General Motors is celebrating a significant milestone for Chevrolet’s first midsize car, the Malibu.
Production has surpassed 10 million units in the 51 years since the nameplate first arrived on the market. The numbers have been achieved across eight generations, right on time for the ninth-generation to begin production for the 2016 model year.
“Some people are buying their very first Malibu today and others may have driven a Malibu from a different generation as their first car,” said Chevy global president Alan Batey. “It is a car that has resonated with customers for more than half a century.”
Customers bought more than 370,000 units when the Malibu was first introduced in 1964, reaching an all-time high of 503,000 units in 1969. It was retired in 1983 before returning in 1997.
Sales of the current-generation Malibu were up by 18 percent in July, however collective deliveries for the first seven months of the year slid by 3.8 percent.
The redesigned Malibu is longer and lighter than its predecessor, with more interior space. It is also the most fuel efficient, thanks to a hybrid powertrain borrowed from the Volt. It will top out at a GM-estimated 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, though EPA figures have not been announced yet.
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