Spotlight: 1962 Impala "Jet Smooth Chevrolet"
Do you remember when you could get a candy bar for 5¢, a hamburger for 20¢, and a new house for $15,000? Gas was 25¢ a gallon, a movie ticket was 50¢, and tennis shoes cost you $5. The Beverly Hillbillies debuted, the Lucy Show began, and Cape Fear was released. The first Walmart was opened, Beach Boys “409” charted at #76, and Philadelphia’s 76er’s basketball player Wilt (the Stilt) Chamberlin scored a record of 100 points in a game against the New York Knicks. Yes, those were the good old days. Yet these weren’t the only factors that made 1962 special. This was the year of Chevy’s 50th birthday and to celebrate they released quite a lineup with ads featuring the new slogan of “Jet smooth Chevrolet”! In the next couple of posts, we’ll take a closer look at some of the models of this extraordinary year!
Fast Facts
- (All figures approx.)
- Weight Range (lbs.): 3,450-3,925
- Price Range (new): $2,662-$3,171
- Maximum Horsepower: 409 (409 cubic-inch V8)
- Top Speed (est.): 139 mph
- Total Production: 704,900
- 0-60 (409 Turbo-Fire V8 ): 7.3 sec
The Impala continued its rapid progression in ’62 with a model more angular than the previous years. All of the models, excluding the 4-door hardtop, now featured “C” pillar styling. This new “convertible roof” styling was sensational and proved to be very successful. Because of this, ’62-’64 Impalas became popular collector cars. The 348-cubic-inch (5.7 L) V8 was discontinued but there was still a wide range of engines from which to choose: 409ci V8 340 bhp,409 V8 380 bhp, 409 (2x4 bbl) V8 409 bhp, 327 V8 300 bhp, 283ci V8 170 bhp, and 283ci V8 195 bhp.
The Beach Boy's famous song “409” brought to mind the stylish '62 Chevy, adding to its popularity. Serious drivers could add sintered-metallic brake linings, stiffer springs/shocks, 8 x 14 tires, and a tachometer. The Impala 2-door Sedan was no longer in production but, due to the discontinuation of the Nomad, the Impala did make its way into the station wagons. The Turboglide’s unreliability lead to their halt in production from 1962-1965 leaving only the Powerglide automatic transmission.
4-Door Sport Sedan
“Jet Smooth and rigged for your kind of traveling!” A total of 176,077 Impala Sport Sedans were manufactured in 1962. The 4-door Sport Sedan is better known as the 4-door Hardtop.
2-door Sport Coupe
This model had an original Manufacture's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $2,776 but now sells for about $18,000. Similar to the Sport Sedan, this model was better known as the 2-door Hardtop.
Super Sport
This beautiful edition was the first model to sport bucket seats and a center floor console for the shifter. The trim was slightly embellished with a swirl pattern to set it apart from the standard Impala.
Convertible
The Convertible, or "rag top," could be purchased in either the Impala, Super Sport, or Bel Air models. General Motors only produced total of 7,297 convertibles.
4-door Sedan
“Only thing that goes bumpity-bump about this one is your heart.” The 2-door Sedan was dropped in 1962 leaving only the 4-door.
6-9 Passenger Station Wagons
An Impala for the whole family. This was the first year that the Impala was introduced to the wagon.
Readers Response
Which 1962 Impala is your favorite? Comment below or post your favorite on our Facebook page. If you have any good pictures, let us know. We love showing off our customers' cars!
