could now finally purchase a car. Almost immediately, the Chevy Impala turned from an exclusively white-owned luxury vehicle to the shining symbol of equality and the visual representation of what the civil rights movement had been able to achieve.
For the remaining part of the decade and throughout most of the 70s, ‘64 Chevy Impalas were often featured in movies and nationally-aired television shows; usually with a black driver behind the wheel. The result of that was that the car took little time to become one of the most desired vehicles in the African-American community. But, unbeknownst to many, that wasn’t the only positive effect that desegregation would have on the Impala in the years to come.
Since most black people couldn’t afford to buy a brand-new vehicle even after it had become available to them, a rather prolific market for used cars soon blossomed all across the United States. Even years after Chevrolet had moved on and production for the ‘64 Impala had stopped, the model still sold extremely well and demand for it remained steady beyond whatever General Motor could have imagined. This was especially true among racial minorities in lower-income neighborhoods, where used Impalas would often be cherished as priceless family heirlooms and passed on from one generation to the next.
A superior Alternative To Crime
It is around this time that the ‘64 Chevy Impala first began acquiring a degree of emotional value for people growing up in low-income families. As the price of oil drastically rose following the 1973 crisis and the country’s economy consequently plummeted, some of the families that had worked hard to buy those cars were now on the verge of poverty.
Economic recessions would further ravage the United States in the years to come: first between January and July 1980, then again from 1981 to 1982, leaving many wondering how they would have been able to put bread on the table. And when crime rates rose and gangs began to form throughout the country in the mid-80s, it was not uncommon for impressionable teenagers to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Suddenly, many of the cars that had been abandoned to rust in families’ driveways for the last 10 or so years became a life-saver. Informal clubs of enthusiasts would form in most of the US’ poorer neighborhoods, where young men came together and worked on cars instead of falling in with the local gangs. The ‘64 Chevy Impala had become a superior alternative to a life of crime and many of the people that grew up in the 80s still swear that, if it weren’t for the car, they would now either be in jail or in a coffin.
In addition to that, once they were finally restored, the ‘surviving ‘64 Chevy Impalas also became a symbol of prestige within African-American communities. The repairs were often artisanal, made using whatever means and materials one could find lying about the place, but the car itself looked great – especially in its 2-door coupe configuration – and young guys would spend days slowly driving through the neighborhood as they acted tough and tried to impress girls.
Lowriders and Hip-Hop Stars
The ease with which Impalas could be customized wasn’t only a hit among African Americans, though; it soon also attracted the attention of Chicanos and Mexican Americans living on the West Coast. While, at this point, the lowrider culture had already existed for some time, its presence was restricted to a number of groups mainly located in Los Angeles. Things would change, however, as soon as the first ‘64 Chevrolet Impalas landed on the second-hand market.
The car’s looks, its availability, and relatively cheap price quickly made it a favorite among lowriders throughout the coast. More specifically, as it didn’t get in the way of the suspension block and could be lowered to only a few inches off the ground, the ‘64 Chevy Impala’s X-shaped frame lent itself particularly well to this kind of modding. Soon, 3rd generation Chevrolet Impalas were such a common sight on the streets of Los Angeles that the car itself came to represent the region’s entire modding community.
As the years passed, lowriders were also increasingly linked to the West Coast Hip-Hop scene and so was the ‘64 Chevy Impala. Artists such as Snoop Dogg, Dr.Dre, Warren G, and the South Central Cartel, whose songs’ videos routinely featured hopping cars, helped the Impala gain a degree of notoriety not even the engineers at General Motors could have ever thought of when they first designed it.
The ‘64 Chevrolet Impala Today
Thanks to the reputation it has earned over the decades, the 3rd Generation Impala has managed to survive well into the 90s and cross into the 21st century. Its legend also seems to have somehow eluded the passing of time. Up until the mid-2010s, for example, the Impala has been a constant presence in automotive magazines, at lowriders meet-ups, and at concerts throughout the world.
And while its base price on the second-hand market remained relatively unchanged for most of its existence, making it the perfect canvas for imaginative gearheads and the forbidden dream of many low-income families, today the ‘64 Chevrolet Impala is mostly sought-after by collectors, celebrities, filmmakers, and high-end modders. Beware if you always wanted to own one for yourself: particularly unique versions of the car, original pieces in mint condition or well-done restorations can now cost upwards of 50.000$!
