67 years after it was introduced and more than two decades since it was discontinued, the Chevrolet Impala is still a constant presence in our lives and on our roads, and it is still making headlines on a regular basis. Have you ever wondered why?
The model was so successful that it continued to dominate the local automotive scene for over six decades. Granted, there were gaps in production (the first between 1958 and 1994, and the second from 1996 to 1999), but otherwise the model always managed to remain affixed to the subconscious of the American public.
During all this time, no less than ten generations of the model came and went, the last running from 1999 to 2020, when U.S. carmakers decided sedans were so yesterday that they discontinued most of them.
Not all generations were impressive. The final one in particular was so far from what the early Impalas meant for the auto design scene that we could just have well be left without it. Yet the name lives on thanks to the appeal of the first few generations.
Because millions of Impalas were sold over the years, not all of them have managed to get to our day and age in perfect working condition. In fact, if you really think about it, there are more Impalas in an awful state of preservation than there are running ones. An all-out natural slaughter, if you ask me, driven by human indifference.
Even so, some of the examples that have been saved from rust and decay are so beautiful they almost make you forget about all that Impala carnage taking place in American fields and barns. Or, alternatively, they make you wish all Impalas everywhere would be so all cared for.
Just take a look at the example we have here and you’ll instantly know what I mean. What you’re looking at is a 1962 example, meaning a model of the third generation, one of the most cherished by the custom industry and collectors’ world.
The car was taken off the street at an undisclosed time and from an undisclosed location and sent to the shop of an Oregon-based crew called Artistic Customs. It’s a crew we’ve featured here on autoevolution before, most recently with a pro-touring Chevy Nova and a Chevy K5 Blazer.
These guys treated the Impala with the same love and care as they did the other two vehicles. They performed a frame-off rotisserie restoration on it that left the car looking just as good as it did back when it was brand new, while at the same time offering modern-day mechanical bits that would make many production cars rust with envy.
It all starts underneath, where the original chassis was replaced with an aftermarket Art Morrison GT Sport piece of hardware. It was power-coated and painted to match the exterior of the car, which is a beautiful two-stage white.
The custom chassis was gifted the most coveted suspension, steering and braking systems on the market, a pro-touring style setup comprising coilover suspension, a triangulated 4-link rear end, power rack and pinion steering, and Wilwood brakes.
All of that is needed to keep the immense power of the engine in check. No less than 750 horsepower comes screaming out of a 6.2-liter GM Performance LT5 engine. It’s a supercharged piece of hardware that works its magic with the help of a Magnum 6-speed manual transmission.
Photo: Barrett-Jackson
This piece of hardware sends the engine’s troop to the road by means of a Ford 9-inch rear end, which spins 20-inch inch Schott billet wheels. They are the same size as the ones at the front, and just like them they are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
To top it all off and handle the engine’s exhaling needs, a custom 3-inch stainless exhaust system with electric cutouts was fitted at the rear.
The interior is impressive in an unlikely way. It wasn’t upgraded and modernized in an unnecessary fashion, as it’s mostly original. It does however pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary model of the late 2000s, and does sport a couple of changes: the fitting of a set of Dakota Digital gauges, and an upgraded Vintage Air air conditioning system.
We found this stunning 1962 Chevrolet Impala waiting to be sold during the Barrett-Jackson auction which will take place at the end of the month in Scottsdale, Arizona. We’re told the car is the result of 1,600 hours of hard work.
It sells complete with the original 1962 manuals and books, but given how it’ll go under the hammer with no reserve, it’s impossible to say how much it is worth
