HOT WHEELS – “TOONED” ’64 CHEVY IMPALA – Red – 9/10

Feature car

“TOONED” ’64 CHEVY IMPALA – Red (Long Card)

If your collection of Hot Wheels “TOONED” Series is short this caricatured American Muscle Car… it has a hole in it!

This is an imaginative recreation of the well-loved all American power-house. A great example of a car recognised the world over, that will bring the new owner hours of enjoyment.

1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA

Chevrolet's 1964 Impala SS was a significant car, but it earned its place in history more for what it ushered out, rather than any breakthroughs it ushered in. When the all-new Impala was introduced in 1958, Chevrolet's biggest, most powerful engines were exclusive to its full-size cars. But 1964 brought the onslaught of big-block-powered intermediates and ponies, leading to an era when Detroit's longest automobiles emphasized luxury over quarter mile E.T.s.

On the subject of Chevrolet's biggest, most powerful engines: The 409 was poised to ride off into the sunset in 1965 to make way for the Mark IV big-block's takeover. The 1964 model year turned out to be the last hurrah of the meanest regular-production W engine: the thundering dual-four-barrel 425-hp 409.The '64 Impala was also a bookend for Chevrolet's X-frame-based chassis, a design that seemed to emphasize low-riding style over handling and safety. The division's 1965 full-size cars rode on more conventional perimeter frames.

Finally, as it was the last of the series, the '64 rolled into the model year with just some cosmetic updates as Chevrolet had been devoting its resources to the radically redesigned 1965 Impala. Today, a '64 Impala SS makes a rewarding collectible for several reasons. Prices for early-to-mid 1960s Chevrolet hardtops have remained flat on average over the last decade--for all but the most desirable versions in concours condition--so getting into one today doesn't have to break your budget. (The possible exception being 409-powered, four-speed cars and, of course, convertibles.) Well-cared for 1964 Impalas with Super Sport trim are plentiful because they've long been considered collectible, but if you're in the market for a fixer upper, the parts supply for '64s is excellent, and the fan base for these cars is enormous. While Chevrolet's full-size X-frame cars were never known for their corner-carving ability, when everything is in order, they negotiate modern traffic just fine. When upfitted with the myriad aftermarket steering, braking and suspension components available, X-frame cars can learn to move like Chevrolets half their age.

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