Taillamps in the bumper
Three horseshoe-shaped taillamps sit in the rear bumper on each side.34
Class of '68 · Chevrolet Impala · 1968 body · fourth generation
1968Chevrolet Impala
Horseshoe taillamps in the bumper, hidden wipers, side marker lamps, the new Custom Coupe, and the Super Sport reduced to an option.
The year in brief
The 1968 got a new front, and the rear bumper held three horseshoe-shaped taillamps on each side. The hood was reshaped to cover the windshield wipers, and side marker lamps were standard.34
The formal-roof Custom Coupe, a Caprice exclusive until then, was now also an Impala.23
A 307 replaced the 283 as the base V8, and a 250-hp 327 (L73) was new.24
The story of the year
The Super Sport becomes an option
No longer a series, the Super Sport was a $179 option (Z03) for the two coupes and the convertible; Wikipedia counts 38,210 cars with it.3one source
The SS427 package (Z24) was still an option, by GM's 1968 option list (Z03 and Z24) and Over-Drive, which says it was retired only «as a stand alone model»; Wikipedia counts 1,778 and says that in 1968 only it could be ordered without the Z03 trim.234
How to spot a 1968
What tells it apart from a 1967.
Hidden wipers
The hood's rear edge covers the windshield wipers.4one source
Side marker lamps
Side marker lamps are standard on the fenders.4one source
Custom Coupe
A formal-roof two-door hardtop joins the Impala line.3one source
Production13
About 711,000 cars, by group of models; ≈ marks our arithmetic on rounded totals.
Every trim line
| Body | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
| All bodies, six | Impala | ≈11,500 |
| Group total | ≈11,500 | |
| All bodies, V8 | Impala | ≈699,500 |
| Group total | ≈699,500 | |
| Total | ≈711,000 | |
Over-Drive's sheet: rounded totals by engine, without the wagons and the Caprice. The Super Sport was an option (Z03) this year, so its cars are in these lines; Wikipedia counts 38,210 of them. Over-Drive's 1968 sheet lists the 1967 model numbers and no Custom Coupe, so it does not say whether these lines include it. The total is our sum of the two lines (about 711,000).
Engines234
6 engines. Chevrolet's regular production option number from GM's own lists: numbers in 1961–62, letter codes from 1963; «Std.» is a standard engine. The VIN shows only six or V8.
Gross ratings and option codes from GM's 1968 engine table. Wikipedia and Over-Drive add a 425-hp 427 (L72), which GM's table does not list.
Price when new12
Base retail prices in 1968 dollars, before options.
GM's 1968 kit has no US price list, and Over-Drive's 1968 sheet repeats its 1967 prices and weights row for row, so we show no 1968 prices.
Colors24
15 factory colors. The color names come from one source4one source; the swatches are approximate screen colors, not paint matches.
Tuxedo BlackAA
Ermine WhiteCC
Grotto BlueDD
Fathom BlueEE
Island TealFF
Ash GoldGG
Grecian GreenHH
Tripoli TurquoiseKK
Teal BlueLL
Cordovan MaroonNN
Seafrost GreenPP
Matador RedRR
Palomino IvoryTT
Sequoia GreenVV
Butternut YellowYY
The codes are GM's Impala color page, which gives a plain color word for each; the sales names are Over-Drive's list for all 1968 full-size Chevrolets (A for AA). Over-Drive also lists Silverstone Silver (Z), which GM's Impala page does not have. No source we have gives the number of cars per color.
Reading the VIN2one source
A 1968 VIN has 13 characters. Type one in, and the decoder reads it against the code tables on this page.
164878F1000262one source · An example built from GM's code tables, not a real car's VIN: a 1968 Impala V8 sport coupe, after GM's own example of a Biscayne (154698F100026).
The code table
| Position | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet |
| 63 · 64 | Series: 63 Impala, six; 64 Impala, V8 |
| 35 · 39 · 45 · 47 · 67 · 69 · 87 | Body: 35 4-door station wagon, 2 seats; 39 4-door sport sedan (hardtop); 45 4-door station wagon, 3 seats; 47 2-door custom coupe (hardtop); 67 2-door convertible; 69 4-door sedan; 87 2-door sport coupe (hardtop) |
| 8 | Model year (1968) |
| C · D · F · J · L · R · S · T · U · Y · 2 | Assembly plant (GM's list for all Chevrolet passenger cars, «only basic designations shown») |
| 100001 → | Unit number, counted at each plant for all series together |
Where to find it: Stamped on a plate attached to the top left of the instrument panel.2one source
Questions about the 1968
How many 1968 Chevrolet Impalas were made?
About 711,000, by a total rounded to the nearest 100. The production table on this page shows which rows are exact and which are our arithmetic on the rounded total.13
How can you tell a 1968 Impala from a 1967?
Four signs, each explained under «How to spot» on this page: taillamps in the bumper; hidden wipers; side marker lamps; custom Coupe.34
What engines did the 1968 Chevrolet Impala have?
Six engines, from the 250 cu in six to the 427 cu in V8. The engine table on this page gives every code and rating, and the rulings cover the disputed ones.234
How much did a 1968 Chevrolet Impala cost new?
Base retail prices, before options: All models not in our sources.12
What colors did the 1968 Chevrolet Impala come in?
General Motors (GM Heritage Archive) lists 15 factory colors.24
Where is the VIN on a 1968 Chevrolet Impala?
Stamped on a plate attached to the top left of the instrument panel.2one source
Where the sources disagree
Every conflict we found for 1968, and how we settled it. All rulings.
Settled
The 1968 SS427
Our ruling: An option, not a disagreement. GM's 1968 option list prints Z03 and Z24, and Over-Drive's «retired» applies to the SS427 as a model of its own: the same sheet says it could still be ordered as Z24. The count of 1,778 is Wikipedia's alone.
What each source says (3)
- 1,778 cars had the Z24 (SS427) package; in 1968 only it could be ordered without the Z03 Super Sport package3one source
- The SS427 was «quietly retired as a stand alone model, but could still be ordered via option code Z24»4one source
- Option list with Z03 (Impala Super Sport) and Z24 (Super Sport 427)2one source
Sources
- 1968 Chevrolet Full Size Car Production Figures Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-12
- 1968 Chevrolet Passenger Car – Vehicle Information Kit General Motors (GM Heritage Archive) · read 2026-10-12
- Chevrolet Impala (fourth generation) Wikipedia · read 2026-10-12
- 1968 Chevrolet Full Size Cars Fact Sheet Over-Drive Magazine · read 2026-10-12
Keep going
Three more years.
1966Chevrolet ImpalaA facelift with rectangular taillamps, the Caprice now its own series, and two new 427s, at 390 and 425 hp.About 775,100 built (disputed)1967Chevrolet ImpalaThe coke-bottle restyle: bulging fenders, a fastback sport coupe, the 385-hp 427, and the car from Supernatural.About 651,700 built
1969Chevrolet ImpalaCrisper lines, a bumper wrapped around the grille, no vent windows, the key on the column, Kingswood wagons, and the last SS427.About 776,700 builtSee the whole fourth generation.
Dimensions, production year by year and every ruling, 1965–1970.