Classic commercial for the 1962 Chevrolet lineup showcases the sporty attitude of the brand by focusing on rear-engine Corvair Monza Spider.
The odds are good that when you hear the Chevrolet Corvair name, you think of Ralph Nader’s declaration of the car being “unsafe at any speed.” However, back in 1962, the Corvair was a cornerstone of the Chevy lineup. With the unique rear-engine construction, the Corvair offered a better combination of road handling and ride quality than many smaller American cars. The Monza Spider package added extra power, thanks to a turbocharger setup. This forced induction package lifted the output of the horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine from 102 horsepower to 150 horsepower, and while that might not sound like a great deal of power by today’s standards – that 47% increase in power went a long way in bolstering the performance spirit of the car.
The Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spider offered excellent performance with a low price, years before the Camaro would reach the lineup with the same basic approach – except with a more tradition front engine configuration and a variety of V8 engines. In 1962, the Corvair was the affordable performance car while the Corvette was the premium performance model, but according to this classic advertisement, the other models in the Chevy lineup back then also displayed that fun to drive factor.
In addition to showing the Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spider being tested by jumping over other cars, this commercials highlights how the other Chevy models exhibited the same sporty spirit as the Corvair and Corvette. This included the larger Impala, which is shown in a handful of different forms, and the compact Chevy II Nova. The commercial even shows the Impala suspension setup being tested while the guy in the driver’s seat lights a cigarette – that is how smooth the ride was for the time.
What might be the most surprising feature of this 1962 Chevrolet lineup commercial is the video quality, as the footage in the video below is 55 years old and honestly, it looks better than many of the commercials from the 1980s.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
