This 1962 Chevy Impala Went For Over $200K At Auction And We Can See Why

To the uninitiated, the idea of a very basic-looking, stripped-down Chevy Impala with steel wheels selling for over $200,000 at auction might seem absurd. There's no doubt that the Chevy Impala, with its long and impressive history, is an icon. Yet it is also still a bit of an everyman's machine and not something you typically expect to sell for that kind of money — especially an example that's so mundane-looking. However, those with an understanding of the early 1960s era of American street and drag strip performance know that these models were, in reality, purpose-built drag racing monsters that ranked among some of the most impressive muscle cars ever built by Chevy.

That's precisely the case with the 1962 Chevrolet Impala SS 409 Factory Lightweight that Richmond Auctions recently sold for an impressive sum of $220,000. It's a rare slice of early '60s GM racing history and a perfect example of the well-disguised, special-ordered drag strip specials that Detroit's automakers were scheming up in the years before the more street-oriented muscle car era really kicked off. In addition to the fact that this Chevy is powered by the storied 409 engine, there are several other features that justify that eye-watering price for both Chevy aficionados and drag racing historians alike. 

The Chevrolet 409 engine is the stuff of legend, immortalized by a song from The Beach Boys and feared by its competition on the street and drag strips alike. This Impala, factory rated at a conservative 425 horsepower (but in reality likely pushing more than that), takes the legend of the 409 to another level. It is one of only 18 Z-11 Lightweight Impalas that Chevy built in 1962, and one of only two examples known to be surviving today. The odometer shows just over 6,000 miles, including some mileage that was put on the car during its years of drag racing around the country.

The Lightweight designation meant a lot more than just stripping out unnecessary equipment like a radio or heater (neither of which this car has). It also meant swapping out stamped steel body panels for aluminum ones, including the hood and front fenders. In the video above, muscle car expert and historian Steve Magnante shows off some of the things that make this particular Impala so noteworthy. Steve estimates the car would run a quarter-mile in the 12-second range, which is still impressive today, let alone by the standards of 1962. It may look like grandma's old Chevy to casual observers, but that modest suit conceals what's actually an extremely rare and valuable piece of 1960s racing history.