Chevrolet kicks off the 1964 model year focusing on Route 66

(October 16, 2014) — The iconic Route 66 was made famous in the early 1960s by the hit television show "Route 66" in which two young men traveled across America — some of the time, we presume, on Route 66 — in a Chevrolet Corvette.

There were 116 episodes from October 1960 through March 1964 and Chevrolet capitalized on the show's success with numerous Route 66 television ads.

One such commercial featured the 1964 Chevrolet Impala, but the only reference to Route 66 was in the title. The 73-second commercial focused on the interior features of the new Impala sport coupe.

The full-sized Impala sedan was introduced in 1958 and by 1965 the top-of-the-line Impala had become the best-selling car in the U.S. competing against such makes as the Ford Galaxie 500 and Plymouth Fury. In 1964 the Impala could be purchased with the 409-cubic-inch 6.7-liter V-8 making 425 horsepower.