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History of the Impala - The 1970's
Introduction |
1950's |
1960's |
1970's |
1980's |
1990's |
2000 |
Production Figures |
Insignias
'The Impala has played an important role in Chevrolet's success,' said Robert Lund, then-Chevrolet's general sales manager, 'by pioneering and consistently leading the industry trend to high styling and greater luxury in popular priced cars.'
While the Impalas of the '70s were obviously different from their ancestors, they were the product of the same time-tested magic formula.
In '72, Impala all-time sales topped the 10 million mark, extending its lead as the best-selling full-size car in automotive history . . . more than double the sales of the next nearest competitor at the time, the Ford Galaxie.
After a complete redesign in '71, design changes for 1972 were minimal; Impala's length was stretched to 219.9 inches - making it the longest Impala yet and still the best-selling full-size car in the U.S. to date.
Impala offered enhanced comfort, roominess, safety, improved ride and handling, and a list of options that buyers a decade earlier may never have dreamed of . . . such as air conditioning with automatic temp-erature control, electric door locks and an AM/FM stereo with tape player.
In 1973, Impala's success continued, again outselling every other car in the country. Tightening government regulations and a fuel crisis, however, would change the automobile industry - and the Impala - forever.
The impact of the 1973 oil embargo on the industry was dramatic. Gasoline prices doubled between 1973 and 1979. Industry car sales plummeted 20 percent between '73 and '74, and for the first time in recent history, annual passenger car travel in the U.S. actually went down.
The turmoil left Americans groping for more fuel-efficient transportation, and the trend in popularity toward lighter, smaller cars was here to stay.
Chevrolet responded by offering an assortment of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, and by redesigning Impala once again in 1977 to meet changing demands. The new Impalas were shorter in length, taller in stature and narrower. Impala embodied the new image of the full-size American car - smaller, lighter, more efficient. (For example, even with its trim dimensions, the new Impala featured increased headroom, legroom and trunk space.) The formula seemed to work. Production increased in '77 versus a year prior, and Impala was named Motor Trend Car of the Year. All-time sales passed the 12-million mark. The Impala had adapted once again.
Introduction |
1950's |
1960's |
1970's |
1980's |
1990's |
2000 |
Production Figures |
Insignias
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Saturday, July 31, 2010
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