1968 Chevrolet Impala shows how much American cars changed in 10 years

We recently took a look at a 1958 Impala, so let’s fast forward 10 years. The 1968 Impala illustrates how much the U.S. auto industry had changed in one decade.

The 1968 Impala was almost six inches longer and two inches wider than the equivalent 1958 model. And that was only the beginning of the car’s growth spurt. By 1972 — before federally-mandated bumpers — the Impala’s length would increase another five inches. By that point the “full-sized” Chevrolet had gotten so big that a 1958 Impala was closer in size to an “intermediate” Chevelle. A similar situation played out at Ford (go here).

Another major change during this time period was the advent of product proliferation. Whereas in 1958 Chevrolet only produced one line of high-volume cars (along with the limited-production Corvette), by 1968 it also fielded two compacts (the Chevy II and Corvair), an intermediate (the Chevelle) and a pony car (the Camaro).

The Impala may have begun life in 1958 as a top-of-line personal coupe, but in 1965 it was eclipsed by a new high-end series called the Caprice. The Impala was repositioned as a mid-level everyman’s car.

1968 Impala was a brief reprieve before the fall

Despite such a far-flung lineup, the full-sized Chevrolet still tallied almost 59 percent of the brand’s passenger-car production in 1968. That was more than three times the output of the Chevelle.

Even so, big Chevy sales had been on the decline after 1965, when it came close to matching its record-breaking output of 1.7 million in 1955. Production went up slightly for the 1968 model year to almost 1.24 million units but would resume its downward trend into the 1970s.

In a very real sense, 1968 was the beginning of the end of the big Chevy as America’s dominant mass-market car.

Impala illustrates evolution of U.S. styling trends

General Motors’ stylists tended to approach their work differently from foreign automakers. For one thing, GM made little effort to maintain stylistic continuity. The only commonality between a 1968 and 1958 Impala were the three-port taillights. That was in contrast to Mercedes-Benz cars, which were much more easily identifiable regardless of the year they was made.

That said, from the late-50s to the late-60s American automobile design evolved in major ways. The most obvious change to the Impala was discarding a fairly upright and Z-shaped windshield, which reverted back to a traditional swept-back design in 1961.

Meanwhile, side-window glass switched from flat to curved in 1965. That change was accompanied by increasingly curvaceous body sides. Whereas cars of the 1950s tended to have slab sides with rounded upper fenders, the cars of the late-6os were inspired more by the shape of an airplane’s fuselage.

Another major change was that the hefty bumpers of the 1950s evolved into delicate sculptures whose primary goal seemed to be to make the car look lower. And for the first time in 1968 the Impala’s taillights were placed inside the rear bumper. They looked fancier but were more vulnerable to parking-lot dings.

Also see ‘1964-77 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu shows growth of mid-sized American cars’

The 1968 Impala represented the end of an era in one respect — it was the last year that the two-door hardtop was offered with a semi-fastback roofline. Note that unlike the 1965-66 models, an S-shaped curvature necessitated a different trunk lid than on an Impala sedan, convertible or notchback two-door hardtop.

For 1968 the Impala SS was downgraded from a model to an optional package. However, a full-sized Chevrolet brochure still dedicated a two-page spread to the car. The SS featured standard bucket seats, a center console with floor shifter and a 427 cubic-inch V8 engine.

Sales reportedly fell sharply to around 38,000 units because the big Chevy simply wasn’t as quick as the smaller and lighter Chevelle (Hagerty, 2024).

With the shift in 1969 to only notchback two-door hardtops, Chevrolet’s big-car lineup would place more emphasis on luxury rather than sportiness. This was the last year that an SS package was offered on the Impala. Under 2,500 units left the factory (1969chevy.com, 2024).

Impala’s interior had a plain, plasticky quality

On the inside the 1968 Impala illustrated an increasing use of plastics among American automakers. The overall look had a rather bland, suburban-tract-home vibe compared to some imported cars.

The Impala no longer sported high-end interior details like it did in 1958. That was now left to the Caprice, which was slathered with fake woodgrain trim and heavily quilted upholstery.

Did the Impala grow too much?

The Impala began life in 1958 as something special — the first high-volume Chevrolet that had unique sheetmetal and a custom interior. In a very real sense it was a poor man’s Thunderbird.

By 1968 the nameplate had become so popular that it was ordinary. Almost invisible. The Impala was still dominating the low-priced field, but the Chevelle was becoming the go-to car for those who wanted something sporty. Or roomy enough to fit six but more maneuverable than an Impala in the city driving. Or even luxurious once the mid-sized Monte Carlo was introduced in 1970.

Note that 1970 was the first year the big Chevy accounted for less than half of the brand’s total production — and it was mostly downhill from there.

Might the Impala have had a better chance of maintaining its popularity if it had not grown any bigger than the 1958 models?

NOTES:

Production figures and specifications are from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006), Automobile Catalog (2024), Flory (2004, 2009) and Gunnell (2002).

Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.

---

RE:SOURCES

• 1969chevy.com; 2024. “​Impala SS427.” Accessed Oct. 24.
• Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International; Lincolnwood, Ill.
• Automobile Catalog; 2024. “Full detailed specifications listing and photo gallery.” Accessed Oct. 11.
• Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2009. American Cars, 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year. McFarland & Co.
• ——; 2004. American Cars, 1960-1972. McFarland & Co., Inc.
• Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised Fourth Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
• Hagerty; 2024. “1968 Chevrolet Impala SS 427.” Accessed Oct. 24.

ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:

• oldcaradvertising.com: Chevrolet (1968)
• oldcarbrochures.org: Chevrolet (1968, 1969)