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This suggestion is for the Chevrolet Impala 4 door hardtop 409 road car from 1962, but by changing the wheels and adding a race number it would be possible to recreate the car driven in 1962 and 1963 by "Storming" Norman Beechey, thus making this suggestion one which should appeal to both cruisers and racers alike.
In 1961 F1 driver Dan Gurney had prepared a two door 409 (6.7 litre) Impala which he planned to use to drive to rounds of the F1 championship in Europe. He also planned to race it in the British Saloon Car Championship on his weekends off. It is hard to imagine today, but in the early 1960's it was virtually standard practise for F1 drivers to race in the BSCC and other championships in saloon cars so grids included Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori and Jack brabham among others.
Dan was leading his first race before retiring with a mechanical failure. He had shown a clean pair of heels to Graham Hill's Jaguar Mark 2, but was not allowed to race again because of a homologation dispute - it is believed that Jaguar put pressure on the organisers. Naturally Dan Gurney was furious! All this was reported in detail in Hot Rod magazine in 1962 a copy of which was read by Australian Touring Car Racer Noman Beechey. For years Bob Jane had been winning the top class in Australia with his Jaguar Mark 2. Norman decided that a Chevrolet Impala would give him the best chance of beating Bob Jane's 3.8 Jag. He had to order a four door because Australian rules then required four doors on any saloon racer with over 1,500cc.
The car was ordered with the highest level of trim including electric windows so that it could be sold off easily in the future as a low mileage one owner road car. In races Norman was fastest down the straights, but Bob Jane had an advantage in the twisty bits due to the lighter weight of his Jaguar. Braking of the Impala was not its strong point and Norman got so fed up of Bob tapping the back of his car that he fitted a tow bar - it's difficult to imagine that being allowed in touring car racing today!
Below Norman Beechey (Impala) leads Bob Jane (Jaguar Mark 2).
The Impala is the only car which in a long career covering 27 cars for which Norman went to the trouble of buying back and restoring to use in historic events:
In 1961 F1 driver Dan Gurney had prepared a two door 409 (6.7 litre) Impala which he planned to use to drive to rounds of the F1 championship in Europe. He also planned to race it in the British Saloon Car Championship on his weekends off. It is hard to imagine today, but in the early 1960's it was virtually standard practise for F1 drivers to race in the BSCC and other championships in saloon cars so grids included Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Roy Salvadori and Jack brabham among others.
Dan was leading his first race before retiring with a mechanical failure. He had shown a clean pair of heels to Graham Hill's Jaguar Mark 2, but was not allowed to race again because of a homologation dispute - it is believed that Jaguar put pressure on the organisers. Naturally Dan Gurney was furious! All this was reported in detail in Hot Rod magazine in 1962 a copy of which was read by Australian Touring Car Racer Noman Beechey. For years Bob Jane had been winning the top class in Australia with his Jaguar Mark 2. Norman decided that a Chevrolet Impala would give him the best chance of beating Bob Jane's 3.8 Jag. He had to order a four door because Australian rules then required four doors on any saloon racer with over 1,500cc.
The car was ordered with the highest level of trim including electric windows so that it could be sold off easily in the future as a low mileage one owner road car. In races Norman was fastest down the straights, but Bob Jane had an advantage in the twisty bits due to the lighter weight of his Jaguar. Braking of the Impala was not its strong point and Norman got so fed up of Bob tapping the back of his car that he fitted a tow bar - it's difficult to imagine that being allowed in touring car racing today!
Below Norman Beechey (Impala) leads Bob Jane (Jaguar Mark 2).
The Impala is the only car which in a long career covering 27 cars for which Norman went to the trouble of buying back and restoring to use in historic events:
