For 1965, the full-size Chevrolet was given a complete makeover with a fresh coke-bottle shape, setting the theme for a few years to come.
Irv Rybicki (1921-2001) is probably best known today as the man who replaced Bill Mitchell as vice president of design at General Motors upon Mitchell’s retirement in 1977. But in the 1960s he was head of the Chevrolet styling studio, where he presided over the designs of some of the division’s more memorable cars. From there he took on more and more executive responsibilities at GM design, and when it came time for Mitchell to step down, Rybicki was the natural choice for the job.
Chevrolet’s 1965 full-size car is certainly one of the memorable ones. Its curved side glass and rear quarter panel lines that rose up and over the wheel openings created a distinctive coke-bottle shape, an effect that was especially pronounced on the popular Impala Sport Coupe. Chevrolet fully embraced the new look in its marketing campaign that year with the tag line, “the beautiful shape for ’65,” and the general theme continued through ’68.
The hardware under the new skin was also a departure for Chevrolet, as the controversial X-frame chassis introduced in 1958 was replaced by a more conventional perimeter-frame system. However, this layout worked much like the X-frame in that a good part of the vehicle’s structural rigidity was provided by the body, via reinforced rocker sills and a double-wall cowl. A carefully tuned system of 10 to 14 soft rubber bushing mounts (depending on body style) isolated the body from the road noise and powertrain vibration transmitted through the frame. This setup was a popular one for GM, employed on multiple platforms for decades.
In 1965, Chevrolet was the first automaker to produce more than three million cars and trucks in a single year, and a good part of that volume was based in its efforts to make the full-sized Chevy all things to all people. Buyers could choose from four trim levels, 15 body styles, seven engines from 140 to 425 horsepower, four transmissions, and 15 exterior colors. John DeLorean, who became general manager of the division in 1969, reckoned that Chevrolet could produce four million cars before building an exact duplicate. There was a Chevy for everyone, but it was a costly way to engineer and manufacture automobiles.
In February of 1965, Chevrolet added more variety to the mix with the introduction of the Impala Caprice and the Mark IV 396 cubic-inch V8. The Caprice was Chevy’s answer to the value-luxury Ford LTD introduced at the start of the model year, while the 396 replaced the 409 cubic-inch V8. Introducd in 1961 and based on the W-series 348 CID V8 that first appeared in 1958, the 409 V8 was a quirky design (see it here) that never fully hit its stride except in trucks. Yes, there was a 409 V8 in 1965, offered in 340 and 425 hp versions, but they’re relatively rare. Only 2,828 were built in ’65 before the Beach Boys’ favorite was shoved aside in favor of the Mark IV V8. Great engine, but we don’t recall any songs about it.
Another “home hitter”, my grandfather, like a million other buyers, bought a new ’65 Impala 4 door he traded his ’61 Bel Air in on. It was a basic car from what I remember, dark blue, 283, Powerglide, radio, but it had to have a clock, per my grandmother. Cost them a whopping $3200, it did, minus the ’61 Bel Air I doubt they gave him squat for. They never travelled much, and was a low mileage car. He bought a ’72 Nova, and someone got a nice ’65 Impala.
In a side note to the 396. Chevy was being clobbered at the race track. I’m happy MCG realizes what the 409 was, a gussied upon truck motor and Hollywood made them a lot more famous than they really were. It just happened to be the biggest V8 they had, and some did run well, but made a much better truck motor. Imagine the driver that had an inline 6, and the “new” truck had that 348. Passed them all, but in racing, Fords 406/427, and Mopars 426 wedge, spelled doom for the 409. I have seen 409s in a ’65 Chevy, but the 396/427 changed everything, and remains a leader in racing to this day.
Oh, one more thing( Columbo), one of my ex-BILs raced a ’65 Impala at the now defunct Hales Corners Speedway, Hales Corners Wis. ( now a Menards, but at least called “Speedway Menards”) and did rather well. I think a bigger car on dirt tracks just did better.
Bill Mitchell’s choice of replacement on his mandated age 65 retirement was Chuck Jordan. But upper management had had enough of the Earl-Mitchell royalty, and chose Rybicki as a more malleable VP of design Jordan was furious but had to wait nine long years before he got the corner office. Irv delivered some very successful cars, though, even with mid-70s forced downsizing.
But Rybicki will always been known to history as “malleable” and “the 14th floor’s choice” rather than a “great designer”. He had the misfortune of presiding over GM design as it started the decades long death spiral, and more than a few of his designs had a lot to do with that dive.
Memories of my father’s last company car (he left the Chevrolet dealership in the fall of 65, just as the 66’s were coming out): Impala two door hardtop, silver blue, Super Sport, 327/2-barrel, Powerglide, with a matching blue interior.
I was 14/15 when he had that car, would drive it down our rather long driveway and onto the dead-end turnaround of our street (normal practice for me since I was 12), and would sneak the car out on the street on Sunday’s when mom, dad, little sister and Aunt Ann went on their weekly Sunday drive.
My first car was a 65 SS; 283 powerglide. Had a broken motor mount which make it really fast when you went around corners. It was an Iowa car with holes in the rear quarters that you could stick your fist in and a hole in the floor board that once hid a can of beer on the pavement when I got pulled over for speeding. It was the fanciest rolling party saloon in the neighborhood!
GM recalled seven million 1965-70 Chevrolets in 1971 due to defective engine mounts, the NHTSA recall number is 71V-235…
Yup, had the experience on my 67 Impala.
I remember the recall included steel cables around the (left?) motor mount. The broken mount would cause the throttle to stick at the most inopportune times.
It started a fire once when the engine pulled the red wire to the starter across the engine and it shorted out spectacularly. Kill the motor AND the battery. I fixed it with a chain bolted to the upper A arm.
Yes sir, a sticking throttle and loss of power brake assist from pulling the vacuum hose outta the booster, possibly violating a driver’s expectations. GM’s recall was install a cable and bracket kit to limit engine movement, a cost-saving measure to avoid replacing the defective mounts…
Paul Revere & The Raiders recorded ‘SS396’ but if I remember correctly, that was about the Chevelle. I think they also did a Corvair song and finally achieved car guy recognition for the song they did for a GTO Judge commercial.
Finally, a real frame. Not a fan of the X mess they foisted on the public for years starting 1958.