There was an era, now hard to imagine, when Detroit’s full-sizers were the norm on the roads. It’s a time that some of you remember and lived through, with strong –if receding– memories of the period. Others, if born after the age of Disco, never quite experienced it, other than seeing them as Taxis (or so) in the late ’80s and ’90s.
But to a lesser few who lived the transition when their decline accelerated, they belong to hazy childhood memories. The latter, the group to which I belong. But even if experienced briefly, and barely present in my memory, I do recall the age of the full-size Chevys. An era when Byscaines, Bel Airs and Impalas were a dominant species.
How prominent, may young folks wonder? For ’62, the year of today’s find, full-size Chevys numbered 1.4 million units. Between sedans, coupes, wagons and so on, making an astounding 20% percent of all US new passenger cars sold that year. So as said, difficult, if not impossible to picture now.
So these were omnipresent in their day. The shape of the “regular car”; a sensible purchase for the average buyer that was at once accepted, denoted taste, and spoke of middle-class success.
But sometimes ubiquity is its own curse, with the desirable and unusual preserved instead. Meanwhile, the once logical buy of the average Joe is passed over, under the impression that they’ll be around forever. Until they aren’t.
Also, as it often happens, apparent peaks of popularity hide weakening foundations. And as common as these were, the whole full-size segment was starting to slip in overall share by the ’60s, a story told at CC before.
So the splintering market with its arrival of compacts, intermediates, and so on, was to bring their mass extinction. Furthermore, those newcomers not only brought an end to the old order but were sometimes preserved in larger numbers.
As hazy as my childhood memories may be, the sight of any full-size Chevy from that long-gone period certainly awakens them. And it’s always a pleasant surprise to come across one, especially if away from car shows and in the wild. As was the case with this Impala 4-door Sport Sedan I found a few weeks ago in San Salvador. A remnant from a different age, when these were commonplace in the US and when the Bowtie was coveted elsewhere.
Indeed, outside the US these old Chevrolets were American goods in an age when “Made In The US” meant a great deal.
In Latin America, while the car market wasn’t large, Chevrolets were a statement of sorts. Not to the degree of a Buick or a Cadillac of course, but still, buying American and a Chevrolet told you had means and knew a good investment. And before they got too large for our roads, they enjoyed a good share of these small markets. Vestiges of those days can occasionally be found, like this ’55 wagon I captured a couple of years ago in San Salvador.
Meanwhile, in a US territory like Puerto Rico, full-size Chevrolets were the most common of sights. I mean, how many do you see around Ponce’s Main Plaza in this shot?
Of course, the Bowtie’s prominence would dwindle as the ’60s advanced and those full-sizers got too big (and thirsty) for this region. Turns out that what was good for US highways didn’t work too well elsewhere. The Japanese would take over these markets, with the Chevy name staying around in Isuzus and the like, but losing much of its luster.
Still, even in the ’70s a number of those full-size models still rode Central American roads. As in the photo above, in Guatemala City.
If we want to see what was new for the Impala when today’s ’62 came out of the assembly line, we may want to backtrack a bit. First, these belong to the ’61-’63 generation, a period when these morphed a lot in looks, if not in substance.
Jet-Age styling had become passé by the time these came out, and Bill Mitchell’s designers were busy creating a more tasteful language. Yet, some of the previous trends can still be seen in muted form, as can be inferred from the ’61 Chevy’s sculpted arrow/wing profile.
Also, bubble-tops, glassy roofs, and wraparound windshields were on their way out. Too many scalps being burnt under the sunlight, one could assume, and with customers now looking for backseat caves. Hardtops were the hot thing, and Mitchell’s boys felt they could up the ante with a “convertible style roof”, with even simulated creases.
And as shown in 4-door hardtop form… say Hello! to today’s Chevrolet’s Sport Sedan:
So what was “new” in the new for ’62 Chevrolets? Precious little, aside from the styling. But before we get all cynical and call these the same-old in a different wrapper, let’s call them “evolutionary”. Or as Chevy said, a “blend of the tried and the new.”
For one, the bubble top entered its last year, with Jet-Age cockpit dreams on the auto-world being put finally to rest. Then, the full-sizers gained the “face” that would forever be associated with Chevrolets of the period. Variations of which would remain around for a while (’68, more or less), which in that age of “fashionable” styling meant a lot.
Of course, Bowtie folks know that what we’re checking out today was Chevrolet’s top model. Starting in ’58, the Impala had appeared as the top trim in the Bowtie’s full-size world and would remain so for a bit longer. In other words, a pedigree Chevrolet. And in the spirit of the times, that meant plusher carpeting, brighter trim, and further equipment options.
As per period custom, these were available in various body styles. From 2-door to 4-door “Sport” hardtops, to pillared sedans, droptops, and wagons.
So, what was so “sport” about the Impala Sport Sedan? Or the 2-door Sport Coupe? That depended on you. If you knew your way around Chevrolet’s option sheet full-size sportiness was possible. Especially with a 409cid Turbo-Fire V8 under the hood, that turned Chevy’s sporty full-sizers into hot things.
However, if the term Sport Sedan strikes you as being partly hoopla for those lesser-optioned, I won’t blame you. But let’s remember, “Sport” was still a novel idea then and was a somewhat malleable concept. Overall, the word evoked activity, movement, and open-air motoring. An Austin Healey driver probably scoffed at Chevy’s labeling, but to many buyers, it just had a nice-sounding ring.
(A tradition I feel remains in our current Sport Utility age.)
That said, I suspect that today’s find may be on the lower end of the “sporty” spectrum of the Sport Sedan equation. For one, there’s only one visible (non-stock) tailpipe. So this Impala clearly doesn’t have the hottest of setups.
Then, as happens with many of my finds, the car appeared for sale on my Marketplace feed. No mention of a V8 there; a strong selling point in this region. Maybe a rather telling sign?
Could this Impala even be bestowed with the 6-cyl? If so, it might be even more special, to me at least.
If a 6-cyl., the car comes with the Hi-Thrift 235, a neat-sounding 1960s name for what was the long-running “Stove Bolt.” Or more precisely, the “Blue Flame” by then.
1962 was the last year Chevy would offer the venerable mill in the US. The end of the line for a powerplant born in 1929, seriously re-engineered in ’37, and that had provided “dependability and economy over many millions of miles of owner-driven miles”. An engine on which Chevrolet’s fame had risen.
Now, the “Blue Flame” may be renowned, but it’s one powerplant that local fans of US metal care little for. Still, if this Impala carries it, it’s likely a rarer bird nowadays than any other V8-powered one.
Those who have paid attention to today’s photos can tell that I needed two visits to capture the back and front of this Impala. As de-trimmed and worn as it may appear, I had to. After all, I don’t come across any of these often.
And if your Spanish is poor and wonder where it sits, it’s parked in front of a repair shop/car wash service.
So what’s this old Impala Sport Sedan doing in the city’s outskirts? As I told in a post on Ford wagons yesterday, American iron was the choice of the affluent in this region back in the day. And as I explained, depending on family luck the cars were either preciously preserved or withered in storage as “valuables.”
There’s a subgroup, however, sprouted from the latter one. The withering ones sold to folks of lesser means who can’t keep them up in proper condition. These rarely show up, and when they do, it’s usually in forlorn form by the roadside. (I captured such a ’63 Impala some time ago, way out in the boonies).
I assume that today’s find basically belongs to the latter, but got a bit lucky. The car is currently owned by the repair shop’s mechanic, who doesn’t have the means to restore it properly but has the mechanical know-how to fix it up and respray it, in hopes of finding a lover of vintage American iron willing to prop up some good cash.
An admirable plan; put your skills to use, revive an old forlorn ride, and make an earning. However, as in many other places, local fans of old American cars usually lust for Mustangs and Camaros. Not 4-door full-sizers, even if in nifty hardtop form.
So once again, the curse of the once ubiquitous works against this Impala. Once desirable, now facing hard odds in its current condition.
Considering local preferences and resources, those odds are likely to keep playing against the future of this ’62. On the other hand, it’s beaten them so far for the last 60-plus years, so let’s see if it keeps doing so. It may not be pristine anymore, nor looking too top trim anything. But it’s a remnant of an era long gone when owning a Chevy was a big deal. Especially in Impala hardtop form.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1961 Chevrolet Impala 4-Door Hardtop – Staying Close To Home
Cohort Outtake: 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe – The Last Bubble-Top
Curbside Classic: 1963 Chevrolet Bel Air – A Time Capsule, But Not From The Showroom
Curbside Classic: 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS 409 – Giddyup, Giddyup 409
In September, 1966, I bought my first car, a ’62 Impala Sport Coupe for $1200. The 283 Powerglide-equipped car had something like 70,000 miles and I probably overpaid. But every penny was worth it, especially when the car took me across the country at Christmas,1967, Minnesota to south Florida and back. It was a toss up between that car and a 1962 Buick LeSabre. The Chev won on looks. I just loved the pseudo-convertible look of the sheet metal.
in the summer of 1967 I was driving a 1962 impala super sport convertible, red with a white top and interior and a 327. the car wasn’t in very good shape and the motor had a bad head gasket but I was 19 years old, had a pretty little blonde girlfriend ingrid and it was summer. I was the king of the pimps.
My all time favourite car, the 1962 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan (4 door pillarless hardtop). In fact I have owned a rare factory Export Right Hand Drive 1962 Impala Sport Sedan for over 45 years!
I am the cars second owner of this ‘62 Impala Sport Sedan. It’s black with a red interior and almost every factory and dealer option. Fewer than 100 examples of these cars came to Australia in 1962. They were high end luxury cars selling for more than a Jaguar, Mercedes Benz and many other luxury brands.
In perfect condition with a desirable colour combination, the 62’ Impala Sport Sedan was one super nice car, quite possibly one of best looking of all post Second World War American cars.
Sadly few Sport Sedans survive today in perfect condition and even fewer have had an extensive correct ground restoration. It’s got to the point the at car shows you see row upon row of Impala Sport Coupes in their hundreds. In 2024, the rare examples are now the 4 door hardtops and station wagons.
In closing thank you for not calling this car a ‘Sports Sedan’. The correct title is as you say ‘Sport’ Sedan. GM used the ‘Sport’ reference for all pillarless bodies (bodies without a ‘B’ pillar).
Chevrolet only offered a Sport Sedan body for 20 years (1956 – 1976). I would strongly argue that these cars will increasingly become more and more collectible / valuable as they continue to disappear and or fall into disrepair.
A simply lovely car, the 1962 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan.
These hung around as old cars for a long, long time in my area. When my best friend and I were adolescents in the early 70’s, “62 Chevy” became shorthand for a generic, boring old car. He later got one to drive during our years in college. I wrote about that experience. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/qotd/qotd-what-was-the-one-car-you-have-hated-driving-above-all-others/
The 55-57’s are “Shoebox Chevys”.
The 61-64 need a name.
My art teacher called this the “Wurlitzer” style of design.
But they deserve better.
If the orphan 59-60 were the “winged wonders”
and the 65-70 were the “Jet Smooth” Chevys
I guess we could call these the Space Age Chevys.
Unless you know of a better nickname
“64’s” go to “squared” for “space age”.
I worked at my family’s Chevrolet dealership which was in business from 1955-1982 and I worked there from 1976-1982. So I got to experience first hand what the full size Chevrolet represented. I think that subliminally I still wanted to experience that full size Chevrolet mojo and in 2016 started looking and 2017 found and bought a beautiful, original very low mileage 1979 Caprice Landau 2 dr.
Even though 1979 is 15+ years past the Chevrolet period discussed in this article, the response I get when I drive this car says to me that the “See the USA in your Chevrolet” feeling is still felt.
Great find! Although my WWII vet dad’s first car out of college was a ’50 Chevy (totaled in ’56, before I arrived), growing up in the ’60s & ’70s we were more of a Mopar/Ford family. For whatever reason though I knew my ’55-’75 Chevies by heart. The ’61s & ’62s are my favorite designs – not too bizarre (’57-’60), not too decorated (’63-’64). GM was on a roll back then….
What does the “escapes” refer to on the shop signage?
According to Duckduckgo, it means “exhaust.”
Because Spanish is a language spoken in many countries, there are more than a few words and phrases for similar things that differ across national boundaries.
I’ve never seen nor heard “escapes” used for exhaust systems. Around here, the Latino- (mostly Mexican-) owned exhaust shops simply advertise “mofles” (mufflers) and “cataliticos” (catalytic converters) with the implication that they also build the pipes in those systems.
Interesting perspective, Rich, on the one-time ubiquity of the full sized car, and especially the Chevy. I came of automotive awareness age when compacts and soon intermediates were quite common, and the pre-Japanese import boom persisted in our town even with lots of Falcons and Corvair’s and Valiants and Lancers hitting the streets. But the flip side to all this was a pretty homogeneous streetscape. People here bemoan all the lookalike crossovers and pickups on the roads today, or the demise of Mercury and Pontiac (and Saab) but the fact is that there’s al huge number of brands sold here now (I’m talking about the US/Canada, but I suspect the same is true in Europe). I think that bodes well for the state of curbside classics 50 years from now. And while most enthusiasts in 2075 will ooh and aah over an old Challenger or Raptor, some will check out a faded CRV or Equinox in the background and marvel that people actually drove these.
Loved the ’61……hated the ’62 formlessness…..especialy the rear.
I always liked how the windshield post on these was curved at the bottom.
For sentimental reasons, I’m partial to the ‘63 Impalas, but in high school the picture hanging on my wall was a red ‘62 Impala Sport Coupe with a 409 and 4-speed. At the time, I thought the ‘62s had a certain “je ne sais quois” compared to the ‘63s.
These days I can find something to like in all full size Chevys from about 1949 through the mid ‘70s.
We were exclusively a Chevy family when I was growing up. My parents bought a 1953 210 as their first car. After my dad’s untimely death in 1954 from leukemia, my mom stuck with the standard Chevrolet, buying in succession a ’55 210, ’61 Bel Air, and ’67 Bel Air, all 2-door sedans like the ’53.
Then, when we discovered the 1972-73 full-size Chevys were too long to fit in our 18-foot long garage, she switched to a Monte Carlo in ’73 (when I was in college) and then an ’81 Citation 4-door.
I owned a well-used 1977 Impala sedan between 1985 and 1989.
For those of us outside North America, it’s hard to imagine cars of this size being ‘normal’ back in the sixties. Okay, parked alongside modern cars they might not look so big, but as viewed here, look at the proportions: Long front, long tail, relatively small passenger compartment.
As Carl said above, these were luxury cars in Australia, but ones that attracted a certain type of buyer. Old money or conservative types tended toward the British or European makes. Less showy, more practical – if we don’t consider service costs. American cars tended to be bought by people who wanted to show that they’d made good. My uncle the racehorse owner: ’66 Bel Air. Dad’s friend at the Blue Dolphin cafe (I forget his name): ’68 Dodge Phoenix.
As a kid I was always amazed at how much American cars changed from year to year during this period. Always striving to look different, but not necessarily better. After these, the 1963 seemed a visual disappointment; the styling seemed much more generic.
My second car around 1970 was a 1963 Biscayne 4 door 6 cyl 3 on the tree. Paid about $400 for it and sold it a couple of years later for the same money to go down the road in British sport cars. Good running car, and fast enough to get my first speeding ticket. Easily carry 6 people and plenty of stuff in the trunk.
It’s hard to fathom today just how popular full-size Chevys were in the sixties. Well over a million were sold each year. In 1965, over a million Impalas alone were sold. Starting in 1955 and continuing into the eighties, Chevy always seemed to hit the sweet spot of what America wanted in a car. It started to unravel when the SUV craze started and Camry/Accord became the new “just right” car for many Americans.
Nice ;
I like the reserved styling of these .
-Nate
(another Stove Bolt lover)