1978 Chevrolet Malibu Information and History

1978 Chevrolet Malibu pictures and wallpaper

Named for Malibu, California, the Malibu name has had a distinct history that began in 1963 and continued for nearly 20 years. Following a thirteen-year break, the Chevy Malibu name once again appeared in 1996, and again in 2003 as the latest generation was presented.

The name Malibu was originally utilized as the description for Chevrolet's top series models in the Chevelle line in 1964. This line continued all the way up to the 1983 model year. A mid-sized vehicle, the Malibu is produced in the United States by General Motors. Attempting to stay smaller than the full-size Impala model, the Malibu is marketed in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Israel.

1964 was the original production year of the Chevelle Malibu. Production continued until 1972 and the Malibu was restyled for the 73 model year. The lineup included the base Chevelle Deluxe, mid-range Malibu and the top-line Laguna. The Deluxe was dropped in 1974 and the Malibu took the place as the entry-level Chevelle. The Malibu classic also replaced the Laguna trim package. Continuing until 197, the SS was introduced and replaced the Laguna S-3 model.

Except the Monte Carlo coupe, the Malibu name replaced the Chevelle name on all mid-sized Chevrolets for the 1978 model year. As this was the down-sized version in comparison to previous mid-sized Chevrolets, only two trim levels were available, Malibu and Malibu Classic. A total of three body-styles were introduced, the station wagon, coupe and sedan. In 1981, the two-door coupe, which was mnemonic of the 1964 Chevelle hardtop was last produced. Today this coupe has been a highly sought after collector item for drag racers.

Filling the void for mid-sized police vehicles, once the Chevrolet Nova ended production, the 9C1 police option was transferred to the 4-door Malibu line. A special order of Malibu sedans was also produced in 1981 by GM Canada, though this was eventually rejected due to quality concerns. These Malibu's were considered undesirable with the combination of the smallest V6 engine and a 3-speed manual transmission and the 'Iraqui Taxi's' were auctioned off to the public at an extremely reduced rate.

The final year that a Malibu Classic was marketed, the 82 Malibu shared GM's re-designated rear-wheel drive G platform with the Pontiac Grand Prix and the Oldsmobile Cutlass. Before being replaced by the front-wheel drive Chevrolet Celebrity, 4-door sedan Malibu's were produced until 1983. The El Camino continued to be produced in 1987 though the sedan and wagon were soon phased out.

For 1997, the Malibu was named Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year. In the same year and an all new front-wheel drive Malibu built on an extended wheelbase version of the GM N platform was introduced. The Malibu shared the N platform the with Pontiac Grand Am, Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Alero and Achieva and was produced at the Oklahoma City Assembly plant and the Wilmington Assembly plant. Production was eventually moved to Lansing, Michigan.

Before the Oldsmobile Alero, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was a clone of the Malibu as a stopgap vehicle and replaced the Chevy Corsica. Falling between the Cavalier and the Lumina in the Chevrolet lineup, the Malibu has taken the place of the now discontinued Corsica. A high level of standard equipment is found in the Malibu, and due to the competitive nature of midsize sedan market, the price is highly aggressive.

An all-new, front-wheel-drive midsize sedan was introduced in 1997 for the model year.
Emphasized body edges are showcased in the present series, which is a mid-sized, 5-seat sedan that is constructed on the Epsilon chassis designed in Germany also used in the Opel Vectra and Saab 9-3.

Malibu's were designed with a front grille with the Malibu logo in silver in the center from 97 to 99. The blue Chevrolet emblem on the front grille was placed on the 2000 to 2003 models. In 2000, the 3.1 L V6 was updated with 170 hp while the 4-cylinder was dropped. The 4-cylinder was reintroduced in 2004, while the N-body Malibu/Chevrolet Classic continued in production until 05.

In 2008, the Malibu is scheduled to be redesigned and built on the long-wheelbase Epsilon platform before being released to the public.

Elizabeth Johnson

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