Chevy Malibu History

The Chevy Malibu is a GM (General Motors) mid-size car produced in the United States. It was first introduced as a muscle car in the 1960s and has made a number of changes since then. The Malibu even disappeared from the GM lineup in 1983, but it made a comeback in 1997 and is still produced as of 2009. The Chevy Malibu is named after Malibu, California.

First Generation 1964 to 1967

The first Chevy Malibu was produced in 1963 and manufacturing began in 1964. It was the top-of-the-line series of the Chevelle model. The Chevy Malibu was a more enhanced version of the Chevelle that was roomy and reasonably priced. It was considered a muscle car and more than 72,000 were produced each year from 1964 to 1967 for the SS style. The Chevy Malibu was offered as a four-door sedan, two-door sport coupe hardtop, a convertible and a two-seat station wagon.

Second Generation 1968 to 1972

The Chevy Malibu SS was redesigned in 1968. The front end was stretched and the rear was shortened giving it a fastback look. Sales of this model went down to under 60,000, but increased the next year to over 86,000. Unfortunately, sales decreased again in 1970 to fewer than 54,000. The Chevy Malibu SS was offered through 1972. This generation also had the options of luxury features in the sedan and coupe versions such as upgraded seats and wood grain door and dash trim.

Third and Fourth Generation 1973 to 1983

The Chevy Malibu was redesigned again in 1973 and was offered in three models and price ranges. The Laguna was the premier model, Malibu was mid-ranged and the Chevelle Deluxe was the base. The fourth generation began in 1978 and the name Malibu replaced the Chevelle name. There were more than 358,000 Malibu's manufactured in 1978. In 1980, a unique model known as the Malibu M80 was produced in South and North Carolina. It was a rare muscle car targeted for NASCAR fans. The Malibu Classic was no longer available in 1982 and the Malibu sedan and station wagon were replaced with the Celebrity model in 1983.

Fifth Generation 1997 to 2003

The Chevy Malibu was introduced again in 1997. It was a mid-sized, front-wheel drive, extended wheelbase, GM N platform family sedan. The 1997 Chevy Malibu was named the car of the year by the magazine Motor Trend. It offered added room over a compact and more power than a 4-cylinder. Packages were available with upgraded leather trim and a sunroof by 1998. The engine was enhanced to add power and the front end was redesigned by 2000. Few other major changes were made to the Chevy Malibu through 2003

Sixth and Seventh Generation 2004 to 2009

The Chevy Malibu of 2004 was produced in a four-door sedan model (Malibu Classic) and a 5-door station wagon. Both of these were made in the Kansas City Fairfax factory. The station wagon (Malibu Maxx) is the first hatchback manufactured of this size by Chevrolet since the 1980s. This model was discontinued in 2008. Another redesign occurred to the seventh generation Chevy Malibu in 2008 to make it competitive with mid-sized Japanese vehicles. It was equipped with a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder or 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and numerous standard options.

Resources

• Chevrolet Malibu
• General Motors