Honestly, as much as this still hurts, we should have been fully prepared for the news. As of February 27, 2020, Chevrolet‘s family-sized sedan, the Impala, is no more. After much taunting and a lot of rumors over the years, the last one has rolled off of the line. A gorgeous, bright red Impala is one of the last to leave the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant. Subsequently causing close to 130 employees to retire from the plant as well.
The Chevy Impala is one of the most iconic nameplates in America. Born in 1958, it has seen ten generations of change and two hiatuses of production. The first hiatus was in from 1985 to 1994 and then again from 1996 to 2000. Upon the first generation of production, the Impala was the go-to family-sized sedan. By 1965, the Impala was Chevy’s best-selling vehicle and was crushing its competition.
First introduced in 1958 as the Bel Air, which was available in a hardtop or convertible option, this car was lower, wider, and a tad bit longer than the normal GM models rolling out at the time. It was the ideal family sedan. Over the years, the look of this impressive vehicle changed numerous times. From the long, sleek iconic fins to the front-wheel-drive police packages released in the early 2000s. Impala was always a name that was on everyone’s mind.
Why cancel the production of one of the best selling, iconic cars on the market?
Simply, the market has changed. People aren’t buying four-door family sedans anymore. As the market shifts to SUVs and Crossovers, GM has seen a vast decline in sedan sales with a hit as big as around 19-percent for most of 2019. GM is also making the shift to producing more electric cars. We can only assume a car that shares its name with a swift, African antelope wouldn’t translate well as an electric vehicle.
After this last batch of Impalas leaves the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, it will close its doors for a little less than a year as they prep for the future. The plant will be making the shift to prepare for the production of more electric cars, including the Hummer EV pickup. While the closing of the plant may be temporary, a lot of employees are moving to retirement. Not all will retire though. Some friendly faces will be back upon the reopening of the plant as they gear for the new adventure of electric vehicles.
Is this really the end?
This truly is the end of the era. The Impala may have fallen from the public’s favor over the last few decades, but the early years of the Impala were good ones. Today, as I thought about how I wanted to write this article, I loaded up my family into our ’59 Bel Air and cruised around town. One last nod to the historical American family car — the Impala.