1968 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon (RHD)

Launched in 1958, the Impala model was Chevrolet's full-size offering and led the industry in both styling and performance, becoming America's top selling large car by the late Sixties. Sitting above the more basic Biscayne and Bel Air model lines, the Impala shared the same basic styling but offered the buyer more standard equipment. Restyled in 1967, the full-size Chevrolet's had a pronounced 'Coke bottle' shape and are still regarded as one of the best looking large American cars of the era - for 1968, the basic styling was left unchanged, with only a minor facelift at the front and rear ends. Notable features included hidden windscreen wipers and the Astro ventilation system that directed better airflow to the front and rear compartments. Chevrolet offered an extensive range of body styles, including the sedan, hardtop, fastback, custom coupe (with formal top roofline poached from the Caprice), convertible and station wagon. There were a myriad of engine and transmission combinations sold, ranging from a 250-cid six-cylinder through to the classic small-block 327-cid V8, although budding drag racers could still order the Super Sport package with the tyre-shredding 385 hp 427-cid V8. A total of 710,900 Impalas left the production line in 1968. The Impala was offered for sale in Australia through Holden dealerships and proved popular in country areas with farmers wanting a big, powerful car for long distance cruising, with the added cache of being fully imported, though few wagons have ever made it to this country.