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Automotive Lifestyle
AUTOS: Early 1960s Muscle At B-J
A classic 1962 Chevy Biscayne 409 stars among the powerful Detroit creations coming to auction Saturday at Barrett-Jackson Orange County.
Don't let the Plain Jane looks of this 1962 Chevy Biscayne fool you; there's a high-performance 409cid V8 under the hood. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
(This story was originally written by Richard Gray for the Barrett-Jackson Orange County catalog.)
The early to mid-1960s signaled significant cultural change, and nowhere was that more visible than in the automotive industry.
Styling had dominated the automotive landscape of the 1950s, but the early to mid-1960s began a decade of automotive history driven by performance.
Stylists began taking a new direction as war and postwar babies ignored the land cruisers of the late 1950s in favor of huge V8 engines churning massive power and ear-aching exhausts. This new approach needed a style of its own, and cars of the 1960s became more and more masculine to complement the force anchored under the hood.
The government had not yet intervened to place a battery of emissions restrictions on automakers, and manufacturers, attracted by the growing popularity of auto racing on ovals and the quarter mile among young buyers and drooling teenagers, began building cars that could be driven from the showroom to the track.
Three of the icons of this period were the 409, the GTO and the high-performance Mustang.
In mid-year 1961, Chevrolet’s famed 409cid V8 engine stormed onto the scene, and with help from the Beach Boys quickly became entrenched in American pop culture. In September, Chevrolet boosted the power to match the engine displacement one horse for each cubic inch, which is unique to the 1962 model year. Engineers increased the horsepower to 425 for the 1963 model year.
To gain every weight advantage in this environment of “more is more,” serious enthusiasts ordered a stripped, low-end Biscayne fitted with the 409/409hp and dual four-barrel carburetors bolted on top ready for battle. A T-10 4-speed manual with floor-mounted shift and a 4.10 posi-traction differential backed the engine.
An excellent example of this approach is a rotisserie restored 1962 Biscayne offered at No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Orange County Auction on Saturday (Lot #358.1).
“It’s as plain Jane as they come,” said owner and collector Mark Young.
Artisans completed the body-off restoration of the Biscayne about eight or 10 years ago, and the car today is as gleaming as it was then.
The Biscayne is finished in red with standard red cloth interior. It has rubber mats instead of carpeting and no heater. The wheels are painted in the body color and have the small, basic “dog dish” hub caps, also nicknamed “poverty caps.” A tachometer is factory installed on the steering column, and the redline is marked at 6,000.
The original owner did spring for one 10-pound option. “I was surprised it has a radio,” Young said. “You can’t hear it anyway.”
Young can attest that the Biscayne is a beauty of brute force. With foot planted solidly on the floorboard, holding all that power under control with the steering wheel while reaching for the shifter with the other hand and straining against the punishing G-Force “is a day’s work,” he said. “As the speedometer moves right, the gas gauge moves left, and melting the rear tires is easy.”
Massive engines in full-size cars of the early 1960s launched the muscle car era, but the more-is-more approach morphed to meet the growing swell of this new car-cultural phenomenon.
For the model year 1964, and in defiance of General Motor’s corporate dictates, Pontiac released the Tempest sporting a 389cid V8 used in the full-size Bonneville and Catalina. GM had limited engine displacement in mid-size cars to 330cid. But, a loophole allowed Pontiac to release the Tempest GTO — the large engine was an “option.”
Using Ferrari’s GTO designation, which was suggested by Pontiac’s Chief Engineer John DeLorean, outraged the purist, but it excited American buyers.
The GTO package cost $300 (at a time when the average price of a car was about $2,600). Included were twin exhaust, quicker steering and high-performance tires. Buyers had their choice of two engine packages, a four-barrel carburetor producing 325hp or three twin-choke carburetors attaining 348hp.
The GTO far exceeded Pontiac’s expectations. Production was limited to 5,000 cars, yet more than 30,000 sold. The GTO became even more popular in 1965 after more masculine design tweaks of the grille, taillights and front fenders increased sales to more than 75,000. Pontiac dropped the Tempest designation, and GTO became its own brand.
The recently restored 1965 GTO offered at No Reserve (Lot #355) on Saturday is heavily documented and even includes the Protect-O-Plate, a rarity in that the plate was actually a card, a service record that dealers hole-punched until the warranty ended. Most owners threw them away. Their value, however, is their documentation of the VIN, engine and transmission numbers that prove an authentic GTO. This car is also documented by Pontiac Historic Services.
Included is the original owner’s manual, window sticker, DMV registration, a history of service records that document repairs to a rattle in the exhaust system and a leaking timing cover seal. A Sears’ battery receipt indicates the level of record keeping. Another rarity of this car is the color, Iris Mist (lavender), offered only in 1965. The interior is white parchment vinyl.
The original owner chose the 389cid engine mated to a 2-speed automatic with a 3.23 ratio rear end. Options include power steering, Rally wheels with red line Firestone tires, the courtesy light package, remote outside mirror, dual exhaust with splitter, chrome tailpipes, a power radio antenna with rear speaker (a pricey $29.75 option) and a push-button AM radio, a $62 upgrade.
“I bet the guy’s car payment wasn’t $62,” said owner Mark Young.
The early to mid-1960s signaled significant cultural change, and nowhere was that more visible than in the automotive industry.
Styling had dominated the automotive landscape of the 1950s, but the early to mid-1960s began a decade of automotive history driven by performance.
Stylists began taking a new direction as war and postwar babies ignored the land cruisers of the late 1950s in favor of huge V8 engines churning massive power and ear-aching exhausts. This new approach needed a style of its own, and cars of the 1960s became more and more masculine to complement the force anchored under the hood.
The government had not yet intervened to place a battery of emissions restrictions on automakers, and manufacturers, attracted by the growing popularity of auto racing on ovals and the quarter mile among young buyers and drooling teenagers, began building cars that could be driven from the showroom to the track.
Three of the icons of this period were the 409, the GTO and the high-performance Mustang.
In mid-year 1961, Chevrolet’s famed 409cid V8 engine stormed onto the scene, and with help from the Beach Boys quickly became entrenched in American pop culture. In September, Chevrolet boosted the power to match the engine displacement one horse for each cubic inch, which is unique to the 1962 model year. Engineers increased the horsepower to 425 for the 1963 model year.
To gain every weight advantage in this environment of “more is more,” serious enthusiasts ordered a stripped, low-end Biscayne fitted with the 409/409hp and dual four-barrel carburetors bolted on top ready for battle. A T-10 4-speed manual with floor-mounted shift and a 4.10 posi-traction differential backed the engine.
An excellent example of this approach is a rotisserie restored 1962 Biscayne offered at No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Orange County Auction on Saturday (Lot #358.1).
“It’s as plain Jane as they come,” said owner and collector Mark Young.
Artisans completed the body-off restoration of the Biscayne about eight or 10 years ago, and the car today is as gleaming as it was then.
The Biscayne is finished in red with standard red cloth interior. It has rubber mats instead of carpeting and no heater. The wheels are painted in the body color and have the small, basic “dog dish” hub caps, also nicknamed “poverty caps.” A tachometer is factory installed on the steering column, and the redline is marked at 6,000.
The original owner did spring for one 10-pound option. “I was surprised it has a radio,” Young said. “You can’t hear it anyway.”
Young can attest that the Biscayne is a beauty of brute force. With foot planted solidly on the floorboard, holding all that power under control with the steering wheel while reaching for the shifter with the other hand and straining against the punishing G-Force “is a day’s work,” he said. “As the speedometer moves right, the gas gauge moves left, and melting the rear tires is easy.”
Massive engines in full-size cars of the early 1960s launched the muscle car era, but the more-is-more approach morphed to meet the growing swell of this new car-cultural phenomenon.
For the model year 1964, and in defiance of General Motor’s corporate dictates, Pontiac released the Tempest sporting a 389cid V8 used in the full-size Bonneville and Catalina. GM had limited engine displacement in mid-size cars to 330cid. But, a loophole allowed Pontiac to release the Tempest GTO — the large engine was an “option.”
Using Ferrari’s GTO designation, which was suggested by Pontiac’s Chief Engineer John DeLorean, outraged the purist, but it excited American buyers.
The GTO package cost $300 (at a time when the average price of a car was about $2,600). Included were twin exhaust, quicker steering and high-performance tires. Buyers had their choice of two engine packages, a four-barrel carburetor producing 325hp or three twin-choke carburetors attaining 348hp.
The GTO far exceeded Pontiac’s expectations. Production was limited to 5,000 cars, yet more than 30,000 sold. The GTO became even more popular in 1965 after more masculine design tweaks of the grille, taillights and front fenders increased sales to more than 75,000. Pontiac dropped the Tempest designation, and GTO became its own brand.
The recently restored 1965 GTO offered at No Reserve (Lot #355) on Saturday is heavily documented and even includes the Protect-O-Plate, a rarity in that the plate was actually a card, a service record that dealers hole-punched until the warranty ended. Most owners threw them away. Their value, however, is their documentation of the VIN, engine and transmission numbers that prove an authentic GTO. This car is also documented by Pontiac Historic Services.
Included is the original owner’s manual, window sticker, DMV registration, a history of service records that document repairs to a rattle in the exhaust system and a leaking timing cover seal. A Sears’ battery receipt indicates the level of record keeping. Another rarity of this car is the color, Iris Mist (lavender), offered only in 1965. The interior is white parchment vinyl.
The original owner chose the 389cid engine mated to a 2-speed automatic with a 3.23 ratio rear end. Options include power steering, Rally wheels with red line Firestone tires, the courtesy light package, remote outside mirror, dual exhaust with splitter, chrome tailpipes, a power radio antenna with rear speaker (a pricey $29.75 option) and a push-button AM radio, a $62 upgrade.
“I bet the guy’s car payment wasn’t $62,” said owner Mark Young.
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