Light Blue 1958 Chevrolet Impala Is Pure Eye Candy, Packs Tri-Power Muscle

Often overshadowed by its 1959 and early 1960s successors, the 1958 Impala is the car that kickstarted the legacy. Moreover, it's a true one-year gem that bears no resemblance to the models that followed (GM made massive corporate design changes for the 1959 model year). Beyond that, the 1958 Impala is a beautiful classic that aged like fine wine.

Oh, and it's also a bit scarcer than its successors. Sure, 181,469 units (including 55,989 convertibles) are a lot of cars, but that's significantly lower than the production numbers of 1959 and early 1960s Impalas. Not to mention that far fewer examples are still around in one piece. The light blue hardtop you see here is one of those rigs that were lucky enough to get a rotisserie restoration to museum-grade condition.

Finished in Cashmere Blue, this Impala is pure eye candy. Not only that, but it looks flawless from every angle. The paint is smooth and shiny, and all the chrome trim is there to add a bit of extra boldness. If you're a fan of continental kits, this two-door sports the spare wheel atop the rear bumper. I don't know about you, but continental kits are among my favorite car features from the 1950s.

The vehicle's interior is even more impressive. And that's not only because it was restored to perfection. This Impala rocks the desirable tri-tone color scheme that Chevrolet was offering at the time. This one is based around blue, so it matches the exterior.

"Tri-tone" may not be the best word to describe this cabin, though. The interior is actually made up of five different hues. The light blue seats have fabric center sections that include two different shades of blue plus white. The blue on the dashboard is more vivid, while the color on the door panels and headliner is turquoise-like. Nevertheless, it's a stunning place to spend time.

The good news continues under the hood, where this Bel Air Impala hides the most potent Chevy mill available in 1958. While most cars left the assembly line with the 235-cubic-inch (3.9-liter) inline-six and the 283-cubic-inch (4.6-liter) V8, some were equipped with the 348-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8.

Chevrolet's first-even big-block mill, the W-Series, came in two flavors. Chevrolet offered a four-barrel variant good for 250 horsepower, while the Tri-Power version, which featured a trio of two-barrel carburetors, came with 280 horsepower and 355 pound-feet (481 Nm) of torque on tap. This Chevy relies on the latter.

Not surprisingly, the engine bay is squeaky clean, and the unit itself looks factory-correct. There's no info on whether it's a numbers-matching mill, but we know it still has the original two-speed automatic gearbox and rear end.

Driven for only 10,505 miles (16,906 km) since the restoration, this one-year gem is looking for a new home. Price? A cool $149,900. That's a lot of cash for a 1958 hardtop, so I'm assuming the engine is indeed numbers-matching. For reference, hardtops in similar condition rarely exceed $130,000 at public auctions. Convertibles, on the other hand, can fetch as much as $275,000.