'67 Chevrolet Impala Goes Supernatural

The 1967 Chevrolet Impala went the extra mile to become a supernatural car. Not that it became a shaman or something magical - the Impala is part of a paranormal television series dubbed ‘Supernatural.’

In the Supernatural show, Winchester brothers travel the highways and minor roads of North America in quest of their missing father. Along the way they stumble upon various evil spirits with which they fight.

Now in its second season, Channel 10’s Supernatural intends to show other big stars aside from brothers Dean and Sam Winchester. And that big star is the ’67 Impala - a big black American muscle car. Many viewers wondered what kind of car the Winchester brothers drive. Actually, the car owned by older brother Dean is, in fact, a four-door 1967 Chevrolet Impala.

When the car was destroyed at the end of the first season, Eric Kripke, the creator of the show Supernatural, divulged he was inundated with letters from fans wanting to know if the vehicle was going to make a return. “When I was originally writing the show I wanted to give the guys an American muscle car,” Kripke said. “My first choice was a '65 Mustang. My neighbor said it had to be a '67 Impala because you can put a body in the trunk. “He says, 'You want a car that, when people stop next to it at the lights, they lock their doors'.”

The Impala, launched in 1958 as an upmarket, sporty product line for Bel Air coupes and convertibles, features classic styling cues that include six taillights. In 1959, the car became a separate model in both two- and four-door versions.

Eventually, the car became the best-selling car in the Chevrolet lineup. Starting in 1960, the car holds the best-seller title for the next decade. To stress, from 1958 until 1966, sales of the Impala were in excess of 13 million units, more than any other full-size car in the auto history. In 1965, the car etched an all-time annual sales record of more than one million units in the United States. Up until the present time, the record of more than 13 million sales has never been surpassed.

In 1973, when energy crisis became a big headache, sales of the car declines. This event has prompted the automaker to redesign the car to meet the changing demands of the purchasers. The production of the car continues to this day. The 1967 model as featured on the show came with a choice of inline six-cylinder as well as the famous Chevy small-block and big-block V8s.

The Impala may not be featuring some renowned parts like the Chevrolet pickup overhead racks but the car makes history by itself. Ed Cole, Chevrolet's chief engineer in the late 1950s, defined the Impala as a "prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen.”

Five black Impalas are utilized in the production of the Supernatural. In the pilot episode, the Impala's huge trunk is revealed to hold a traveling armory of weapons used by the Winchesters to fight the supernatural forces. The Impala has a Sedgwick County, Kansas license plate KAZ 2Y5, a reference to Kansas, the lead stars’ home state.

The Impala has been nicknamed the Metallicar by fans of the show. The car takes its name from the speedy antelope found on the grasslands of central and southern of Africa. The two-door Super Sport version of the car is credited for the inception of the muscle car milieu. For the 2009 or 2010 model year, the Impala will be heavily redesigned. Sales are expected to begin by 2008.