When the clock hit the stroke of midnight, the golden anniversary of the Chevy Impala officially began. This was my father’s car of choice throughout my youth, he was a diehard, and his prior car of choice was the Bel Air so the event rings with extra nostalgia for me.

Except for a few years of retirement, the Impala has been in continuous production for 50 years. Over those years the car became the premium package for the beloved Bel Air, developed that distinct six tail lamp rear styling, went muscle in 61 with the Impala SS, went off steroids for awhile, became the Caprice, bulked up again in 94 with the SS badge, took a three years hiatus and then returned to the scene in 2000.

The car remains a true GM success. Sales jumped nearly 18 percent in 2006, reaching nearly 290,000 units. Sales increased again this year, up more than 11 percent through November and challenging the sales figurers of key competitors such as the Honda Accord.

In honor if the iconic Impala, Chevy is recognizing the milestone with a commemorative model. The Impala 50th Anniversary Edition goes on sale in spring 2008. It is based on the popular and well-equipped Impala LT, with the following unique and standard features:

• FE3 Sport Suspension (replaces the FE1 Touring Suspension)
• Four-wheel ABS
• Eighteen-inch alloy wheels (replaces 16-inch wheels)
• Rear spoiler
• “50 th Anniversary” Impala badge on the C-pillar
• Two-tone, leather-trimmed seats and “50th” logo embroidered on the front headrests
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver seat (replaces six-way adjustability)
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with accent-color thread (includes audio controls)
• Ebony carpet
• Ebony floor mats with accent threading
• “50th” Anniversary emblem on the sill plates
• Two premium exterior colors: Black Granite Metallic or Red Jewel Tintcoat

The 50th Anniversary Impala is powered by a 3.5L E85 compatableV-6, rated at 211 horsepower and 214 lb.-ft. of torque.