Sensational Sport Sedan - 1964 Chevrolet Impala

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law, the Beatles initiated the British invasion, a presidential election was held, and General Motors continued its dominance of the U.S. auto industry. Chevrolet, its perennial bestselling brand, offered value via competitive styling, sound engineering, annual visual updates, and low prices.

To widen the Division's offerings and appeal, the unique Corvair compact car had arrived for 1960, the more conventional Chevy II compact debuted for 1962, the Corvette was redesigned and reengineered for 1963, and the new midsize Chevelle was big news for 1964. Yet the full-size Impala, Bel Air, and Biscayne remained steadfast sellers.

Still in the pre-Caprice era, the Impala and the newly promoted-to-its-own-series Impala Super Sport were the top lines. Though two-door hardtops were gaining in popularity, and there were sedans, convertibles, and station wagons within Chevrolet's full-size offerings, the four-doors still sold extremely well.

Evolutionary exterior styling changes brought revised bumpers, fenders, hood, quarter-panels, decklid, and trim that coalesced with new front and rear designs. Differing moldings and emblems, and the presence of three taillamps on each side of the rear instead of two, still distinguished the Impalas and Impala Super Sports from the lower series Bel Air and Biscayne, as did upgraded interior appointments.

Base engines included a 140-hp 230-cu.in. straight-six, or the 195-hp 283-cu.in. two-barrel V-8. Optional were the four-barrel 250-hp and 300-hp 327s, the 340-hp and 400-hp 409s, and the twin-four-barrel 425-hp 409.

The column-shifted three-speed manual transmission was standard for the 230s, 283s, and 327s. A two-speed Powerglide automatic was optional for those engines, and it could be ordered with the 340-hp 409. Only the close-ratio or wide-ratio four-speed, both floor shifted, could be mated with the 400-hp 409 and 425-hp 409. The wide-ratio unit could also be had with the 327s and 340-hp 409. An extra-cost three-speed manual with overdrive was offered for the 230 and 283.

Various rear gear ratios were available—3.08, 3.36, 3.55, 3.70, 4.11, and 4.56—but there were restrictions based on powertrain choices. Positraction was optional, but required with 4.11s and 4.56s.

Chevrolet's "Jet-smooth" ride was provided by the "X-built Safety-Girder" frame featuring unequal-length A-arm ball-joint-equipped front suspension, and a rear layout consisting of a pair of lower control arms, a single upper control arm, and a lateral control bar. A .6875-inch anti-roll bar was mounted up front, and coil springs, shocks, Safety-Master 11-inch self-adjusting drum brakes, and 7.00 x 14 tires on steel wheels were at the four corners. A ball-and-nut steering gear with relay-type linkage was employed with an arduous 5.8 turns-to-lock. Optional power steering reduced effort and turns-to-lock to 5.06.

The Impala sport sedan's lack of a B-pillar between the doors and frames around the side windows gave this hardtop a charismatic, sleeker, and more open-air appearance than its four-door sedan counterpart.

Capitol Motors in Hartford, Connecticut, had a Tuxedo Black with red interior sport sedan left over on its lot in September of 1964. It was fitted with the standard two-barrel, single-exhaust 283 and optional Powerglide transmission, power steering, AM radio, tinted windows, outside rearview mirror, undercoating, windshield washer, and whitewall tires.

Dave Romani's grandparents, William and Margaret Romani, were in the market for a new car at the time, but weren't known to purchase one on a whim. They'd bought a 1931 Hupmobile, then a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr, followed by a 1949 Mercury. Their vehicles lasted so long because they were garaged, properly cared for, and driven sparingly. The Romanis lived close to where William worked, so he often chose to walk there instead of drive.

Their Mercury was 15 years old, however, and it seemed like all their Torrington, Connecticut, neighbors were acquiring new cars. After diligent research, which also included having Dave's dad who was an accountant carefully review the deal, they decided to buy the Impala at Capitol Motors. Dave accompanied them on September 17th when they finalized the purchase.

It was the Romanis' first automatic-transmission-equipped vehicle, and William drove the Chevrolet until his passing in 1967. Margaret learned to drive it after that, but Dave says that she barely put 100 miles on the Impala before she passed away in 1969. Consequently at 18 years old, Dave inherited the 12,000-mile Impala (he also has the Hupmobile), and made his first meaningful memories with it by taking it to his senior prom that year.

In the decades since, Dave has enjoyed the sport sedan on the road, accruing an additional 51,000 miles. It has required three replacement batteries, had multiple brake jobs, received a new master cylinder and shocks, and had three sets of tires. Yet it retains its factory suspension bushings and, aside from new valve seals for the original 283 V-8, the engine, Powerglide, and 3.08-geared rear-end have required no mechanical attention beyond routine maintenance.

Though Dave's grandparents may have purchased the Impala with few extras, it didn't mean that he had to keep it that way. "I am a purist at heart," he explains, "but I wanted to add a little more performance and comfort, which I did with factory options."

The 6-way Flexomatic power seat and Comfortilt steering wheel were installed to allow for a much-improved driving position. A day/night mirror eased glare after dark, a dash pad and four-way flashers enhanced safety, a factory AM/FM radio expanded the music choices, floormats preserved the carpet, and a tissue dispenser provided convenience. A fuel door guard and front and rear bumper guards added exterior style and protection, and installing dual exhaust increased performance and economy.

Dave also preferred the look of wire wheel covers and larger-than-stock Firestone 8.25 x 14 bias-ply tires, and the improved traction and handling provided by the latter. "I saved the original 7.00 x 14 tires, and I still can't believe Chevrolet put such small tires on such a large car!" Power assist for the brakes eases pedal effort and may have been added while Dave's grandparents owned the car, since he says he didn't install the booster, and power brakes aren't listed in the original paperwork.

He related that the paint is mostly original. "It's thin, and it's been touched-up here and there. Then again, the original paint finish wasn't very good to begin with," he laments. "The fact that it's always been garaged is what has made it last this long." Dave is considering repainting it someday, but for now he's just enjoying the car as it is.

Currently, the Impala has about 63,000 miles on it. "In the summer, I use it a lot," he explains. "It's been down to the Cape, Boston, and Stowe, Vermont, and it's attended car shows as far away as Macungie, Pennsylvania, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. People are curious about it because you don't see many sport sedans or cars that are this original and still driven to events. I could hop in it and drive it to California tomorrow, and feel confident that there wouldn't be a problem."

Dave's Chevrolet also enables him to frequently experience heartfelt memories of his grandparents. "Every time I drive it, I recall the day we went to buy it," he reminisces. Given the Impala sport sedan's popularity, styling, and comfortable cruising character, likely several more of the 200,172 built for 1964 made enduring impressions on their owners.