The author decides to use a 1962 Chevrolet Impala for their virtual road trip traveling across the US and through time. They choose this model because of a popular TV commercial from the late 1950s featuring the song "See the USA in Your Chevrolet". The Impala became a separate Chevy model in 1959 and the 1962 model featured styling and suspension changes. The author imagines driving across the country in a lovingly restored 1962 Impala.

1. Roadtrip Dream Ride: The 1962 Chevrolet Impala
By Donald Dale Milne
https://www.roadtrip62.com/Roadtrip-Dream-Ride-The-1962-Chevrolet-Impala.htm
When I decided to write Roadtrip-’62, I had to decide on a car to drive on this virtual roadtrip. Since we’re traveling not only across the USA but also
in time, we needed a time machine. I settled on this beauty of a car: a 1962 Chevrolet Impala. Why that car, I can hear you asking? Well, there's this great old
TV commercial that began airing in the late 1950s with a great theme song, "See The USA In Your Chevrolet". The song was popularized by singer Dinah Shore
on her TV show and on commercials through the mid-1960s. In fact, a few years ago it was named one of the five best advertising jingles of the 20th century.
So I just had to use a Chevy. I thought about a Corvette, because I've always loved the way they look, but then decided on the Impala because I remember
watching them as a kid and loving the multiple tail lights. And besides, my late father-in-law owned a 1965 Impala that he kept restored into the 1990s, so that
was just plain inspirational. And so, I imagine myself driving across the country in a lovely 1962 Chevrolet Impala, lovingly restored to look and run like new,
like this one.
1962 Chevrolet Impala Convertible (Photo by Greg Gjerdingen at Flickr (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/greggjerdingen/ ), licensed under Creative
Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license (see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ ).)

2. The Impala name was first used for the full-sized 1956 General Motors Motorama show car. This concept car used Corvette-like exterior designs. A
standard production car bearing the Impala name was introduced for the 1958 model year, but only as a high-end variation of the Bel Air model. It was so
successful that this long, wide, and luxurious family sedan became a separate Chevy model for 1959. The new Impala had a distinctive "bat wing" trunk lid with
"cat eye" sideways teardrop tail lights that flowed over the fenders. After just a year, the designers removed the cat eyes and went back to the symmetrical triple
circle tail lights that became the hallmark of Impala design. The big change for 1961 was the introduction of the famous Super Sport 409 engine, which created
the first true American muscle car. For our 1962 model year, Impala was given a more subdued, boxy look and changes were made to the suspension. This
produced the “Jet-Smooth”, "velvet soft and whisper quiet" ride that was featured in advertising.
Chevrolet logos from 1962 (from various advertisements in online auctions)
The Impala was produced by General Motors, with parts made in various factories. We had two Chevrolet parts plants and a General Motors foundry in
my hometown, Saginaw, Michigan, so I’m sure some parts came from there. The great 409 engines were built at the Tonawanda Engine Plant in New York
state. And at least some models were assembled in Flint, Michigan. One of my readers, Gerry Godin, sent in the following photo, which he states is an Impala
station wagon being assembled at the old Buick City assembly plant in Flint. The Sloan Museum’s Buick Gallery (see
http://sloanlongway.org/?venue=perryarchives ) in Flint has a 1962 4-door Impala that was also assembled there. Impalas continued to be built in Flint for many
years, with General Motors’ 100 Millionth vehicle being a 1967 Chevy Caprice, also on display at the Buick Gallery. Our US-23 journey passed through both
Saginaw and Flint (see https://www.roadtrip62.com/us-23-day-4-bay-city-mi-flint-mi.htm ), right past these plants. Sadly for the area’s economy, most of these
have been demolished and production moved elsewhere.

3. Building an Impala station wagon at Buick plant #36, Flint Michigan, 1962 (used by permission of Gerry Godin, All Things Buick (see
https://buickcity.blogspot.com/ )
In 1962, Chevrolet was America’s most popular car, with the Impala leading the group. Impala output for 1962 was a whopping 704,900 cars, followed
by 365,000 Bel Air sedans and 160,000 Biscaynes. All were styled similarly, but you could easily tell the lower priced Bel Airs and Biscaynes on the road:
Impalas had three rear tail lights, Bel Airs had two and the Biscaynes had a single rear light. The new 1962 models went on sale in showrooms on September 29,
1961. Chevrolet even introduced a new paint color, “Anniversary Gold”, to help celebrate their 50th
year building cars. This was also the first year for the all-
transistor push-button radio as an extra option. In another change, the Brookwood, Parkwood, and Nomad names used for station wagons in previous years were
retired from Chevrolet models. The “It’s Fifty Years for Chevrolet!” promotional booklet touts 14 full-size car models, including Impala, Bel Air, and Biscayne,
along with the smaller Chevy II, compact Corvair, and sporty Corvette cars, and even Corvair trucks (called wagons). Depending on trim, engine, and other
options, a new Impala cost between $2,662-$3,870, with Bel Airs costing $2,456-$3,029, and Biscaynes coming in at a low $2,324-$2,832.

4. 1962 Chevrolet Impala Station Wagon (Photo from General Motors’ “It’s Fifty Years for Chevrolet!” promotional booklet.)
If we needed service during 1962, there were a lot more Chevy dealers around than there are today. Nearly every small town had one, which probably
helped make it the most poplar car, as you could buy and service one wherever you lived. Since then, General Motors has closed many of the small dealerships
and moved others to the outskirts of larger towns. For example, ABW Chevrolet in Jackson, Georgia closed and the nearest dealer is now 18 miles away in
McDonough, Georgia. Hemlock, Michigan, 15 miles from Saginaw, had a dealer that moved 7 miles to the western fringe of the Saginaw area. Enjoy the
commercial featuring "See The USA In Your Chevrolet" while we wait for service, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Gm_nwzcz0&feature=youtu.be .
Like most models, the Chevy Impala was eventually discontinued. The 1985 model year was the end of the road, until it reappeared as a concept car at
the 1992 L.A. Auto Show! Public reception was so good that it was brought back to showrooms in 1994, but that version only lasted 2 more years. After a four-
year hiatus, GM brought the Impala back a second time in 2000 to take over the discontinued Lumina's position with complete makeover. The modern Impala is
a front-wheel drive model and is no longer offered with any V8 engines. It’s also a lot smaller! My father-in-law had a 1965 Impala, while I drive a 2016
version and there is no comparison. Today’s car would have been called a compact back in the day, whereas it is now known as a full-size car. I can attest to the
fact that the only full-size thing about it is the trunk: it has the largest trunk of any sedan on the road. That’s the main reason I bought one, as I need a big trunk
for all these roadtrips! Recently, Ford and Chrysler have discontinued production of standard sedan cars altogether, as demand has faded due to the popularity of
SUVs, trucks, and cross-over vehicles. General Motors has resisted for awhile, but recently announced the Impala will cease production after the 2020 model
year, with the final vehicles coming off the assembly line in January 2020. Will it return for a fourth run someday?

5. 1962 Chevrolet Impala 4-door magazine advertisement (from online auction)
Perhaps a better choice would have been to buy an original, restored 1962 car? While a frame-off, engine dismantled, fully restored car runs in the
$70,000-$100,000 range, at the other end of the scale, a well-maintained, running example might sell for only $21,000. Both depend on what part of the country
it’s located in. A typical price range I saw was around $40,000, which would not be bad for a car today. And if you want to put an Officially Licensed GM
Restoration Part New Car Sticker on your Impala restoration, they are available, along with many other parts, from Classic Industries of Huntington Beach,
California.
The 1962 Impala was made famous almost immediately by The Beach Boys, as the star of their song that year "409". The “4-speed, dual quad,
Positraction 409” of the song does exist, and I recently saw one for sale for $85,000. By 1963, drag racing had inspired even more good music. I couldn't find
many racing songs clearly from 1962, but by the next year Dick Dale, the Challengers, Jan & Dean, and others had created a whole new genre of music based on
fast cars. Here’s a film of drag racing at Island Dragway, Great Meadows, New Jersey in 1962 which includes a blue 1962 Impala SS 409 and several other 1962
Impalas. I never got into drag racing, but two of my brothers did. I’m still content to continue Roadtrip-’62 in my stock 1962 Chevy Impala…next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8v-oX2_iGA (Music: “Drag City” by Jan & Dean, “Shut Down” by The Beach Boys.)

6. Visit ROADTRIP-'62 ™ ( https://www.roadtrip62.com/index.htm )for more articles.
Or visit us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roadtrip62/119235794845685 ,
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/roadtrip62/ ,
or Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/67972937@N07/page1 .
Author of Roadtrip-'62TM ( https://www.roadtrip62.com/ ), Donald Dale Milne
If you haven’t heard of Roadtrip-62 TM , my name is Don Milne and I'll be your travel guide on this virtual tour of the U. S. of A. First, I suppose you're
wondering why Roadtrip-62 TM is different from other travel sites? There's a very simple answer: everybody else travels only in space, but we also travel in time!
That's right, we don't just go somewhere, we also go somewhen. And the when is 1962. We'll try to see what's left today from 1962, by driving as if it were 1962.
We will drive on highways as they were in 1962, try to eat only at restaurants that existed in 1962, try to stay only at motels that existed in 1962, try to buy gas
and sundries, play the music, see only the sites across America, and just generally live in America as it was in 1962!
What we will do is enjoy the FUN of cross-country driving. And the fun of cross-country travel is all the differences from our everyday life! We'll talk
about politics, food, great inventions, how people lived, television, and more. We'll get to see some of the people that made our history; that made this country
great. We'll stumble across unexpected pleasures, like one trip I made through Cherokee, North Carolina where I just happened to be in town as the 1996
Olympic Torch procession came through on it's way to Atlanta, Georgia. You really never know what you'll find when you travel!

7. 1962-style US-23 signs
Now, let's see where we'll be going! We're going to drive the US-numbered routes of 1962. Because we'll be using the roads of 1962, that means we
won't be on freeways very much. There weren't many freeways in 1962, as the country had just begun building the Interstate system,, so we'll travel mostly the
two-lanes through every little town on the way. Sometimes even where there was a freeway, I'll go back on the old road just to see what was there. Anyway, even
if there was a freeway in 1962, it was only there for a couple of years and things had not changed much. Sometimes a "business route" ran through a town on the
old route, because there were no services at the freeway interchanges yet.
Just in case you're asking why 1962, it's because I remember 1962. I traveled on my first freeway as a boy with my dad about that time, and fell in love
with both travel and freeways. But, besides my own memories and the fact that it was a time largely before interstate freeways, 1962 is just cool...wait and see!
And I'm writing this virtual tour just because I like to drive. I like to go places, see things, and just drive for the joy of driving! I decided I want to talk about it, to
share the fun with others. I'll be doing the driving on Roadtrip-62 TM, but if you see anything you like, I encourage you to get out on the road and enjoy it in
person. This virtual roadtrip may be fun, but there's nothing like the real thing!