Featured is a beautifully restored 1963 Chevrolet Impala Wagon. Back in the middle of the twentieth century, wagons or as they were called “station wagons” were popular suburban family transport vehicles. This was of course prior to the era of sport utility vehicles, which covered a too wide range of vehicles, and of course the minivan. The wagon essentially was for any person needing extra room for passengers and utility.
The Popular Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile produced by Chevrolet for model years 1958 to 1985, 1994 to 1996, and 2000 to the present.
The Impala was designed as a higher end model for its Bel Air line of hardtops and convertibles. The final design of the Impala was much longer, wider and lower than the original concept sketches. This ghave the Impala a distinctive look and offered a roomier interior and trunk area.
The 1963 Chevy Impala Styling
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala was a part of the third generation. The 1961 model was the last where classic tail fin design was still in style. After that, the Impala gradually moved toward a more subtle, rounded look with each model year.
The 1963 line of Impalas featured all new sheet metal, with more obvious updates to the front end and rear tail light area. The 1963 model had pointed front and rear edges, an aluminum striped rear, and a sunken instrument panel. The new instrument panel came with a few warning lights in place of a few gauges.
The 1963 Chevrolet Impala offered all new “Jet Smooth” styling. Grilles, bumpers, hoods, sculptured side panels, and rear deck contours were new but the Impala stayed basically the same. The front and rear fenders had a “V” shape. The Impala was the top of the line full sized model offering from Chevrolet and had the most standard features and could be optioned with most anything. In 1963 Chevy Impala wagons received triple-unit taillights for the first time.
1963 Impala Wagons were configured as six and nine passenger models. The nine passenger wagons had a third row of seats.
1963 Chevrolet Impala Wagon Specifications
Available engines included a 230 cubic inch straight six, a 283 cubic inch V-8, 327 cubic inch V-8,, and a 409 cubic inch V-8. Various configurations offered horsepower from 140 to 340. This featured model is equipped with the 409 cubic inch V-8 rated at 340 HP.
Available transmissions for the Impala Wagon included a three and four speed manual plus a two speed Powerglide automatic.
Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drums.
Dimensions for the 1963 Impala Wagon included an wheelbase of 119.0 inches, outside overall length of 210.4 inches, width 79.5 inches and height 55.5 inches. Weight averaged 3,800 lbs.
Total Chevrolet production numbers for 1963 was a bit over 2.2 million units. Impala production for the 1963 model year was about 832,600 vehicles. Total Chevy station wagon production was 198,540.
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Reference material for this article included…Chevrolet: The Complete History by the editors of Consumer Guide…100 Years of Chevrolet by Ralph Kramer and Jerry Burton…The Complete History of the Chevrolet Impala by Tony Markovich…General Motors Archives.
1963 Chevy Impala Wagon Collector Vehicles
Currently, station wagons from the 1950’s and 1960’s appear to have a lot of collector interest. Asking prices, auction prices, etc as with any classic vehicle follows that the rarer the car, the more expensive it might be. Condition, restoration degree and age, mileage, originality all are part of the value equation. Another part of the equation is a rare station wagon with a hot V-8 engine such as the one featured here.
Recent auction sales for the rare 1963 Chevrolet Impala Wagons in excellent condition with low mileage have sold in the $45,000 to $60,000 range.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)