Chevrolet Impala was already America’s best-selling car, so the GM brand tried to fuel the market performance with an upgrade we have all become very accustomed to.
Approximately 1,000 1973 Chevy Impalas left the factory with the carmaker’s first version of an airbag, officially known as the Air Cushion Restraint System or ACRS. The driver’s side airbag was integrated into the steering wheel, so Chevrolet equipped all these models with a new design that’s easy to tell apart from the rest of the lineup.
The steering wheel has a four-spoke design, compared to the significantly simpler look of the standard Impala with a single spoke. The instrument panel was tweaked, too, and the 1973 Impala fitted with the airbag system borrowed the design from the Oldsmobile 88. All models coming with ACRS were painted green and sported a 350 V8 engine.
The 1973 Impala in these pictures flexes the same paint and engine combination, but it’s not one of these historical examples. It doesn’t make it less intriguing, mainly because the car is “almost” a survivor that could easily become a collectible for a diehard Chevy fan.
eBay seller ben_pool says the car belonged to his grandmother, and it spent years in a garage away from the sun, winter, rain, and freezing temperatures. The vehicle looks great, considering its age, and the owner promises it’s still completely original. It received typical maintenance work, including a new battery, oil and filters, tires, and thorough gas tank cleaning.
Its condition inside and outside is impressive, too, and the Impala doesn’t seem to require more than minor work to become a daily driver. The owner admits some additional TLC, including a full brake overall, is required before the car can return to the road full-time.
Meanwhile, the 350 (5.7-liter) V8 under the hood – the original unit that came with the car – runs and drives. The mileage will probably take many people by surprise. The odometer indicates just 43K miles, and the owner promises they’re original, as their grandmother rarely took the vehicle out. It spent most of the time inside, and most miles were added in the first years after rolling off the assembly lines.
Chevrolet Impalas produced in the ’70s aren’t as desirable as the siblings built a decade earlier, especially because many diehard fans believe the car lost its appetite for performance. It got bulkier and no longer spearheaded Chevy’s push for innovation (though the experimental airbag system is living proof it didn’t become a second-class citizen either).
The digital fight starts at $5,000, but the owner also configured a reserve. Its value is unknown, but if you want to see the car in person to determine its condition, you must go to Laredo, Texas. The auction will end in approximately six days