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 When Detroit went racing and took to the strip in the 1960s, it was a
game of cubic inches, compression and carburetors - the more you had,
the better. Of course, when it came to weight, less was better. Combine
the strength training with a bit of a diet and you had a winning
combination.
Scheduled for auction at the Mecum Original Spring Classic in Indianapolis, the 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air
pictured here has a lightweight aluminum front end to go along with its
dual-quad 409hp 409-cu.in. V-8 and four-speed transmission. It's
believed-to-be-accurate 574 miles on the odometer and Mickey Thompson
slicks make it appear that the Bel Air earned every one of those miles
the hard way - 1,320 feet at a time. With its unrestored condition and
matching numbers drivetrain, the Bel Air should draw plenty of attention
at Indy.
Chevrolet built 365,500 Bel Airs in 1962, but only a few thousand
were two-door, pillarless bubble-top coupes, whose curves were a
carryover from 1961 and a stark contrast to the squared-off, upmarket
Impala coupes. Even more rare was the factory RPO587 option 409-cu.in.
engine with dual Carter AFB carburetors, a forged crankshaft, solid
lifters and lightweight valvetrain for a cool one horsepower per cubic
inch rating of 409hp. Pushing into the rarefied air of very low
double-digit production numbers, this Bel Air wears a lightweight
aluminum front end consisting of inner and outer fenders, hood and fan
shroud. Because Chevrolet published no definitive production information
on these cars, actual production numbers are impossible to truly
verify. Likewise, the aluminum parts were available over the counter,
albeit likely in very, very limited quantities.
<--1962 Chevrolet Bel Air 409/409. Images courtesy of Mecum Auctions
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Re: Super-low Mileage 409/409 Chevrolet Bel Air
