I read this morning that Chevrolet will soon cease production of its last gasoline powered sedan, the Malibu. As a Malibu owner myself, I am saddened, though not surprised. Such an end for the venerable nameplate has been discussed for years, and recently, trim levels and options of Malibus that were being built have been reduced. It seems that market forces- SUVs are more fashionable these days, and automakers continue their move towards electric vehicles - have finally forced the decision. But it's been a good run of about 60 years. Malibu began as a trim level of the Chevy Chevelle in 1964, and soon began a model name in itself. Since then, the vehicle has gone through nine major design generations, with the current design being released in 2016, with a minor 2019 design refresh.
I bought my Malibu in 2020, in the midst of Covid lockdown, which presented a few logistical challenges. My 2020 Premier came with all options, a 2.0L turbo 4 cylinder engine that provides plenty of power and decent fuel economy. And the infotainment center has been a pleasure. When it works. It's fairly complex and has given occasional computer-glitch headaches. But on the whole, I have enjoyed the comfort and performance of the car which has become my daily driver after replacing my 2012 Nissan 370Z midlife-crisis-mobile. (Which I still drive on the weekends.)
My wife and I have a private code, or verbal shorthand for this situation: mint Vienetta. This refers to a favorite dessert of my father-in-law's, which was suddenly discontinued. And so, in ending production of a favored product, Chevy has produced another mint Vienetta.
When I was a kid back in the 70's my uncle owned a Chevelle Malibu for a few years. I believe it was a 1968 model. His was blue 2-door hardtop with bucket seats. The lack of a manual transmission was the only thing preventing that car from pegging the top of the coolometer. But his car did feature a console mounted horseshoe grip shifter complete with PRNDL legend underneath. Good memories.
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