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1959 Chevrolet Impala

Top 1959 trim line and, for the first time, its own VIN series (symbol E/F) rather than a Bel Air sub-series as in 1958. 501,166 units (Flory estimate).

Confidence 95%

F59S144460

Engine

St. Louis, MO

Plant

Post-War Era

Era

No factory image on file

1959 Chevrolet Impala

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VIN Breakdown

Position	Value	Decoded
Series symbol	F	F
Model Code	1800	Impala
Engine class	V8	V8
Model year code	59	59
Plant Code	S	St. Louis, MO
Plant name	St. Louis, MO	St. Louis, MO
Production Number	144460	144460

Basic Information

MakeChevrolet

ModelImpala

Year1959

ManufacturerGeneral Motors Corporation

EraPost-War Era

Body Styles Offered

4-Door Sedan (Style 1719/1819, 6-passenger)
2-Door Hardtop Sport Coupe (Style 1737/1837, 6-passenger)
4-Door Hardtop Sport Sedan (Style 1739/1839, 6-passenger)
2-Door Convertible (Style 1767/1867, 5-passenger)
Nomad 4-Door Station Wagon (Style 1735/1835, 6-passenger -- moves up from the Bel Air tier it held in 1958)

This VIN does not encode which specific body style the car is.

Factory Colors Offered

Solid Colors (13)

Tuxedo Black

Code 900A

Aspen Green Metallic

Code 903A

Highland Green Metallic

Code 905A

Frost Blue Metallic

Code 910A

Harbor Blue Metallic

Code 912A

Crown Sapphire Metallic

Code 914A

Gothic Gold Metallic

Code 920A

Roman Red

Code 923A

Classic Cream

Code 925A

Snowcrest White

Code 936A

Satin Beige

Code 938A

Grecian Gray Metallic

Code 940A

Show all 23 colors (12 shown)

Cameo Coral Metallic

Code 942A

Two-tone Combinations (10)

Snowcrest White over Tuxedo Black Code 950B/C/D/E
Snowcrest White over Highland Green Metallic Code 953B/C/D/E
Frost Blue Metallic over Harbor Blue Metallic Code 962B/C/D/E
Snowcrest White over Crown Sapphire Metallic Code 963B/C/D/E
Satin Beige over Gothic Gold Metallic Code 970B/C/D/E
Snowcrest White over Roman Red Code 973B/C/D/E
Harbor Blue Metallic over Frost Blue Metallic Code 987B/C/D/E
Snowcrest White over Grecian Gray Metallic Code 988B/C/D/E
Satin Beige over Cameo Coral Metallic Code 989B/C/D/E
Aspen Green Metallic over Classic Cream Code 990B/C/D/E

These are the factory colors offered this model year; the VIN does not encode which color this specific car was painted.

Letter codes indicate the following: A—Single tone paint scheme. B—Biscayne series two-tone combination. C—Bel Air series two-tone combination. D—Impala series two-tone combination. E—Impala Convertible paint scheme.

Source: Flory, American Cars 1946-1959, p. 951

Swatches are approximate, estimated from the color name, not factory paint samples.

Engine & Details

EngineV8

Assembly PlantSt. Louis, MO

Plant CodeS

Pattern SourceChevrolet classic

Vehicle History

Classic VIN Info

VIN Length10 characters

FormatPre-1981

Decoded byChevrolet classic

Note: Classic VINs (pre-1981) used manufacturer-specific formats and may contain 5-13 characters.

1959 Chevrolet Notes

Model year production 1,480,036 (up 20.70% from 1958); 26.46% domestic market share, 1st place. Introduction date October 1958. Average base price $2,648 (+6.21%).
Six-cylinder engine: 235.5 cu in Blue-Flame (unchanged); base V8: 283 cu in Turbo-Thrust (unchanged from 1958); NEW optional 348 cu in "W-series" V8 available across all series -- the optional 348 does NOT get its own VIN letter, the same A-F letters cover both the base 283 and optional 348 V8s (per Flory p.950's spec table, which lists both displacements under the same series-identity symbols).
Body-shell dimensions grew from 1958 (wheelbase 117.5in -> 119.0in, width 77.7in -> 79.9in) -- 1959's "cat's eye" taillight restyle rode on an all-new, wider full-size GM B-body shared with the other GM divisions that year, distinct from 1958's shell.