One of the longest-running nameplates in American-car history is being laid to rest. The Malibu tag was first applied to a top trim level of the midsize Chevelle beginning in 1964, and became a model in its own right in 1978. But the Malibu badge will soon be filed away in the Chevrolet unused model-name cabinet, alongside such classic as Impala, Monza, and Camaro.
More Malibu news, reviews, and classic ads
Use of the Malibu name lapsed after 1983, when the rear-drive coupe, sedan, and wagon were replaced in the Chevy lineup by the more modern and fuel-efficient front-wheel-drive Celebrity (1982-1990). It wasn’t until 1997 that the Bow Tie brand resurrected the Malibu model name, this time for an exclusively sedan lineup.
Over the years the Malibu gave birth to a number of interesting spin-off models, including the awkward looking Malibu Maxx wagon thing, and the Malibu-based—though not named—El Camino pickup (1978-1987).
With the passing of the Malibu, Chevy goes for the first time without a sedan in its lineup. Indeed, there are but two sedans remaining in the General Motors portfolio, the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, and just one other car, the Corvette.
This author drove two vehicles in driver’s ed, one a 1981 Malibu, the other a same-year Chevy Citation. What I remember most about the Malibu was its surprisingly well-appointed cabin, and it’s horribly gutless 229-cubic-inch V6. Flooring the pedal in order to merge with highway traffic, the Malibu’s engine shrieked with hellish, malaise-era reluctance. That said, the car rode and handled pretty well.
Over the years, available Malibu engines ranged in size from a mighty and massive 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8, to a 1.5-liter turbocharged four. The spread in engine size serves well as a metaphor for the range of body types once offered as Malibus, as well as the car’s ever evolving buyer profile.
The last of the Malibus was generally well regarded, but was primarily pushed into fleet service, so the car was rarely discussed by the automotive press. You can read Consumer Guide’s last Malibu review here. In honor of the Malibu, and my high-school relationship with one, I have written a modest farewell poem for the once ubiquitous Chevy. Love live the Malibu.
Chevrolet Malibu Standard-Equipment Showdown: 1976 vs. 2016
Malibu: Last Car Standing (a poem)
Oh Malibu, oh Malibu, our hearts are heavy,
farewell to the last sedan branded as a Chevy.
You started out bright in sixty-four,
for Chevelle shoppers, you offered more.
Luxury for the people of modest means,
Malibu meant class for only a little green.
Oh Malibu, oh Malibu, our hearts are heavy,
farewell to the last sedan branded as a Chevy.
You replaced the Chevelle in seventy-eight,
sales volume was huge, buyer response was great.
Your boxy design was modern, efficient and lean,
but your rear windows didn’t roll down, what did that mean?
Oh Malibu, oh Malibu, our hearts are heavy,
farewell to the last sedan branded as a Chevy.
You played host to the El Camino and Caballero trucks,
and the Malibu Maxx was one strange-looking yutz.
But shoppers wanted SUVs, and you went to the fleets,
and folks got used to not seeing you out on the streets.
Oh Malibu, oh Malibu, our hearts are heavy,
farewell to the last sedan branded as a Chevy.
There’s little profit in rental cars or fleet leasing,
so, you’re going away, your lineage ceasing.
The Fairfax factory where you were last made,
will soon produce EVs, black now to fade.
Oh Malibu, oh Malibu, our hearts are heavy,
farewell to the last sedan branded as a Chevy.
Listen to the Car Stuff Podcast
Chevrolet Malibu Gallery
Click below for enlarged images
