The Chevrolet Impala came to market in 1964 with redesigned exterior sheet metal and a new top line in its sales pitch: Jet Smooth Luxury.
Impala Super Sport Convertible
In 1962, the Chevrolet division at General Motors introduced a new marketing theme for its flagship Impala: Here was the Jet Smooth Chevrolet, with the emphasis on ride and comfort. Two years later in ’64 a twist was added: Jet Smooth Luxury. “Go ahead and let them think you splurged,” the print ads declared. “The new Chevrolet offers you more luxury, more style in the most luxurious Chevrolet ever built . . . With all the luxury the ’64 Chevrolet offers, you’ll wonder how we kept the price as a low as it is.” We wonder that they managed to cram the word “luxury” so many times into a single ad. That’s staying on message.
Impala Sport Coupe
Actually, the ’64 Impala was much the same package as the first third-generation car introduced in 1961. There was new exterior sheet metal (from the beltline down) created under the direction of GM styling boss Bill Mitchell. But supporting it was the familiar X-frame chassis first used at Chevrolet in 1958, with coil springs at all four corners. However, ’64 would be the final year for the controversial X-frame at GM’s largest division. (See our feature here.)
Impala Station Wagon
Five Impala body styles were offered in ’64: a four-door post Sedan, a convertible, a station wagon, a pillarless hardtop Sport Coupe, and a four-door hardtop Sport Sedan. The two hardtop body styles and the convertible were exclusive to the Impala in ’64, not offered in the lower-line Biscayne and Bel Air models. And naturally, the Impala sported six round tail lamps at the rear, the traditional Impala signifier—-except for the wagon, which required a different lamp treatment to accommodate the tailgate (above).
Impala Super Sport Sport Coupe
Though it shared the Impala body shell and many features, the Super Sport—Convertible or Sport Coupe—was officially promoted to a stand-alone model in ’64. (Previously it was an option package, RPO Z03 in ’62-’63.) Standard equipment included flashy vinyl bucket seats, a console, and exclusive instrument panel trim, exterior badges, and wheel covers. But despite the performance image, the base engine in the Super Sport was the 230 cubic-inch Turbo-Thrift inline six with 140 hp. The 283, 327, and 409 cubic-inch V8s were extra-cost options.
Impala Sport Sedan
As usual, one Impala strength was the seemingly endless variety of choices available to buyers. There were 15 exterior colors, seven interior colors, and seven engines, from the 230 cubic-inch straight six to the 409 cubic inch V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors and 425 hp. And five transmissions: three-speed manual; three-speed with overdrive; the venerable two-speed Powerglide, and the Muncie four-speed box in two flavors with wide or close-ratio gearsets. Power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, power seats and windows, and lots more stuff were all available at extra cost. While there are no official figures, it’s a safe bet that the most Impalas were equipped with the popular 283 CID V8/Powerglide combination.
Chevrolet produced and sold more than 2.3 million passenger cars in 1964, more than all the other GM divisions combined. Of them, nearly 870,000 were Impalas, outselling the less expensive Biscayne and Bel Air full-size models by a wide margin. And in 1965, Impala volume would exceed one million cars. However, the Impala’s role in the Chevy lineup was evolving. America’s favorite car brand now also offered the Corvette, the Corvair, the Chevy II, and new for 1964, the mid-sized Chevelle. In the coming years, they would take an increasing role in maintaining Chevrolet’s market leadership.
Flint production line
A possible hint at drivetrain popularity: My father, the Chevrolet dealer in Johnstown, PA (Hallman’s Chevrolet) had his annual company car back at this time ordered to the same formula year after year. Impala SS hardtop coupe, 283 (or 327 when it became available), 2bbl carburetor, Powerglide, power steering, power brakes, Positraction, AM radio, A/C (starting in 1962).
The reason? When next year’s company car arrived, the current one never sat on the used car lot for more than a week. Back in those days, dad never ordered a car for himself. He ordered it for the next owner.
In a review of the ’65 Chevrolet Impala, Tom McCahill wrote in Mechanix Illustrated that the “typical American car” was a white Impala Sport Coupe with the 283 V-8, Powerglide, power steering and brakes, and AM radio. He didn’t say if A/C, Positraction or the Super Sport trim was part of that package, however, but it sounds like your dad was on the right track…
Considering how decently well I’m living at 76 years old on an inheritance evenly split with my sister, yeah, I think he knew what he was doing very well.
I thought the ‘63 had much more interesting styling. ‘64 was kind of dumbed-down from that.
It was the same thing that happened between ‘61 and ‘62.
Back then, car styles changed enough every year that you could identify the year of the car just by looking at it. The first year of a design was styled as a whole. Following year(s) changes were made just for the sake of change. To me, the first year was usually the best.
Yes, precisely! That is why I can remember each year distinctly to this day.
My daily driver is 64 ss, I could never figured out what happened at the factory when they picked the location of the side crome. It looks like they just stood back and threw it the car. Where ever it landed is where it will be. Any thoughts?
Almost certainly a decision by committee, that’s the one year where the design didn’t stand out. I always felt the ’64 was the least impressive design of the 61-70 Chevrolets, and they seemed to run in three year cycles, where the 64 didn’t fit.
61 – Unique, different a palate cleanser after 59-60.
62 – A more elegant revision. I liked it better.
63 – Take the 62 and try to add some Cadillac.
64 – Huh?
65 – The truly gorgeous, classic Sixties Chevrolet.
66 – Minimal changes because we had to. Not damaging.
67 – Let’s take the 66 and get sloppy in the execution.
68 – Take the 67 and get more grandiose.
69 – At this point, our attention is on the Malibu and Camaro.
70 – Take the 69 and tone it down a bit.