1965 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop

Description

Many are familiar with the incredible story of Lambrecht Chevrolet, specifically the huge 'Field of Dreams' survivor auction held there in 2013 that sold off over 500 incredibly preserved vehicles. Lambrecht Chevrolet was a small "Mom-and-Pop" dealership run by a literal Mom-and-Pop (Ray Lambrecht and his wife) and one mechanic from 1946-1996. Mr. Lambrecht was a proud American from "The Greatest Generation" and among his eccentricities was an axiom from which he never swayed – to only sell brand new cars. That meant that every trade-in, every new car that went unsold when the calendar turned over, and any new car that Mr. Lambrecht didn't feel like selling was stored out of sight, and never offered for sale. That's until 2013 when they decided to reopen the dealership to have the world bid on what was probably the largest collection of survivor-grade cars, most of which were collector-grade Chevrolets, ever assembled. That's exactly where this incredibly special 1965 Chevrolet Impala Hardtop hails from.

In 2013, this '65 Impala was sold from the Lambrecht collection still on its factory M.S.O. and with only 5 original miles on the clock, after which it was then sold to the current owner with a scant 16.2 miles. After a mishap with a car cover rendered the original finish damage beyond repair, the current owner elected to professionally repaint this time capsule and upgrade a few crucial components – mostly suspension, brakes, and steering – completing the work in 2022 in time to offer the vehicle for sale with only 96 miles on the odometer. The original Code K Artesian Turquoise was faithfully refinished with basecoat/clearcoat urethane paint that shines better than it did in 1965, ostensibly giving this 'new' car a whole new lease on life. The paintwork was finished to a very high standard, darn near perfect if not for a couple of very minor imperfections – most of which could easily be remedied with a professional cut-and-buff. The bodywork is laser straight, the gaps line up factory-perfect, and all the glass and rubber is in excellent shape, too. All the chrome and brightwork shines up insanely bright with nary a flaw to speak of – boasting the rarely seen benefits of untouched American steel polished to an almost unreal luster – and even the badges and lenses all look new. By pretty much any measure, this Imp looks better today than it did rolling off the factory floor, although the paint in the door jambs and engine bay is still all original yet looks new because those parts of the car were hermetically sealed and protected from the elements for decades. That makes this Impala, and the other Lambrecht Chevys that were auctioned off and subsequently restored, incredibly unique and loaded with an unparalleled amount of preservation and history.

That unprecedented originality continues with the Aqua interior, where everything is 100% original aside from the carpet and the driver's seatback vinyl trim. The ornate cloth-and-vinyl upholstery on the benches is in great shape, showing deeper detail than reproduction seat covers, along with a bare minimum of wear with less than a 100 miles logged. We struggle to put into words just how unique of a find this original Impala really is, and when you're sitting inside this big muscle car you're instantly transformed back to 1965. The two-tone steering wheel is a gorgeous accent and frames the wide speedometer and symmetrical instrument panel, and all that woodgrain applique and brightwork (which admittedly shows a tiny bit of patina) on the gorgeous dash is, you guessed it, original. This particular car was ordered with very few options, no A/C or radio, in fact all you really get is a heater/defrost unit, lap belts up front, and a set of color-keyed vinyl floormats. And as you might expect with a brand new car, everything this Impala is still 100% operational. Even the trunk, which is massive, still carries its original spatter paint, plaid mat, and bias-ply spare.

Although it was ordered light on options, this Impala never lacked for power. Under the hood the numbers-matching 396 V8 still holds court, topped with a factory Holley 4-barrel carburetor and boasting 325 horsepower. It starts, runs, and drives better than it did when it logged it's first 5 miles in 1965, and the presentation is INSANELY clean and tidy with original Chevy Orange enamel on the block, original satin-black paint on the firewall and inner fenders, and original components throughout. The chrome air cleaner and valve covers add flash, the '396' decals put everyone on notice, and even the hoses have clear GM markings that haven't faded. Keen eyes will note the upgrades like the gel-cell battery, the power brake booster, and the power steering system. Underneath, the preservation continues with a rust-free presentation that boasts factory undercoating and markings still in place. With plans to actually drive this car, all new bushings, a new AGM power steering system, and braking system with power front discs were all installed. The suspension is new and upgraded as well, with tubular control arms, boxed rear trailing arms, an adjustable panhard bar, and a rear swaybar all from UMI Performance working together to make this Impala handle like a dream. That's a new factory-replacement dual exhaust as well, and it unbelievably still has original Walker stickers on the tailpipes. A TH400 3-speed automatic transmission handles the big block with ease, spinning a factory 12-bolt rear end with 2.89 gears that's ready for the highway. Rally wheels wrapped in 225/70/15 General radials are a welcomed upgrade, although the original wheels, bias-plys, and brake, steering, and suspension parts go with the sale.

Loaded with provenance, this is one of the best documented and low-mileage classic we've ever featured. And it has such a cool story, give us a call so we can share it with you. Call today!