The Impala

The Impala
Seasons	All Seasons
Created by	Chevrolet
Use	Transportation Storage Home
Powers	None
Location / Status	In Winchesters possession

“	On April 21st, 1967, the Hundred millionth GM vehicle rolled off the line at the plant in Janesville. Three days later, another car rolled off that same line. No one gave two craps about her, but they should've. Because this 1967 Chevrolet Impala would turn out to be the most important car... no, the most important object in pretty much the whole universe.	”
	— Chuck Shurley in Swan Song

The Impala is Dean's trademark black 1967 Chevrolet Impala. It was passed down to him by his father, who bought it in 1973 after a future Dean convinces him to buy it over a 1964 VW Van in the episode In The Beginning. According to Dean, the car has 327 Engine and a Four Barrel Carburetor. It bears a Sedgwick County, Kansas license (though their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas is actually in Douglas County) plate KAZ 2Y5, a reference to Kansas, the Winchesters' home state, and 2005, the year the show premiered. Starting in What Is And What Should Never Be, the car sports a new Ohio license plate (CNK 80Q3).

The trunk holds a mass of weapons that are modified and crafted to aid The Winchesters in their hunting activities. Dean refers to the Impala affectionately as "Baby."

Her Life So Far...

The first appearance of the Impala.

The car has been prominently featured on the series, beginning with the teaser of the pilot which shows John Winchester holding his two sons as he sits on the car and watches his house burn. The trunk is revealed to hold various weaponry to fight the supernatural. The car is Dean's most prized possession, and he protects it with nearly the same ferocity with which he protects his family.

In the pilot, a ghost possesses the Impala and tries to run Sam and Dean over. Later, as Sam is driving the Impala, the ghost takes control of the car again to make him drive her home. Sam drives the Impala through the front wall of her home and comes to a stop in the living room, where she is confronted by the ghosts of her drowned children and destroyed.

The impala nearly totaled.

In the season 1 finale, Devil's Trap, a truck driven by a possessed trucker smashes into the Impala causing serious damage to her and her occupants. Sam and Bobby later have the Impala towed back to Bobby's where Sam refuses to scrap it, despite Bobby insisting it can't be salvaged. Dean later restored the Impala himself shortly before attacking the car's rear with a crowbar due to the pressure from his dying father's secret about Sam. (Everybody Loves a Clown)

Dean convincing his father to buy the Impala in 1973.

Sam inherits the car following Dean's death in the third season finale. The car is later returned to Dean in Season 4, who isn't impressed that Sam added an iPod jack to the car. He removes it and the jack is never seen again. (Lazarus Rising) It was shortly after Dean returned from Hell, when he time traveled back to 1973 and convinced a young John Winchester to buy the Impala. Later when John proposes to Mary he does so in the front seat. (In The Beginning)

In order to destroy a ghost in Yellow Fever, Sam and Bobby attach an iron chain to the Impala and wrap it around the ghost's neck. Once the chain is wrapped around his neck, Bobby drives down a road, dragging the ghost behind the Impala and road hauled him until his spirit was destroyed. The car had some minor damages here and there throughout various episodes and has even had angels and demons (once at the same time) in the back seat. (Heaven and Hell)

The Impala as Knight Rider.

In Season 5, while trapping Sam and Dean in realities based on various TV shows, Gabriel transforms Sam into the Impala (a knockoff from the TV series Knight Rider). It's while driving this that Dean and Sam finally realize that Gabriel is actually an angel and not a Trickster. (Changing Channels) In Swan Song, the history of the Impala is recounted by Chuck Shurley. It's the Impala and all of its memories that helps Sam push Lucifer back and jump into the Cage.

Dean pulls the tarp from the Impala.

A year after Dean has stopped hunting in Season 6, the Impala is under a tarp in the garage, albeit still with a trunk full of weapons. When Dean returns to hunting, he brings the Impala out of retirement and removes the tarp, near the end of Two and a Half Men.

Dean running from the possessed Impala.

The Impala becomes possessed by a ghost once again in Mannequin 3: The Reckoning with Dean managing to maneuver it into a wall. At the end of the episode Dean is repairing the damage at Bobby's Salvage Yard.

In an alternate timeline where the Titanic never sank, Chevy Impalas do not exist. Instead, Dean drives a '67 Ford Mustang. When the Titanic is "re-sunk," and Sam and Dean reappear in their own reality, they wake up in the Impala.

The impala wrecked by demons.

The Impala is further damaged when Crowley and his demons attack Castiel. While Dean and Bobby take refuge in the car, it's flipped onto its roof and has all its windows blown out by the demon onslaught. (The Man Who Knew Too Much) The Impala doesn't stay damaged for long. Soon after Castiel leaves them in Meet the New Boss, Dean goes to fix the Impala due to it being the only thing he can do. With the help of Sam and Bobby, the Impala is fully repaired.

Due to the Leviathans cloning them and driving an identical Impala, they had to hide the Impala in order not to be detected. Dean has driven several cars in place of the Impala, many of which he has shown discontent.

The Impala's come back.

In Survival of the Fittest, Dean asks Castiel for a favor as he will not fight. He asks him to take him to his beloved Impala where they discuss the situation and Castiel finally agrees to help kill Dick Roman. When asked what the plan is, he tells Castiel that as Dick knows they're coming, they're going to announce themselves "big." The next morning, the Impala crashes through SucroCorp's front gate and ends up in its giant glass sign, having apparently been used to reach the building by the group. However, when the guards come out, Meg is revealed to be the driver, Dean having used the Impala's arrival as a distraction so he, Sam and Castiel can sneak in. The distraction works, but the Impala is slightly damaged in her crash and the driver's side window is shot out by the Leviathan guards. After Meg dispatches them, she leaves, abandoning the Impala in the sign. It's later recovered by Sam after Dick is killed and Dean and Castiel disappear.

..and it's quickly wrecked once again.

After Dean's return from Purgatory, he found that the Impala had been fully repaired after Sam told him about the previous year, though no new modifications were done to it, which made Dean happy, considering that the last time Dean went away for a year, Sam had made several modern additions to the car. When Dean smells dog in the car, Sam claims not to know what he's talking about but later admits he hit a dog with the Impala which caused him to meet Amelia Richardson. Afterwards, he took the dog around in the car, annoying Dean as he doesn't like dogs and doesn't want them in his precious car (We Need To Talk About Kevin). As the Leviathans are gone, Sam and Dean return to using the Impala instead of stolen cars.

The Impala in the Men of Letters Bunker.

When the Bunker's garage is found, Dean stores the Impala there. (Slumber Party) After taking full control of Sam, Gadreel uses the Impala to get around as he can no longer teleport, but it helps Dean, Castiel and Crowley find him as he runs a red light on his way to find Abner and kill him. After Gadreel is captured, Dean reclaims the car. (Road Trip)

Dean finds the Impala keyed by Abaddon.

After retrieving the First Blade, Sam and Dean return to the Impala to find it ransacked by demons who're working for Abaddon. The wards on the Impala's trunk kept that safe, but Abaddon had "Be afraid, Your Queen" keyed into the side of the car in Enochian. (Blade Runners)

In Out of the Darkness, Into the Fire, after the Darkness is released it washes over the Impala, rocking the car when suddenly Dean disappears as the Darkness pulls him out to speak to him. Sam is knocked out and wakes to the Impala's horn going off but no significant damage otherwise.

In Baby, the entire episode takes place from the car's point of view. During a vision, Sam sees a being appearing to him in the form of a young John Winchester who drives the Impala in the dream while talking to Sam. Dean later purposefully crashes the car, while Deputy Donelly is flung through it headfirst. The final fight takes place in the backseat and ends with Dean decapitating Donelly by slamming the left rear door on his head three times. Due to the conflict with the monsters, the Impala's front and rear windows are shattered, the being rear from Sam's gunfire and though the Impala runs, it's hard to start the engine. At the end of the episode, Sam calls the Impala their home as they drive away.

In We Happy Few, Sam drives the Impala to The Darkness' Lair to rescue Lucifer. He is led there by Donatello Redfield, with Metatron coming along. Sam departs with Donatello in the back and Lucifer in shotgun. However, the trio is intercepted by Amara on their way to the Bunker. Sam tries to drive away, but Amara restrains them and prepares to kill. God retrieves the entire vehicle just in time and dumps it unceremoniously in one of the rooms in the Bunker.

Mary recalls her time with the Impala.

In Keep Calm and Carry On, Dean leads a resurrected Mary Winchester to the Impala which is in the bunker's garage. Mary recognizes the Impala as her husband's car and treats the Impala in a similar manner to how Dean treats the car. While examining the Impala, Mary stares into the backseat with a huge smile, presumably remembering fun times with John in the backseat. Later, while driving, the Impala is rammed by Ms. Watt with an SUV, leaving a dent in the rear right quarter panel. The Impala is temporarily knocked out of commission by the hit but remains driveable and the Winchesters and Castiel drive off in it after killing Ms. Watt.

In LOTUS, the Winchesters are found by the Secret Service due to them recognizing the Impala with Rick Sanchez commenting on how recognizable the car is.

In Regarding Dean, Dean has a hard time remembering which key to use to start the engine after being hit by the memory curse. Later, witch Rowena MacLeod drives the car after Sam is captured by the Loughlin Family. Rowena leaves the memory-less Dean in the front seat with a note explaining the situation and another for him to stay in the car. When Dean gets out, he finds notes directing him to his gun and the witch-killing bullets in the weapons locker.

Dean once again frustrated at the Impala's damage.

In Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, Sam is instructed by Dean to take care of the Impala while they hunt for the hellhound Ramsey. Unfortunately, Ramsey destroys the windshield and damages the roof when she tries to attack Sam, who is driving the car. Although Ramsey is eventually killed, Dean becomes frustrated at what happened to the Impala and explains that this is why Sam doesn't drive. Dean then takes over driving, commenting that he hopes the car will still run now.

In The Future, after Castiel's truck breaks down, he is forced to stay at a motel with Kelly Kline. When Dean and Sam arrive with the Impala, they tend to take both Castiel and Kelly back to the Bunker. While they leave the two inside the Impala while they discuss things, Kelly drives off with the Impala towards the Heavenly Portal, forcing Dean to fix Castiel's truck and chase after them. Once Dagon has been killed at the Heavenly Portal, Castiel escapes with Kelly, using his truck once more.

When chased by angels in The Bad Place, the Winchesters are forced to abandon the Impala in an abandoned shipyard in order to hide in an old ship. The Impala is left in the shipyard when the Winchesters are accidentally transported to the alternate universe known as the Bad Place. In Wayward Sisters, Jody Mills and Donna Hanscum are able to identify the correct location for the rift to the Bad Place by spotting the still-abandoned Impala. After being rescued, the Winchesters recover the car.

The Impala meets the Mystery Machine.

In Various & Sundry Villains, Jennie Plum complains when Dean shows up without the Impala as she wanted it for herself.

In Scoobynatural, after being transported into Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Sam and Dean are shocked to find the Impala with them, Sam then speculates it was transported with them due to Dean having the keys on him.

Dean gives Jack a chance to drive the Impala.

In Unhuman Nature, after learning that Jack is dying, Dean offers to teach him how to drive. Dean later has Jack drive on an empty stretch of road and the two enjoy simply cruising together.

Known Users

• Sal Moriarty - First owner
• John Winchester - Second owner
• Dean Winchester - Current owner
• Sam Winchester - Occasional driver, periodically inherits (usually when Dean is dead or lets Sam drive)
• Bobby Singer - Occasional driver
• Jessie - Temporary driver, theft
• Andrew Gallagher - Temporary driver, convinced Dean to give it to him using his power.
• Adam Milligan - Adam learned how to drive in the Impala; presumably taught by John
• Meg - Temporary driver, drove it while possessing Sam and later into SucroCorp HQ.
• Charlie Bradbury - Temporary driver, theft as Dark Charlie in There's No Place Like Home.
• Rowena MacLeod - Temporary driver, drove it after Sam was kidnapped by the Loughlin Family.
• Kelly Kline - Temporary driver, drove towards the Heavenly Portal after a vision from her son convinced her to.
• Tracy Bell - When sent by Dean to get more bullets and equipment from his car parked 3 blocks away,
• Jack - Dean teaches Jack how to drive using the Impala.
• Max - Temporary driver, theft. Max stole the car in attempt to impress her crush Stacy.

Cars Dean Also Drives:

• 2.02 Everybody Loves a Clown: Dean and Sam borrow a first generation (1984-1990) 'woody' Dodge Caravan from Bobby. Dean complains that it makes him feel "like a soccer mom."
• 4.01 Lazarus Rising: Dean drives from the gas station to Bobby's after his resurrection in a 1962 Mercury Monterey hardtop. The license plate number is V6R 1G3.
• 4.17 It's A Terrible Life: Dean drives a Toyota Prius
• 6.01 Exile on Main Street: At the start of season six, when he is living with Lisa and Ben and not hunting, Dean drives a 1988 Ford F250 Pickup Truck.
• 6.17 My Heart Will Go On: In the alternate timeline created when the Titanic doesn't sink Dean drives a 1967 Ford Mustang.
• 7.03 The Girl Next Door: Dean drives a Jeep Grand Wagoneer after Sam takes the Impala to work a job on his own.
• 9.10 Road Trip: Dean drives a 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V after Gadreel had stolen the Impala.
• 12.19 The Future: Dean fixed and drove Castiel's truck after Kelly stole the Impala.

Season 7:

After The Leviathans (Disguised as Sam and Dean) go on a killing spree (while driving a 67 Impala) causing the real Sam and Dean to become America's 2nd most wanted criminals. Frank Deveraux advises the boys to lock up the Impala to avoid detection. As a result, the show features a new car every week. In the following episodes the boys drive:

• 7.06 Slash Fiction: Sam and Dean steal a 1983 Pontiac Acadian. Dean dislikes the horse decorations in the car. He voices his dislike to Sam.
• 7.07 The Mentalists: After exiting a restaurant Dean steals an unrestored, but working, 1970 Dodge Challenger. Dean seems to like the car. However, he is disgusted by the mess left in the passenger seat by the owner, as well as the poor condition the car is in.
• 7.11 Adventures in Babysitting: Dean arrives at Frank Deveraux's house in a 1969 Buick Special Edition.
• 7.12 Time After Time: Dean drives Elliot Ness' 1940 Black Plymouth Roadking.
• 7.13 The Slice Girls: Dean drives a brown 1971 Buick Riviera.
• 7.14 Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie: Dean drives a Golden Brown 1973 Mercury Cougar.
• 7.15 Repo Man: Dean drives a black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. This is the second car Dean used that he seems to like, as he voices worry that Jeffery's dog will pee in the back seat if left alone.
• 7.16 Out With The Old: Sam and Dean both drive a black Chevy pickup.
• 7.17. The Born-Again Identity: Dean drives a black 1970 Dodge Charger. In this episode, it is shown that every car Dean stole he kept Castiel's trenchcoat in the trunk.
• 7.18 Party On, Garth: Dean Drives a 1978/9 Maroon AMC Pacer. Garth claims it is a "Nice ride."
• 7.20 The Girl With The Dungeons and Dragons Tattoo: Dean drives a white AMC Matador (Early to mid-70s)

Dean and The Impala

Dean and the Impala have had a long, loving history together. Dean received the Impala as a gift for his eighteenth birthday. Ever since then, he has cared for it and even fixed it up when it was wrecked in the car accident at the end of season 1. Though he sometimes reacts with anger at it, he loves it very much and often talks to it as if it was a human being and not an object calling it "Baby".

When Bela tows the car away, he is very upset. Later, when he is forced to hide the car, he is, again, very upset about this fact. Dean was going to give Bobby the Impala while preparing to surrender to Michael. When Sam fails to stop Ramsey from damaging the car, Dean is furious and doesn't allow Sam to drive it again.

Weapons in the Trunk

The Weapon Stash in the Back of the Impala

The Impala's trunk contains a massive arsenal of weapons and tools for hunting. They are all customized for fighting supernatural creatures. There are different types of:

• Handguns
  • Colt M1911A1
  • Taurus Model 99
  • Heckler & Koch Mark 23 Model 0
  • Sam's Revolver
• Shotguns
• Rifles
• Other Firearms
• Various Knives
  • Machetes
  • Pocket Knives
  • Iron Knives
  • Silver Knives
  • A Silver-Coated Steel Knife
• Gasoline Gallons
• Flashlights
• A Box of Various Cell Phones
• Chains
• Stakes
• Holy Water Bottles/Flasks
• Crucifixes
• Packs of Salt
• Shovels
• EMF Meters
• Flamethrowers
• Brass Knuckles
• Axes
• Lighters
• A Devil's Trap Drawn on the Trunk's Lid
• Spray Paint Cans
• Dead Man's Blood Syringues
• Dreamcatchers
• Candles
• A Barbwire-wrapped Baseball Bat
• A Harpoon Gun
• Nunchucks
• Tasers
• Bow and Arrows
• Ammunition
  • Iron Bullets
  • Silver Bullets
  • Rock Salt Shells/Rounds
  • Witch-Killing Bullets
  • Devil's Trap Bullets
  • Various Types of Regular Bullets
• Holy Oil Jars
• A 37mm DefTech Grenade Launcher
• Angel Blades
• Borax Gallons (formely)
• Hellhound-Seeing Glasses
• Supernatural Handcuffs

As of the Season 6 episode The Third Man, the amount of weapons in the trunk has increased vastly, since all the weapons that were in Sam's car were moved to the Impala after Castiel and an unnamed angel flattened it.

Memories It Holds

Sam and Dean carving their initials in the Impala's door.

• Used to be John's car.
• Sam and Dean's initials carved in the rear window deck.
• A miniature army man Sam left jammed in the ashtray.
• Lego blocks Dean jammed in the vents. (Dean places the Lego block back in the vent when he repairs it)
• All the times Sam and Dean spent in the car including living out of the car at times.
• Sam and Dean watch the stars while sitting on it.
• Dean had sex with Anna in the backseat.
• Saved the world by the army man in the ashtray causing Sam to retake control of his body from Lucifer after remembering fond times with Dean.
• Sam hits a dog with it, causing him to meet Amelia Richardson who he falls in love with.
• Sam had sex with a waitress in the backseat.
• Used in the rescue mission of Lucifer ending with God teleporting the Impala into the Men of Letters bunker.
• A resurrected Mary Winchester reminiscing over her husband's car and possibly the times she had sex with him in the backseat.

License plates

	C-45P4	1973
KANSAS	BQN 9R3	1992–1997
KANSAS	KAZ 2Y5	2005–2007
OHIO	CNK 80Q3	2007—
KANSAS	RMD 5H2	2007, Djinn fantasy world
ILLINOIS	E62 3015	2011, Leviathan Impala
KANSAS	KAZ 2Y5	2011, Supernatural: the Animation

Trivia

• Some fans refer to the Sam Impala hybrid in the Knight Rider spoof segment as the "Sampala."
• During season seven, Dean tends to steal classic American Muscle cars when possible, presumably as a form on compensation for losing the Impala.
• In an interview at a convention, Ackles said the main Impala they use has a 427 and skid plates. The actual car was bought from the Kelley family of Farmingdale, NJ in 2005. The Kelleys were the second owners of the car, they bought it from the original owners. The car was bought new in 1967 at Mathews Chevrolet in Farmingdale, NJ. It was originally baby blue with baby blue interior and dual bench seats.
• For the production of the show, they have about six Impalas; only 2 work. The "Hero" one and "Stunt" one. Rumor has it, the sound comes from a tape, and is even that of a Mustang 65 instead of an Impala 67. This, however, is not evident from comparing these particular sounds with the actual TV-show.
• Baby, Dean's nickname for the Impala, was also the name of an episode in season 11, seen entirely from the Impala's point of view.
• Following the car wreck scene in season 2 In My Time of Dying, Jared stole a horn from the Impala, which he intends to give to Jensen when the show ends.
• The Impala once featured spotlights, which disappeared mid-Season 4.
• The Impala celebrated its 50th birthday on April 24, 2017.
• Jensen Ackles shares with Dean a strong protectiveness over the Impala.
  • An incident in which his double, Tom, accidentally drove the Impala into a ditch (forcing half the crew to try and get it out) upset Jensen enough that he didn't want anyone to touch the car again.
  • The license plate of the Impala during Season 3 Changed to CNK 80Q3.
• Adam Milligan, John's third son learned to drive in this car.
• During As Time Goes By, Henry Winchester tried stealing without knowing its connection to his family until Sam and Dean reveal it's their car. This showed most of the Winchester men liked the car.
• In a deleted scene in Lebanon, Max apologizes to Sam for stealing the Impala, explains her reasons for it. Dean probably told her if she ever touch the Impala again, he will break her thumbs up and his tone implied he was not joking.

Images

The Legos Dean stuffed into the air vent.

The army man Sam jammed into the ashtray.

Videos

Supernatural - The Impala