Warner Bros' Supernatural saw a 15-year run and dished out a staggering 327 episodes, following the saga of the Winchester brothers as they traverse cross-country, conquering the paranormal and engaging in a multitude of other misadventures along the way.
Throughout the vast majority of those episodes, Dean Winchester had proudly piloted his 1967 Chevrolet Impala sedan, an heirloom handed down to him from his late father that not only serves as the brothers' main method of transportation, but also acts as their cache of assorted weapons for battling the nefarious forces of evil, and on multiple occasions, has acted as a makeshift home for the duo over the course of the series.
Despite its inherent absence throughout most of the seventh season, the Winchesters' Impala as easily became one of the most memorable TV cars of all time, ranking high up along with other small-screen favorites, such as K.I.T.T. and the General Lee.
Origin Of The Supernatural '67 Chevy Impala
When the seres' creator, Eric Kripke, first conceived Supernatural, he'd originally envisioned the Winchester brothers driving a 1960s Ford Mustang as their main transportation. Kripke had wanted the car in question to become a staple element of the show itself, and was even inspired to do so from watching how Knight Rider's K.I.T.T. had itself become a popular, main character through its own series. However, after having a chat with his neighbor, a fellow enthusiast, the latter had suggested the advent of a 1967 Chevy Impala. This was mostly due to the car's naturally-intimidating appearance, as well as the excessive trunk space that would serve as a crucial plot point throughout the show's running, as the Impala's trunk would serve as a virtual armory, housing a vast array of weapons to assist the brothers in fighting the dark, paranormal forces against them.
The 1967 Impala itself, especially in this basic, sedan incarnation, is a far less mainstream classic than the Mustang in which Kripke had originally wanted. The Winchesters' version was merely a basic, family car when it was first rolled off the assembly line. As Dean states in an earlier episode, the car is believed to be packing a small-block, 327cid V8. In real life, however, the primary "hero car" used by the crew was modified with a GM 502-cid crate engine. Altogether, at least nine separate 1967 Chevy Impalas were used in filming Supernatural, including one of the original iterations which was totaled at the end of the first season. While in the show, the car was rebuilt, the actual stunt car was completely destroyed.
Further Background On The Supernatural 1967 Chevy Impala
Over the 15 years of Supernatural's running, certain fans with minimal automotive background have mistakenly believed that the car utilized in the show was some form of SS variant, which couldn't be further from the truth, as the 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS was never offered as a sedan. To the seasoned enthusiast, however, it's pretty clear that it's actually a somewhat ordinary Impala Sport Sedan and, as mentioned, Dean Winchester had once stated that the fictionalized version of this car came equipped with Chevrolet's 327-cid V8. As far as transmissions go, it's likely safe to assume that the Supernatural Impala was also equipped with the two-speed, Powerglide automatic, considering the platform of the car in question. Topping it all off, the Supernatural Chevy Impala also rolls upon Cragar 330 Series Super Sport wheels that look straight out of the early 1990s.
Although the "hero" car used during filming was fitted with a 502-cid, big-block, crate engine, other cars utilized for production also featured more conventional drivetrains. One in particular, which Jensen Ackles would later keep for himself, was outfitted with an ordinary, 283-cid small-block, although the actor reportedly had to add air-conditioning before bringing the car back to his home in Texas. Additionally, Ackles' personal car features an upgraded, Hotchkiss suspension system.
How Supernatural Popularized The 1967 Chevy Impala Sedan
Ever since Supernatural first debuted in 2005, at least nine 1967 Chevrolet Impalas were utilized for production. One of which was totaled at the end of the first season, following a massive collision with a semi-truck. An additional car was also chopped into two sections for interior shots, in order to provide better access for the various camera angles used throughout the show's multitude of driving scenes, as a strong portion of the 15-year series had surrounded the adventures of the Winchester brothers as they traversed cross-country.
Outside the studio, however, the show itself seemed to create an entirely new cult of personaltiy for the mundane, 1960s sedan. Over the last 18 years, fans of the show have been diligently seeking out their own 1967 Chevy Impalas and consequently transforming them into clones of the car featured in the series. This has actually skyrocketed the values of 1967 Chevrolet Impala sedans, as these weren't typically well sought after before Supernatural took off. As with most other American cars of this vintage, most enthusiasts tend to favor the coupe and convertible variants when available, while basic sedans like this hadn't exactly been favored, despite their cheaper cost. For the 1967 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, however, Supernatural has since caused a high demand, causing these land barges to command up to $50,000 for pristine examples, which is nearly five times the value of a comparable 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 sedan. In a way, the show itself seems to have saved many of these aging, American boats from what could've been a far worse fate, and with far less tasteful modifications.