1959 Chevrolet Impala Is a Mysterious Legend With Big Muscle Under the Hood

2 years, 7 months ago - 14 March 2022, autoevolution

While the Impala nameplate was born in 1958 as the top-of-the-line version of the Bel Air, this iconic model actually came to be a year later when Chevrolet promoted it to a stand-alone series.

1959, therefore, marked the debut of the second-generation Impala, a lineup that remained in production for just two years, each model introducing significant refinements.

In 1959, however, the Impala made its very own first steps in the automotive market, and the engine lineup didn’t come with too many surprises.

The base unit continued to be the six-cylinder developing 135 horsepower, while in terms of V8, customers could choose the 283 (4.7-liter) Turbo-Fire with 185 horsepower as standard. However, Chevrolet also offered several more powerful units, including a 348 (5.7-liter) V8 with up to 335 horsepower in the Super Turbo-Thrust configuration.

The 1959 Impala that someone posted on Craigslist only a few days ago looks to be a very solid candidate for a full resto, though, on the other hand, we know so little about it.

This is because the listing doesn’t include any information other than the car comes with a 348 unit under the hood. However, we have no clue what version of the 348 is supposed to put the wheels in motion on this Impala, and in fact, we don’t even know if it still has what it takes to do it in the first place.

The V8 is apparently paired with a manual transmission, but we don’t know if they’re matching numbers and original.

As for the condition of this Impala, the exterior looks in good shape, but given the gallery doesn’t include any photos with the interior, an in-person inspection is the only way to tell if the car is worth starting a restoration project or not.

The seller isn’t willing to let the car go for less than $6,500, and this should theoretically be the fair price for a 1959 Impala in good shape, both inside and outside.