Featured is the 1962 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Hardtop. The Chevy Impala came out in 1958 and was Chevy’s top of the line offering. The model’s introduction was advertised very heavily.
The 1958 Chevy Impala was a new car model for and had a totally different design from the ground up. The main designer for that first 58 Impala was Clare MacKichan, chief designer for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors.
The 1962 Chevy Impala
Of significance, Chevrolet celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 1962.
The 62 Chevy Impala received a restyling which added a roof that looked like a convertible top. A significant styling change that started with the 61 Impalas and carried forward was that the 62 Chevys no longer had tail fins.
Anniversary edition Impalas had gold paint of which GM acquired more than enough. Anniversary cars also had gold vinyl bucket seats. It’s believed that perhaps 350 or so Anniversary Edition Impalas were built. It’s unclear whether the Anniversary Edition Impalas were only built as Super Sports. Some people involved at the dealer level dispute that fact. Others say that only one Anniversary Edition Impala was received per dealer. That fact is also disputed by some from Chevy dealerships.
The 1962 Impala was among the third generation which ran from 1961-1964..While the muscle car wars of the mid to latter 1960’s would be some time in the future, the 62 Chevy Impala packed plenty of power.
The big block 409 cubic inch Chevy engine was put in Chevy Impalas from 1961 to1965. Offered with a single or two four barrel carb
uretors, the 409 delivered 360 HP in 1961 and was upped to 380 HP for 1962. Racers could add tubular headers and achieve an extra 100 HP out of their 409.
Was the 409 popular? You bet it was. For the 1961 model year when the 409 was offered there were only about 140 sold. The second year, 1962, there was a total of 15,000 sold.
Chevy’s Super Sport Package
The first Chevy Super Sports were offered with the 1961 Impala. For the most part, Super Sports had larger engines but not always. The Super Sports did have distinctive interiors and special exterior trim. The Super Sport Chevy’s also had the exterior SS badge. The Super Sport models are not only an Impala offering but also became available with Camaros, El Caminos, Chevelles, Novas, Monte Carlos as well as some Chevy trucks.
There are clones on the market and to help identify a true Super Sport model you would want to check the engine number to determine if it is available in an SS model for that particular model year. SS badges should be seen both on the exterior and in the interior of the car. Also look for the trim tag on the interior of the driver’s door. Checking out the vehicles VIN is also important.
1962 Chevy Impala Super Sport Specifications
Engines available with the 62 Chevy Impala Super Sport included a 235 cubic inch inline six delivering 135 HP. Also a small block 283 cubic inch Turbo-Fire V-8 with 170 HP. Add to that a 327 cubic inch Turbo-Fire V-8 with 250 HP and 300 HP. The top engine was the big block 409 cubic inch V-8 with 380 and 409 HP.
62 Impala Super Sport transmissions included both a three and four speed manual and a two speed Powerglide automatic.
Brakes were four wheel hydraulic drums with power brakes available.
Dimensions for the 1962 Chevy Impala included a wheelbase of 119.0 inches, an overall length of 209.3 inches, a width of 78.4 inches, and a height of 55.5 inches. Curb weight was about 3,500 lbs.
See related Auto Museum Online articles found on the links below…
1963 Chevy Impala SS Convertible
Reference material for this article includes..Reference material for this article included…Chevrolet: The Complete History by the editors of Consumer Guide…100 Years of Chevrolet by Ralph Kramer and Jerry Burton…The Complete History of the Chevrolet Impala by Tony Markovich.
1962 Chevrolet Impala Collector Car Popularity
There’s no question that Chevrolet had some excellent styling with their third generation Impalas. The third generation Impalas have been getting a lot of attention especially with younger collectors.
As an example, the 1962 Chevy Impalas had an impressive list of available engines, especially with the 327 Turbo-Fire V-8 and the classic big block 409.
Current pricing for the 1962 Impala 2 Door Hardtop Sport Coupe in very good to excellent condition is in a range from about $29,000 to $50,000. The 62 Impala SS Convertible is in a range of $50,000 to $75,000. The 62 Impala Sport Sedan can be found in a range from about $19,000 to $36,000. Prices are influenced by originality, overall condition, age of restoration and engine options.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)