1959-61 Chevrolet Impala Two-Door Hardtop

by Marit Anne Peterson

The ’59, Harley Earl’s last design.

The 1959 Chevrolet was designer Harley Earl’s final, dramatic statement before his retirement. While “all new all over again” was GM’s apt description of its entire 1959 model series, it was the full-size Chevrolet that sparked the most controversy both within the industry and from observers. With its signature cat’s-eye taillights, it was called “the wild one” by admirers, and “the Martian ground chariot” by detractors. The only slightly less wild Chevys of the following two years represent a continuation of the automaker’s experimentation. The 1959 Impala (and the ’60 and ’61 models that followed) had narrow C-pillars and plentiful glass, which led these cars to be nicknamed “bubbletops.” The long sweeping lines were the final iteration of a decade of flamboyant GM styling, all of which came to an end with the squared-off look introduced in 1963. While the Impala was the top-of-the-line Chevy, and hence available with many convenience options including...