Introduced for 1958, this full-size nameplate arrived at the top of the lineup and quickly became one of the most recognizable American cars of its era. Early cars were defined by their distinctive triple taillamps and clean, flamboyant late-1950s styling, while the 1959 redesign added the dramatic tailfins that helped cement its identity. Through the 1960s, it became a major presence in U.S. car culture, especially after the Super Sport variant appeared for 1961 and performance versions such as the SS-427 followed later in the decade. The nameplate then evolved through the 1970s and early 1980s as a full-size sedan, coupe, and wagon before ending its first continuous run in 1985.
The badge returned in the mid-1990s on the high-performance SS, a separate revival that drew on the full-size rear-wheel-drive performance formula and gave the nameplate a new enthusiast following. After that short run ended in 1996, the name returned again in 2000 on a completely different front-wheel-drive sedan, which carried the nameplate through two more generations. That modern era kept the car in the mainstream family-sedan market while also producing notable performance and police variants. Production ended in 2020, closing out a long history that spanned distinct eras rather than one uninterrupted run.