This vintage car carrier shot from 1962 looks like it could well have been a 1962 Chevy promotional shot. The full range of Chevys is accounted for: a full size Impala SS coupe (with a 327), a Chevy II Nova coupe, a Corvair Monza coupe, a Corvair 95 pickup, and a couple of regular pickups. And of course there’s a fine new ’62 Chevy truck to haul them all. The only way to improve it is if a Corvair Greenbrier van replaced one of the pickups.
Which one has your name on it?
From Dick Copello’s Flickr pages
Even at this wonky angle, that Corvair Monza is still a stunner.
+1!
I’ll wait for the next truckload for my ’63 Impala SS with the brushed aluminum stern!
The 62 Impala should also have the brushed aluminum stern. I got my drivers license on a 62 Impala.
I’ll take the Monza. Actually they are all appealing. I wonder if that is a promotional shot. All the vehicles have hub caps or wheel covers on. Those are usually stored in the trunk or somewhere in the vehicle during transport.
Bob
Good point there.
Most have a left outside mirror. In 1962, outside mirrors were dealer installed. And white walls look great on all that have them (especially the pickup). Notice the lack of a rear bumper on the pickup. They were optional on trucks into the 90’s.
Definitely the two pickups! Both look like they are well optioned models with the BBG! And I wouldn’t mind having the Impala and the Corvair 95… and the Corvette… and the Chevy II. Might as well throw in the Monza too! Oh and I’d better take the car hauler also so I have some way to get them all home!
Nice shot of a bunch of nice looking vehicles. The trailer seems to have less metal than modern car carriers. Wonder why two fullsized pickups instead of one pickup and one Suburban?
The carrier isn’t really a full-size tractor-trailer as we know them today. I’d say it’s more of a medium-duty truck pulling a single-axle trailer. And that trailer looks kind of spinldy to my eye for something that’s carrying 12-16,000 lbs of vehicles!
I’m pretty sure that truck didn’t move an inch until after the publicity shot was taken and they unloaded the truck right then and there.
That’s very much a real truck carrier of the time, and these almost invariably used upper-mid-duty trucks, with gas engines. Cars are not all that heavy, compared to carrying bulk loads of steel, oil, etc..
True, the truck is likely a Chevy M-80, a heavy duty tandem axle version of the C-60. The M-80 was usually equipped with the High-Torque 409 engine and often a 5X4 transmission. Figuring there is probably less than 25,000#’s of vehicles on a trailer that probably doesn’t weigh more than 5,000#’s empty, it would be well within the M-80’s capacity.
M80 – It’s not very encouraging when a wicked fast-blowing firecracker is named after your new truck. Lol
Oh, my eyescale had us rolling in at 46,000.
Convoy was on top of specing… disc wheels, tubeless tires.
I agree that this is a publicity because of the hubcaps. I am pretty sure hubcaps were shipped in the trunk to avoid loss due to falling off or outright theft.
I’ll take the Impala for sure.
Would they tie down the level Rampside for strictly a photo op?
Would they tie down the level Rampside for strictly a photo op?
If they had to drive from and to where the cars were loaded first, I assume so.
I’ve noticed the Convoy trucks all had disc wheels. What do you know about Convoy? CA based, right?
The 80 series Chevy trucks with 3 axles had a GVW of 36,000lbs, so it was technically a heavy duty truck in medium duty clothing. Check out the extra wide front fenders.
One reason is that trailer is able to carry vehicles on only 2 levels. With more elaborate deck configurations and supporting hydraulics, vehicles can be sardine-can packed in three levels. Then you need a more extensively framed trailer.
Decisions, decision…guess I’ll go with the Corvette.
Even though it’s the last year of the C1 – which is a bit crude, particularly by today’s standards – the advantages are that it still has a trunk, and the seating position and belt line allow a relaxed, “elbow on the windowsill” posture that later ones don’t have.
It’s been years since I’ve seen how those carriers are loaded and unloaded. Guess I need to search YouTube videos to get an answer to my curiosity… 😀
In the Spring of 1973 my folks ordered a new Olds Custom Cruiser. I saw it unloaded from the truck. It came in with no wheel covers or fender skirts (they were in the car) In 2002 I bought a new Chrysler T&C minivan. I saw that unloaded from the truck too. The centers for the cast aluminum wheels were installed at the dealer. The window sticker even said it was custom made for me.
Bob
Nothing personal or juicy about Convoy.
Just commenting on the often seen examples of their efforts to innovate with a push for efficiency in equipment.
What’s REALLY interesting is the whitewalls on the beige pickup – they are the old-style fat-ish whitewalls that Studebaker was still putting on its 1962 models, while all the other cars have the new-style skinny whitewalls.
Me? I would probably take that blue Impala – it looks like it has the SS style spinner wheelcovers. Because it’s the only passenger car that is not red. I would drive it for a year then trade for a Dodge 880 and probably get cash back in the deal. 🙂
The fat whitewalls actually look like what they used to call ‘spats’. I have no experience with them and don’t know how they were attached, but they definitely went on around the wheel rim (like those in the picture appear to be).
I think they’re the real thing – as whitewalls narrowed in the later 50s, they seemed to hug the wheel rim and leave more black closer to the tread. I just looked, and the 62 Suburban featured the wide whites on its brochure while the cars used narrow.
The truck tires must have been slower to make the changeover to the stylish narrow whitewalls that took over that year at every manufacturer that did not build cars in South Bend Indiana.
Edit – I just looked and the same difference showed up with Ford cars and Ford trucks too. I had never noticed that truck whitewalls went narrow later than car whitewalls did.
The Impala SS with a 327. Can’t get much better than than in 1962. Color combo is great too. I always liked the painted white roof on dark/medium color cars, a trend that kind of disappeared with the advent of the vinyl roof in a few years.
Agree this looks like a promotional shot, with all vehicles nice and clean and wearing wheel covers. Even the carrier Chevrolet truck cab is new and clean.
Another great shot. I’ve tried to very quickly to colour correct the image. There is a lot of red (magenta) in the original pic. And washed out colours. The dark red on the Corvette and Corvair is beautiful.
I’ve seen a few carrier pics where it appears the largest/heaviest vehicles are placed over the axles for more stability. If this is something the folks loading these, generally took into account?
I’m impressed for ’62, there are orange marker lights all around the upper framework surrounding the cab.
It’s funny you bring this up. I’ve noticed if a car carrier is only carrying one vehicle it is on the upper rack right at the end. It always looks so precarious up there. But apparently truck drivers prefer it that way for stability and weight distribution. (?)
1962 was a pretty good year for the Bowtie. Picking one would be tough, the Impala would be a default but then again those trucks are pretty decked out and the one in back is in a nice color…then again the Chevy II would be fun with a 327, and by this time of the year some dealerships were doing that swap, plus Hot Rod had a complete how-to if you wanted to DIY it.
I believe that 1962 was the year when GM as a corporation, and Chevrolet as a division, hit their high points for total domestic market share (which would include sales of imports).
And I’ll take the Corvette.
I can speak a bit to the loading sequence question.
Weight placement is somewhat of a consideration, but not so much as space utilization. So typically first choice would be to load vehicles with long overhangs to the end locations (if allowed) where much of their length could ride “free” leaving other spaces for vehicles that would be less advantageous to load at the ends. Notice how reversing the head-rack located pickup would reshuffle the whole load?
Height of course is also a concern. The Corvair pickup could probably not trade places with the Corvette because it would require raising the green C10 too high.
Unloading order is a consideration too. If the load is going to be “peddled” of course it’d be ideal to be able to unload in a sequence that matches the stops.
Corvair Monza for me but I’d rather have a four-door with the flattop roofline.
I’d take the Corvair 95. It reminds me of the one I used to own. “Body by Structo”
All of them.
Hah! A very long-dormant neuron reminds me of how pleased Mom (who had exquisite taste in cars) was that her ’62 Autumn Gold Bel Air came with the narrow white walls.
Nostalgia has me wanting the Impala. Passion has me wanting the Monza. Current need/ability to use points to the blue C 10. It’s like liking the whole menu and being unable to choose. I guess I’ll have to ask the waiter.
Tough choice, but I’ll take the pickup riding in back, please.
I think it’s a lovely ad or promo shot. It’s perfectly composed, as you said all models are shown, and even the truck wheel rubber is polished and gleaming.
I’d prefer the Impala but for my city, the Chevy II fits better. I’m much too, shall we say, circularly handicapped to try for the Corvair or the Corvette and like to have more space.
Anyway, PS, PB and automatic are requirements. I’ll forego the Chevy II if the Impala has those, and vicevesa.
Late to the party here, but the Corvette and the Impala are my picks, even though in both cases, I’d prefer to wait for the ’63(s). ;o)