This is the Hooniverse Weekend Edition, and a couple of weeks ago I did a series of postings celebrating cars that just turned 25 years old (Born in 1987). This weekend, I decided to set the “Way-Back” machine to 1962, celebrating cars that have turned 50 years old. 1962 was an exciting time in car crazed America, as there were at least five carmaking concerns still around and defined as domestic companies, the European invasion was ever growing with cars from Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and the UK shipped over in ever increasing quantities, and the Japanese invasion was just beginning to show it’s might. The car choices were plentiful, with the domestics producing everything from Compacts to Luxury Cars, and the beginnings of a new class of car/truck, the Sports Utility. So, lets get started with a sampling of various cars and trucks that were available then, and are available now via eBay.

Starting off is this magnificent 1962 Mercury Monterey Sedan that has just been through somewhat of a restoration. The 292 V-8 has been rebuilt, and has only a little over 4,000 miles on it since the rebuild. The seller installed new brakes, a new radiator, as well as a new interior. And look here, there is also a new coat of deep red paint, which makes you wonder why anyone would spend the money on what was a fairly common car back in 1962. We are glad they did, as this Mercury shows all the distinctive touches that set it apart from the very similar Ford Galaxie counterpart. What is really unique to this car is the V-8, and a Three-Speed Manual! With a little over three days to go, the bidding has stalled to $1,525, with an unmet reserve. What do you think this gem will go for? See the listing here, and tell me what you think of this Monterey.

A new competitor to the Mercury Monterey appeared in 1962 from Chrysler, called the 300 Series. Chrysler has had a model names the 300 since 1955, but they were always a series of performance based coupes and convertibles, with a pricetag rivaling Cadillac, Lincoln and Buick. Chrysler decided to take some of that cache generated by the 300 moniker, and produce a series of stylish and affordable coupes, convertibles, and sedans that would appeal to the upwardly mobile young car buyer. The 300 letter series continued, selling alongside these cheaper versions, in ever dwindling numbers. The 300 series replaced the Chrysler Windsor, and along with the new Chrysler 5-year warranty, sales were brisk.

This particular 300 Series Sedan has only traveled around 17,000 during its lifetime, so we can fully appreciate some of the details. Chrysler was building cars to the beat of a different drummer back then, and offered items like a push-button automatic transmission, a rear-view mirror mounted on the dashboard, and a slightly higher seat-back for the driver. This car is a 4-door hardtop model, without the “B” pillar. Chrome was still in use, but on the 300, it was a bit more restrained. The fins were gone, and it looked a bit more conservative than any Chrysler before. This would be the last year for this particular bodystyle, as the 1963 models would take Chrysler in a new styling direction under Elwood Engel. With a little over 5-days to go, the bidding has stalled at $10,000, with a Buy-it-Now price of $15,999. Take a look at the listing here, and see if you would pay anywhere near that price for this cheaper 300 Series Chrysler.

General Motors competition for the Chrysler 300 and the Mercury Monterey was handled by Pontiac (In the form of the Ventura, Catalina, or Bonneville), Buick (Invicta, LeSabre, or Wildcat), and by Oldsmobile with the 88 Series (Dynamic 88, Super 88, and Starfire). This is a Dynamic 88 hardtop sedan, equipped with the 394 cid Rocket V8 with Ultra-High compression, and a 2bbl Rochester Carb. It also has the 3-speed Roto-Hydramatic Transmission (even if the seller stated it has a 2-speed transmission) and wonder of wonders, Air Conditioning. The seller has replaced various items and it seems to be in great condition with 88,000 miles under it’s belt. No bids as of yet, but the Buy-it-Now price is a reasonable $3,100. Go here to view the listing, and tell me if this Oldsmobile is worth the asking price.

Say you are one of those individuals that thinks Oldsmobiles, Buicks, Mercurys, and Chryslers are just too fancy-schmantzy, and really just want a car that is reasonably comfortable, not all that fast but can still travel on those new Interstate Highways, and is reasonably dependable. Well, here is a 1962 Chevrolet Bel-Air Sedan, which is not quite the lowest priced Chrvrolet offering for 1962, but it is close. The Bel-Air received full carpeting for the interior as standard equipment in 1962, so it really didn’t come across as a base vehicle. This car has the 235.5 CID inline six cylinder engine, with a 2-speed Powerglide. It is mostly original, including a set of period correct wheelcovers, and OEM tail light lenses. Mileage is showing 81,000 miles, and the bidding has stalled at $3,051.56, with an unmet reserve. This is a pretty basic car, but it won’t be all that expensive to keep in this condition. See the listing, and tell me is this is the 50 year old car after your heart.

OK, since this is Hooniverse, how about something from left field. This is a 1962 Volvo PV-544 that has received an amateur Father/Son restoration, but now needs to find a new home. This Volvo has the B18 4-cylinder engine, an SU carburetor, and is equipped with a 4 speed manual transmission. The upholstery is done, the car runs strong, the undersides appear normal, but there are still a couple of things that need work. This is a very unorthodox 1962 car compared with the others, and this car was produced alongside the lovely P1800 (introduced in 1961). Bidding ends this weekend, with the top bis as of this writing of $3,600 with an unmet reserve. Mileage is an unknown, and I wonder if this is really worth that amount of money, but take a look at the listing, and you tell me what you think.

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