Some car birthdays

Ok, this is really an excuse to show off some of my own pictures, but also to celebrate some anniversaries that two of my favorite cars are celebrating this year, the Ford Model T which began production in 1908 and the Chevrolet Impala which began in 1958. The Model T was of course a revolutionary car that changed the way America saw the automobile and our current love of cars could pretty much be focused back to this point. The Impala was a revolution in style for Chevrolet. The Impala is still around today even after many evolutions and changes, its still a car with a lot of style and the top of Chevrolet's offerings.

I don't actually have any pictures that are definitively the first year for the Model T. The model lasted from 1908 to 1927 when Ford thought it good to start over with models and bring back the Model A designation. But here is some Model Ts that were made in that 19 year period.


A Model T police car from Burlingame, California.


1915 Speedster Model T.


Stock Model Ts are rare to come by because of their age and popularity of creating T-Bucket hot rods.


The Model T came in a variety of body styles, coupes, roadsters, wagons, trucks convertibles and this, a 1912 touring car, which were larger than the other models, the limos of their day as it were.

The Impala was introduced as Chevrolets top of the line model in 1958, displacing the Bel Air which had held that position since the mid-50s. It held this position until the '60s when it was displaced itself by the Caprice. The Impala always carried once unique style feature throughout all it's model, the pair of triple tail lights in the rear, making it instantly recognizable.

The most famous appearance of the 1958 Impala was in Geroge Lucas' American Graffiti where a white '58 was owned by Ron Howard's character Steve, but driven throughout most of the movie by Charles Martin Smith's character, Toad.


This was the actual Impala used in the movie, showing its age slightly, but still in beautiful condition.


The '58 model came in both 2 door and 4 door varieties. A 2-door coupe, 2-door hardtop, 2-door convertible, 4-door hardtop, and 4-door sedan. The 2-door models are the most common. Convertibles of any car are usually the most rare, however I have yet to see any 4-door '58s, but have seen one convertible.


The key visual point of the Impala, as mentioned, is the 3 tail lights in the rear. Also in this picture is the development of Chevy's sideways fins in contrast to the vertical fins of the era (such as those found on the Cadillacs). This would go on to be taken to the extreme in '59 and '60.


1958 was also the debut of the dual headlights for GM. All 1958 GM models carried a similar grille to this, with the dual head lights on top and squarish grille below. The Buick models had the most spectacular, with the entire thing being covered in individual chrome squares.

So there is two cars that celebrate some big anniversaries this year, the 100th of the Ford Model T and the 50th of the Chevrolet Impala. Two classics and two of my favorites.