To celebrate its 50th anniversary in the car business, Chevrolet mixed up a batch of Anniversary Gold paint (code 927) and applied it to a limited number of Impala Sport Coupes. Estimates peg the number of Chevies finished that way to be between 300 and 350 units, although some sources say it was more widely available. It would even extend into the 1963 model year. This 1962 Impala has been in the same family since new and sports a sharp 927 paint job, though there is some rust in the rear quarter panels. Located in Mooresville, Indiana, this special Bow-Tie is available here on eBay where bidders have raised the ante to $18,000.
While Chevrolet was formed as a company in 1911, its first production automobile didn’t materialize until 1912, so 1962 was the most logical time to celebrate 50 years. The Impala was the flagship of the GM division, so the Impala (including ones in Super Sport trim) was chosen to carry the celebration. Supposedly the Sport Coupe with the new formal roof was the only selection, but there is reason to believe a few convertibles wore Anniversary Gold paint, too. Supposedly each Chevy dealer was eligible to carry just one example of the car, but we understand it was wider spread than that.
Not only does this car celebrate Chevy’s then 50th, but it also has its own anniversary with the same family who bought it 60 years ago. The car was pampered but saw the appropriate amount of use as we’re told the odometer would read 116,000 miles if it had a sixth significant digit. It comes with Chevrolet’s most popular engine, the 2-barrel version of the 327 V8 that produced 250 hp. It’s paired with a 2-speed automatic transmission, the Powerglide. No mention is made if either component has ever been taken apart.
While the interior looks perfect and hardly used, the body has some rust and we’re not sure if the paint is original. The quarters have rust starting to pop through and there is a hole in the frame that’s only going to get bigger if left unattended. The seller suggests the car needs restoring, but we hope that can be avoided with some spot work instead. Whatever the case, this Chevy looks like a heck of a car to have in any collection.
I never knew of the Gold edition until I joined BF years ago. It is amazing how they come up now and then, from great shape like this, to rust buckets. This is sweet.
This is the first one of these ’62 Impala 50th Anniversary models that I recall having the factory 327 motor and that is not a rust bucket.
Another potential Low Rider…
lots of them had 327s but in 1962 there was never a 327 with a 2 Barrell the 250 hp had a 4 Barrell it was also the base engine in the Corvette that year the 2 Barrell 327 did not come till 1967 had a 1963 with 327 250 hp 4 Barrell 4 speed
Correct, the 1967 Camaro was the first 2 barrel 327, rated at 210 horsepower.
you are correct
just to add there was a 2 Barrell v8 but it was the 283 in 1962 at 195 hp
My first car (in 1968) was a Chevy Impala sports coup with the 283 2bbl. It was rated at 170 hp.
283 2 barrel from that era was 195 HP. What year did you have?
My neighbor had a 62 Convertible Impala.
Gold, gold vinyl interior, 327, 4 speed.
Great car!!!
WOW! My mom bought one of these new in ’62 from Needham Chevrolet in Latrobe, Pa! What a flashback!!
The 250 hp engine had a Rochester 4 barrel. The 300 hp had a Carter AFB.
I loved the 300hp 327!
While all 327/300’s used the Carter AFB, 327/250’s used the Carter WCFB on Corvette engines, and I think either a WCFB or a Rochester 4GC on passenger car engines.
A friend of mine has a very nice Anniversary Gold 62 Super Sport with a 327//250 Powerglide that he converted to a 4 speed.
There was also one 62 Corvette painted Anniversary Gold.
I bought one of these in 1968 for $500 that was in mint condition.
The owner had passed and the car had been parked in a garage for several years. Put on a new set of rubber, and a battery and it was good to go. We knew it was an anniversary car, but to us it was just dependable transportation for my last two years of college. We sold it to another college kid, and bought my first new automobile a 70 olds cutlass 350 with a four speed upon graduation.
So did I buy one for $600, EXCEPT; it had a 327, 365 HP ++ motor with 12.5 to 1 compression, head work and 2/5″ exhaust, which was put into the 6 cylinder original car and the 2.92 rear stayed in it which was a non Posi-traction original rear with the 2.92 final drive ratio in the rear end. It probably went 140 to 150 MPH . IT ran even with new 1969 new 396 / 425 BHP showroom new, Chevelle Malibu ( which was bad ass black ) with a456 Posi rear. When we drag raced and ran almost even or won sometimes or lost by a car length or two depending on the tire spinning when we started, which I had big problem with. LOL The car pulled to 7500 RPM and turned 26MPH per 1000RPM. It made dotted lines on highway solid ! 12.2 in the quarter mile with no bite off the line on quarter mile real drag strip on Long Island, which is gone now.
The 327 250 is historically in the 1963 full sized Chevrolet sedan 2 door. I had one of those alos. No where near the rocket the 62 was. My speed bum from 1967 is still at the school I went to. I bruned out there every day and used a Right / Rear tire monthly. LOL !!
Did not not of a 62 327 having a 2 barrell 250 h p thinking they were all 4 barrell .
the 327 in 62 never had a 2 Barrell they were all 4 barrells even the 250 hp in ,1967 there was a 210 hp 327 with a 2 Barrell
My middle school coach had one – had a pale yello interior!!
SOLD for $20,877.
The Anniversary Gold color question: It comes up nearly every time one of these is shown on any site, and the answers given are generally incorrect. While there were apparently a FEW produced early on as SS hts which were promoted as Anniversary cars for ‘dealer demos’, the color RPO 927 was available as a regular color choice for Impalas in the second half of the model year. The SS ht or convert, Impala (non-SS) 2 dr ht, convert OR Sport Sedan (4 dr ht) could be had in this color. I know as I owned an Anniversary Gold Sport Sedan for a number of years. While black may have been an interior choice, every one I can recall had the gold (Chevy-speak, but actually yellow) interior. My Anniversary Gold Sport Sedan was not the only one around here either. A customer at the service station at which I worked during college and afterwards had one as well. Even tho’ it was an RPO Impala color, I never saw a 4 dr sedan or wagon in Anniversary Gold, only 2 & 4 dr hts and converts. As for being carried over into 63, the VERY FEW Anniversary Gold 63s made late in the 63 model year appeared to have a slightly different gold color. I’m only going by memory on this since I only saw one–again, a customer at the service station at which I worked had a 63 SS coupe w/black vinyl top and black interior. That is the only ‘Anniversary Gold’ 63 I ever saw. Info on those seems to be hard to verify. RPO 927 in 62 was NOT limited to Impala SSs or to the 2dr hts and converts only. That is a fallacy.
Saw 3 back in 1962. One convertible and two hardtop, all Impalas, no SS’s out of the three and all yellow interiors. Had 2 1962’s, a Fawn Beige in 1962 and a green in 1964-1970. Both 283 PG’s. Great cars.
That’s for sure a 4 barrel under that breather and as others have pointed out there was no 2 barrel option in 62 (the first year for the 327) on the 327. The 327- 250 hp was a single 4 barrel Rochester. Blowing up the pic to look it gets fuzzy but I think I see wires on the choke T stat. If so, that’s not original for sure. No electric chokes that far back. Could still be original Rochester with updated choke cover.
I had one that had a 6 cylinder with a stick shifter back in 1964
There was no 327 2 Barrel engine until 1967. The 250HP 327 in 62 was indeed a 4 Barrel engine.