1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible. 1958 marked the successful introduction of the Impala nameplate on a Chevrolet. It was available in sport coupe or convertible in the Bel Air series. Chevy made the Impala nameplate its new top of the line series in a completely restyled Chevy for two years in a row in 1959, thanks largely to Chevy's response to Chrysler's finned cars designed by Virgil Exner.