The 1959 Chevrolets competed with the hugely finned Cadillacs for the most outrageous design of the 1950s. In truth, it was a close call. Once again, Chevrolet ditched every element of the previous year’s styling to emerge with cat’s eye taillights hidden beneath canted batwing fins, whose twelve-inch scalloped sides were the deepest curve ever pressed into a car’s steel panel.
Chevrolet sold an amazing 72,765 Impala convertibles that year. While the big motor was still the 315-horsepower Tri-Power 348, the durable small-block 283 could be had in many tuning stages, from 185 horsepower with a 2-barrel carburetor to 290 horsepower when equipped with the Corvette motor and fuel injection.
This car was built in Los Angeles, CA, and joined the Lewis collection in 2005. It’s finished in Frost Blue metallic and is clearly the recipient of a restoration in the not-too-distant past. It’s fitted with the 290-horsepower, 283-ci, solid-lifter engine and Rochester Ram-Jet fuel injection, power steering and power brakes. The car has a four-speed transmission and dual exhaust. The odometer indicates 80,019 miles.
While no original documents exist to prove the car was delivered in this remarkable configuration, a fuel-injected Impala convertible must be considered the holy grail of 1959 Chevys.