1973 Chevrolet Impala Coupe

Residing on the African Savannah and confronted with a threat, the sleek, nimble, and fast Impala will take flight to outrun or confuse its competitor. Aptly named, the Chevrolet version introduced in 1958, continued to emulate its animal namesake through years of design modifications, and power options made available. In 1966, the jet age was in full swing, and automobile designers were transitioning from non functional visual embellishments, to sleek, cleaner line designs for their cars. Engineers also caught on that more power will attract more buyers, and the “race” was on!

On April 19th of 2000 Werner and Stella Achenbach of Ft. Wayne, Indiana sold their 1973 Chevrolet Impala, and at the time it had 13,348 Miles clocked on it since new, was garage kept, and obviously rarely driven. This new owner took it home, and fell ill, so did not have much opportunity to enjoy his new purchase. Upon his passing 5 years later, his daughter obtained the car, and took it to Virginia where she left it in storage. Our current consigner picked up the car from the daughter when it had 14,210 miles on it. And as they say the rest is history! Low mileage history, but none the less…history! This fine example also was awarded a Preservation Award from the AACA in 2012.

Exterior
1BL 47 on the trim tag denotes a 2 door coupe…check! 46 denotes metallic green gold…check!
Odometer reads 17,420 miles. This car my friends has its original paint! Straight steel slab panels make up this car from 1973, and gaps are nearly factory. On the lower portions of the car there are some chipping and touch ups from said chipping which do not match exactly with the original paint. A chrome rocker trim is on the bottom, and shows some scuffs, and more chipping. A minor rust spot is seen at the rear of the front wheel well. Lower interior of door panels are near perfect, with supple well intact rubber weather sealing. Original chrome trim is excellent from the headlight surrounds to the bumpers and the wheel well surrounds barely a scratch or dent. A big egg crate outward pointing V shape grille is emulated by the lower front bumper, and green front grille surround on top. A long luxurious hood fits snugly within that front and makes its way back to the windscreen which has beautifully preserved chrome surrounding it. The roof of the car is painted to match the body and shows no fading. A wide “B” pillar on back supports the roof and has a beautifully inward curved rear glass which forms to the “flying buttresses” that meet up with the rear trunk lid. The rear bumper has inset taillights, the iconic dual sets of 3 lights for every Impala since its inception. Standard Chevrolet wheel covers, never curbed, are wrapped with thin whites all around.

Interior
A51 code denotes light yellow for the interior, and door panels and seats play this out. A large bench up front with split backs in tuck and roll broadcloth and solid vinyl bolsters fronts a near perfect dash. In back a long and soft rear bench stretches across the back and affords rear passengers plenty of ample room. A tight headliner is above all this 1970's menagerie, and dark brown carpet floods the floors and is very clean. This car is equipped with air conditioning, power steering and brakes and an AM radio. A brown vinyl dash houses all the instruments and buttons and dials and is crack and fade free. A shout out to the trunk which has its original liner in gray speckle and is also lined with a small green all-weather rug.

Drivetrain
With most of its parts powder coated, including the front clip, radiator supports, transmission cross member, and small engine brackets. This 350ci V8 is topped with a 2-barrel carburetor, and has an automatic transmission on back, all numbers matching. Ceramic coated exhaust manifolds are noted at either side of the beautifully orange painted block.

Undercarriage
Nary even a hint of road dirt, this car was never driven in bad weather, and it shows. Clean rust free floorpans, rockers and unibody construction throughout. Power disc brakes are upfront and power drums for the rear, recently serviced with new pads.

Drive-Ability
It starts and drives like a low mileage car, all performing as expected, and then some. It handled the test track with ease, passing all the challenges. All controls were in working order.

It's not every day you run into a sub 20K mile car from 1973, but this one is well documented. Original paint, original trim, original interior, and a restored engine and bay, it's a true classic, runs like a new toy, and presents as a shiny penny. A great find, and great value and a rare bird in this condition…check!

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.