Legendary 1973 Chevy Impala built in Doraville sits in federal warehouse
Channel 2 Action News
WASHINGTON -- After reviewing federal government budgets and property inventories, Channel 2's Scott MacFarlane discovered the government is paying to store and maintain a silver 1973 Chevrolet Impala, manufactured at the old Doraville Assembly plant in DeKalb County. The car sat in mid June at an automotive safety exhibit operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in Maryland. At the same display, sat a second eye-catching '73 Chevy Impala with deep Georgia roots.
>> See more photos of the 1973 Chevy Impala in this Channel 2 slideshow
The cars were part of a special line of 1,000 Impalas built in Doraville in 1973, which would become the first ever cars in the world to include passenger airbags. The airbag technology was state-of-the-art and was first deployed on American roads through these Impala models. But this version of the Impala failed to gain popularity with the public and stalled the spread of airbag technology, which wouldn't become widely used in automobiles until the 1990s. Byron Bloch, an auto industry expert from Maryland called the car a historic treasure, "It's a unique car. And this is the last one remaining."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took ownership of the silver '73 Impala years ago, Bloch said. Federal transportation officials said they recently began using the silver Impala as an educational display piece during safety conventions and seminars.
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Both were displayed Wednesday at a conference on auto technology in National Harbor, Md. Bloch estimated the cars' values have soared to $500,000. In one of the models, the metallic green finish is pristine. The engine is original. And, though it's a Chevrolet model, its dashboard features crossover components from Oldsmobile.
The last remaining '73 Impalas also stir memories of the proud history of Georgia auto manufacturing. The DeKalb County Doraville Assembly plant became legendary in the late century. The plant opened in the 1940s and was a hub for auto industry pioneering and manufacturing for decades. Doraville was shuttered in 2008 as part of General Motors' cost-cutting, amid the economic recession.
Bloch said Doraville was chosen to build the pioneering automobile because of its close proximity to engineering experts and technology. The plant was also in close proximity to both Chevrolet and Oldsmobile facilities, each of which contributed supplies and manpower. supplies and manpower.
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