It’s not uncommon for automotive companies to stop manufacturing specific makes and models of vehicles. Over the years we’ve said goodbye to Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Lumina, and countless others. Sometimes it’s sad when a vehicle make or model is discontinued because we have so many memories tied to them. Perhaps the vehicle was your first car or truck, maybe it was a vehicle where family memories were made, or maybe it was just a trusty automobile that never let you down and was always ready when you needed it. Vehicles become like members of the family sometimes. Thankfully, many skilled mechanics across Saskatchewan have kept the memories of these classic and discontinued cars and trucks alive by fixing and restoring them. Now it’s time to say goodbye to the Chevy Malibu….again.

Photo by Fira Fatul

General Motors has made the decision to stop making Malibu cars at their plant in Kansas City. The decision comes after the company decided to reconfigure the plant to manufacture their line of Chevy Bolt EV’s. The first Malibu car was unveiled back in 1964 and it quickly became a hot seller for Chevrolet/GM because of its sleek look. Originally it was sold as a subseries of the Chevelle before becoming its own line of vehicles, which included two-door, four-door, sport-coupe, and convertible brands. The Chevy Malibu ended production in 1983 but was brought back in 1997 as a front-wheel drive vehicle with an extended wheel base. The car was one of the top selling vehicles for General Motors for years until vehicle buying trends started to shift more towards, SUV’s, cross over utility vehicles, and trucks. The Malibu will stop production in November 2024 after an estimated 10 million people purchased the car over the past 60 years. Perhaps the Malibu will make a comeback in few years – most likely as an electric vehicle.

Last year Chevy announced they were ending production on the Camaro and they’ll stop making the Cadillac XT4 in January 2025. A few years ago Ford ended their production of Fusions and Taurus.