Some classic cars will attract more attention than others when they are listed for sale. You only need to take a quick look at this 1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible to gain an understanding of why the bidding has been quite frantic on this beauty. This is a clean and original survivor that is in exceptional condition. It wants for nothing, which is hardly surprising when you consider its history. It is now looking for a new home, so it has been listed for sale here on eBay. The Impala is located in Davidsonville, Maryland, and has attracted a total of 47 bids since it was offered for sale. This has pushed the price along to $106,100, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
The Snowcrest White Impala is a stunning looking vehicle. It has spent some time on display in a museum, and this makes its overall condition no real surprise. The panels appear to be as straight as an arrow. The paint holds a beautiful shine, and there are no apparent signs of any rust issues. The White convertible top looks to be in good condition, and the same is true of the glass. The chrome appears to be as close to flawless as you are ever likely to find, while the fender skirts accentuate the vehicle’s long and low body lines. I do not doubt that the Continental Kit is going to divide readers. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with these. It seems that people either love them or hate them. I can’t count myself as a fan, but I wouldn’t change it if I were to buy the Impala. A Continental Kit is an iconic 1950s feature and makes a real styling statement. In the past, I have admitted to having a strong affinity with any car wearing the blue oval. However, I will always admire the 1959 Impala. I think that this is a classic where Chevrolet came up trumps with the car’s styling. So, despite my leanings towards Ford products, I would gladly park a ’59 Impala in my driveway any day.
My wife and I both own relatively new cars, and while they have nice interiors, they will never feel as special as this Impala’s. Tri-tone upholstery is something that has virtually disappeared from interior styling, which is a tragedy. Today it seems that we are left to choose between gray, gray, and…gray. This interior is stunning, and it graphically displays how manufacturers of this era wanted people to feel special the moment they climbed aboard their vehicle. The sculpted dash and the splashes of chrome are quintessentially 1950s touches, but Chevrolet has managed to achieve a classy appearance. This interior is unmolested, and it is hard to criticize. The upholstered surfaces look spotlessly clean and free from wear. The tri-color seats feature new foam, while the carpet seems to be free of any significant wear, fading, or marks. The original radio remains in situ, while the Impala also features power windows. All-in-all, you would have to feel like royalty when you were riding in this classic.
Doesn’t the engine bay present beautifully? This isn’t all about looks, because the Impala is an original, numbers-matching classic. In this case, it comes equipped with 348ci Tri-Power V8, pumping out 300hp. This is backed by a Powerglide transmission, while the Impala also brings power steering to the party. One of the surprising characteristics of the ’59 Impala Convertible is its weight. This is a car that is more than 17½’ in total length but still manages to tip the scales at less than 4,000lbs. That means that in this form, it would be capable of romping through the ¼ mile in under 18 seconds. I know that this isn’t muscle car territory, but it is still respectable for a full-size convertible. After its life on display, the Convertible has been returned to a mechanically healthy and roadworthy state. The brakes have received a rebuild, including new drums. A new fuel gauge has been installed, along with a sender unit. The Powerglide was treated to a rebuild, as were the carburetors. Beyond that, it has received all of the regular servicing and fluid changes that are part and parcel of a resuscitation process. This is a classic that is said to now run and drive perfectly.
Close your eyes and picture the scene. It is a glorious and cloudless Summer day. The road is a flowing stretch of coastal bitumen, and the sun is glinting and glimmering off the Pacific Ocean. It looks like a million diamonds laid out beside you, and you are cruising along behind the wheel of this 1959 Impala Convertible. Can life get any better than that? I admit that this Impala is not going to be a cheap investment, but you can never put a price on a dream. Sometimes we just need to spoil ourselves, and that is what owning a car like this is all about.
Something you’d expect to see in a movie with The Rat Pack cruising The Strip!
No way…. Frank loved his ’55 Baby Bird, that Capitol Records bought him.
Also his ’42 Chrysler convert.,
Or his ’56 Continental Mark II.
Or his ’58 Cadillac Eldo Brougham.
Or his 62 Dual Ghia L6.4
Or his ‘ 69 Lamborghini Miura
Or his ’76 Jaguar XJS V-12
Or his ’81 Chrysler Imperial ‘FS Edition’.
Or his ’85 Chrysler Town & Country.
Nope… No Chevy in the bunch, Nevada.
Maybe coulda been if Sammy, Dean, Joey or Peter owned it or had it on loan from the Mo…I mean the casino when they went out on the town one night..
Goodfellas.
I said, no more shines. Maybe you didn’t hear about it, you’ve been away a long time. They didn’t go up there and tell you. I don’t shine shoes anymore.
You talkin’ to ME????
“it looks like a million diamonds laid out beside you.”
Nice.
At the risk of sounding like the proverbial “wet blanket”, what do you do with something like this? Park it in your garage and look at it? Trailer it to shows and bask in the attention it draws? It has now been bid to over $100K and I just think it’s a little bit nuts. So many more interesting cars out there IMHO.
Yep, you qualify as a wet blanket!
The current high bid of $106,000+ disagrees with your argument. I have a restored 66 mustang that I have between 30 and 40K in plus the purchase price. It gets driven regularly. That car would have to be driven regularly to keep the seals and gaskets soft and also to keep it from going barn sour.
I have a fully restored 66 Mustang that I have between $30K to $40K in the restoration plus another $6K to purchase the car. I drive it regularly. Like the Bowtie above it has to be driven regularly to keep the seals and gaskets soft and to keep the car from going barn sour.
You drive it daily if you want. Why would you trailer it to a show? Last year at the Aero Warrior Reunion many cars worth multiples more that this car were driven from as far as Washington state, Maine etc to Atlanta Motor Speedway, made a few laps at “prudent” speeds with other Aero Warrior Cars, then driven to Alexander City, AL. After two days of bs ing about the good old days many cars were then driven to Talladega Super Speedway to display during the race.And then driven home. Yes many cars were trailered, but what fun is that. Late at night, more than triple-digit on a two lane Alabama country road with more than one Aero Warrior as company is a memory that makes life, no matter how foolish.
Ikey, you read my mind. This is too pretty to drive. Even just on the weekends.
When you watch people, spend HUGE amounts of $$$$$$$, at Barrett~Jackson, or Mecum, do you think these people drive their vehicles when they get home? No way.These people are collectors. Must be nice…..
when the ’59s came out, I wasn’t crazy about the fins. Then the ’60 Impala came out & I loved the squared-off fins. Fast forward 61 years & this car is a beauty, rear fins & all. Love the skirts, too. It works on this style.
The bid is now almost $108,000 & worth every penny.
I have a1960 348 4spd conv I enjoy it once a week weather permitting,same condition as this 59 ,love it,owned it for over 30 years
Lucky you larry,I had both 59 impala and 60 impala,kick myself in the rear everyday for getting rid of them.matter of fact it makes me sick of all the cars I let go.
I’m not usually a fan of fender skirts or Continental kits, but somehow both work on this car for me. The lines and fins make it all come together. I can’t stop looking at this thing.
no thanks.
my dream ’59 would be a Bel Air 4 door post with 6 cylinder, stick and overdrive.
yes, I know I’m an oddball.
there isn’t anything on 4 wheels out there I’d pay $50K for, much less 100.
j.m.h.o.
Beautiful car way out of my price range but I would have to loose the continental kit!! Just makes it look like an old mans car in my opinion!! Oh wait I am old!!!
Hey! Most of the guys that look at these classics are “OLD” Ouch! But I love this just the way it sits! But dream is all I can do since is is way out of my price range!
man just looking at this makes my knee hurt. if you’ve ever gotten out of a 59 chevy you know what i’m talking about.
’58 Buicks had the ‘ol “knee knockers”. I remember them well.
i thought that center piece in the back seat was the grill for the rear speaker. at least that’s how i remember it. wouldn’t a high option car like this have a rear speaker? it looks like just a solid piece on this car.
The black area looks like a mesh grill.
Dont like those ‘buick’ ports on the rear fenders, they detract from the originality of the body. You know what they say though: There is an *ss for every seat. lol
It is a grill,I don’t know why they put black grills in the luxury models,and chrome in the hard top impala.i had a 59 impala in 69 and the speaker grill in back was chrome with chrome badge in the middle saying impala
That IS where the rear speaker goes. All Impalas have the same grille there, speaker or not. You really can’t tell from the photo whether it does or doesn’t have one. However, mentioning this as a high option car is kind of a mixed bag. The engine and the PW could’ve been added during restoration as it might’ve been built with a 283 and manual windows. There are three things missing which one would expect on a ‘high option car’: Power Brakes would’ve been a likely inclusion as well if it had PW & a tri-power 348 from the factory. Tinted Glass, or at least a tinted w/shield instead of clear glass would’ve been welcomed. Finally, a small item, but wouldn’t you think that a ‘high option’ car would’ve been equipped with 2spd wipers (not the std. single speed) and w/shield washers? Every old Chevy I’ve ever had (dozens) had the 2spd wiper/washer option. Some strange omissions on a ‘high option’ car.
This is a beautiful car from the 50’s. The only thing missing is the dual spot lamps and the fuzzy dice. I can see this cruising in America Graffiti on the main strip. Those where simple times. 🇺🇸
The first photo is so perfect, shows off the beautiful lines of this car. Clean ’59’s like this are second in my mind only to 57 Bel Airs. If I had the coin, this is the second car I would want to see in my garage, it would make me smile every time I walked out. Much more than 6 digits on a computer screen. The visual stimulus from the rear view is unmatched on any car. The only knock is the powerglide, which takes so much soul away from the driving experience and the color. White, Bleh.
There would be no reason not to drive this on nice days. Wonder where the price will land, seems like it is all the money right now.
Wow.
52 Bids US $107,877.00
Reserve still not met
Bet the reserve is set around $150,000 range!
Well I miss on this one looks like the reserve was 40,000 grand off! Still too steep for my blood!
Final price $135,600.00
I just don’t like the spare mounted outside. It is beautiful but I can’t see spending that much for it. To each his own.
WHAT?! No hula girl on the dash?
My first car when I turned 16 in ’66 was a 59 iMpala 2 door hard top, wish I had it today.
We’re all with you, Steve P., I.e.- I drove the family ‘64 Chevelle (2 dr wagon, 6 cyl., 3 on the column). I’ve been told it’d be worth a couple dollars now.
That would be a cool one to have as well!
if i had this car I would put hydraulics,true spokes,with 520’s tires.wow!! My phone turned red.just kidding would leave it just as is,just wanted to see how many people are awake.
I had heard many years ago that this option package was referred to as a Super Stock car. Am I correct and is this one of those? Not a Super Sport, I understand what that is.
the continental has to go, the PG takes $25K off the $100K over $100K demands a 4speed.
Though I prefer this type of continental kit over the type that extends the entire rear bumper out by a foot or more, I think a continental kit on this car hides one of its most distinctive features: the gull-wing decklid.
Nothing special here. Just a 59 Chevy. These things were a dime a dozen not to many years ago. That tail fin design caused lift in the rear of the car. Six figures just seems absolutely stupid to me. This car is just basic transportation with a folding top. Well now that I’ve pissed everybody off, I’ll admit it does have some charm.
God bless America
Not pissed, John. Just your personal opinion, like the rest of us.
I really like it (except for the dollars), and all of its charm. And yes, God bless America, we are going to need it.
If you are going to cross over the $100,000 threshold one would expect a frame off concourse correct restoration for not much more.
This car will end up in Southern California where it belongs…for sure.
Hope the buyer actually drives it regularly.
If it does, better make sure they don’t live at the beach.
I am jealous Larry
Farris Bueller: “It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage.”
Cameron Frye: “He never drives it. He just rubs it with a diaper.”
If I ever have the opportunity to find my ‘rescue’ and spend copious cash and time on it. I sure as heck will side with Farris and not Morris Frye.
I had a ’59 Chevy convert, all black with red interior while going to college. No cont kit. I beat the s**** out of those wheels for 3 years. When I got done, it was done, but I courted my wife in that car and it brings back fond memories. $100k, would would have thunk?
Hey Deak, join the club. There’s probably 85% of us here, who kick ourselves for letting that special ride get away.
If we only had a crystal ball.
Show me a period photo of a car like this with a continental kit. Been into finned cars since they were new. If C-kits were made for them back in the day, few were sold. This car is a classic example of a 90’s car guy over-blinging a car that really needs no help in that department. Lose the skirts while you’re at it. They hide the wonderfully sculpted 59-60 GM rear wheel wells and make the ass end look “heavy”. The pointless addition of the porthole is baffling.
59 was a pinnacle year for Chevy. Even the dumpy sedans looked sleek and flighty. Adding all that cliche American Graffiti crap us just dumb. Let the car stand on its own, without the latter-day contrived gee-gaw.
What do you do with it ? Well, after you peel off the excess and add-ons, you drive the wheels off it ! No car shows, just drive it like it was built to be driven.
Just another opinion….To each his/her own.
They aren’t as rare as you might think, Burger.
All of these sites are to prove my point.
I lived in L.A. from ’62-’83. They were popular out there.
BTW… wide WW tires were common, back then.
Check out this short video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf_AeNdbz_8
Here’s one for sale, on Barn Finds, back in Nov.
https://barnfinds.com/parked-30-years-1959-chevrolet-impala-convertible/
Here are more.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/494833077784345945/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/503981014534505794/?d=t&mt=login
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/514606694894165485/
https://car.mitula.us/detalle/370019/3400133582295781308/11/603/1959-Chevy-impala-convertible-continental-kit-for-sale?search_terms=1959+Chevy+impala+convertible+continental+kit+for+sale&page=1&pos=11&t_sec=207&t_or=68&t_pvid=1706f422-d25b-4f26-840b-ef4c13c259ba&me_pe=1&ntwrk=ba&cmpg=05_02_MT_US_RS_BA_01_03_web&req_sgmt=REVTS1RPUDtBRkM7U0VSUDs=
For those who want a scale model…
https://www.ebay.com/i/254634184580?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=254634184580&targetid=4580771607727094&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=395665090&mkgroupid=1234751768217321&rlsatarget=pla-4580771607727094&abcId=1129776&merchantid=51291&msclkid=5052af7196421713edd3f06e52138f3e
Show me a photo, taken between late 58 and 1964 of a 59 Chevy with a continental kit. ALL those links are modern pix of over-blinged cars wearing modern aftermarket kits. Continental Industries has been making them since the 80’s. The factory never built them with a kit. It was always a dealer add-on. But rarely, if ever fit on a 59 Chevy. A welcome period photos showing otherwise.
Yea burger those ports were an option they are exhaust ports if you wanted to run exhaust out the side,fenderskirts were also an option at $75.00
Also the continental kit was an option
I am in total agreement with you ,Burger ! You rarely, if ever saw a lower level car with nearly every option ticked off. If a buyer had that kind of money to spend , he would likely buy a Pontiac or Buick
Normally I would totally agree with that statement. However, I saw a triple red almost exact example 50 years ago in my Kenwood neighborhood in St Petersburg Florida. It was my down the street neighbors. All original not tarred up after the fact one older lady owner. So…
I don’t ever remember seeing the continual kit come from factory but they were an option at $375.00. And in 1959 thats alot of money could buy a whole car for that much money,thats probably why we did’nt see any come from the factory.
Since i had a ’59 Impala conv. from ’62 – ’66 I would have noticed one with a cont. kit. Never saw one back then.
Deak, factory Cont. kits have been an option since the 1942 Lincoln Continental. All of the manufacturers had them as an option. Not as an after market.
That $375 option, back then, costs between $2800-$3000 in today’s market. Again, to each his/her own.
Check out this site & scroll down to the “Gallery”, for more pics of cont. kits.
Remember, you can’t judge someone else’s taste. We all have one.
http://continentalkit.com/
insanity
I have to admit I have an affliction for the 59′ as I owned a red on red with the 348 and 3 overdrive. Very nice car that was an underpowered slug. The 4 barrel carburetor with open element air cleaner and Dads home made headers with Thrush glasspacks Woke the car up but I wanted the 409 badly. And 409’s in St.Louis at the time were just hard to find or buy as the 409’s were Legendary.
My first experience with the 59′ was Dads 59 Biscayne with a 63 409 and 4 gear that would gityup. When you are 5 years old sitting in a car with no seat belts anything loud was a Good Ride.
The convertible listed is a KOOL ride for sure. Museum car or not the Automobile is made to Drive. Saturday night and Steak-N-Shake Date Night. Their is no-one here that would not drive-cruise this car for a cool evening drive with your Honey.
As an affliction for me, well it is a good one to have in this case. I just think the 125K is a little much unless the car is an original Continental Car.
Hey R, When your 5, any ride is a good ride.
In early ’64, my first car was a black Plymouth cpe, with three on the tree. Picked it up for $200. It didn’t have a radio, so I hung my little Emerson transistor radio on the middle wiper control in the middle of the dash. When the folks picked up their ’64 Coupe DeVille, they gave me the family truckster.A white ’58 Pontiac Chieftain convertible. What a tank. Nice ride…One late night, I took the air cleaner off & took it on the Hollywood Fwy. Cranked it up to 120 MPH.
As I got off the Hollywood Bowl off ramp, I slowed down at the light. The car just died. I mean the lights turned off & the engine went to sleep. I thought OMG. She had enough…
We sat there for about 20 minutes & low & behold, she started right up. Whew..No harm no foul…Hey, I was 20 at the time.
In Sept. of ’64, I traded it in for a new ’65 GTO tri-power, Montero red. $3200 OTD. That’s the car I’m still kicking myself, for letting it get away..
Very nice Impala, I personally would loose the skirts and continental kit but would retain for future use. For a deluxe Impala the original buyer must have opted for the few dollar less expensive single speed wiper and non power brakes. Also I noticed the dash does not have the lower Impala aluminum trim, I thought all Impala Models came with that trim pkg. The really best option for this would have been the wonderbar radio. Hope the new owner takes it out and drives the wheels off of it! I surely would!
Winning bid was $135,600.00 with 6 seconds to go in the auction just after 7 pm EDT. There were 93 bids.
I had a 59 Impala just like the picture when I was in HighScool sure did love that car.