1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible

Do you remember Chinnappa Devar's hindi movie "Haathi Mere Saathi"? The heroine, Tanuja drives an opulent red convertible which runs out of gas (strategically for the storyline) and is towed by an Elephant ridden by the hero Rajesh Khanna? That car was a 1958 Chevrolet Impala in all its glory.

Named after the sleek African slender-horned antelope, Impala was a concept car at the 1956 GM Motorama auto show. Public demand at the Motorama, forced the concept car to implementation as the top-of-the-line Chevrolet in 1958.

Designed by GM designer: Carl Renner, the '58 Impala was classy looking. It sported crossed flag emblems like a Corvette, "Impala" logos, and a sporty six-tail lamp arrangement: design details that would be an Impala signature well into the sixties. It was available only as a two-door sport coupe or two-door convertible.

This sporty Chevrolet married the performance attitude of the Corvette with the luxurious flavor of the Cadillac. Its style and performance got Chevrolet 30% of the American car market in 1958.

The car had coil springs at all four corners, which gave it a silky soft smooth ride quality. The car could even be had with optional air springs. The standard engine was a straight six. However Impalas also came with a 283-V8 (4638 cc) which developed 185 bhp and a 348-V8 (5703 cc) which developed 225 bhp. These engines were mated to a Powerglide automatic transmission. The Impala had power steering, power brakes, power windows, push button radio, rear antenna and tissue dispenser.