10 Cylinders and Front-Wheel Drive: A 1962 Chevy Impala Prototype

Countless General Motors test vehicles never see the light of day. Take this one: a 1962 Chevy Impala with a flat-10 engine and front-wheel drive.

It’s said this unusual project came to pass in 1961 as Chevrolet engineering was developing an improved, second-generation version of the Corvair air-cooled six that employed integrated cylinder jugs and heads (in part to control oil leaks). In order to justify the cost of a new engine, Frank Winchell’s engineering staff studied a wider range of applications for the Corvair’s air-cooled, pancake architecture, constructing four-cylinder, eight-cylinder, and ultimately, a 10-cylinder experimental engine that displaced 300 cubic inches. On paper at least, the flat-10 should be reasonably smooth and good for an easy 250 hp. Reportedly, there was even a 12-cylinder version that existed in drawings.

Meanwhile, GM was also in the early stages of development in a new front-wheel drive system that would eventually appear in the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. So the flat-10 engine was coupled to a front-drive transaxle adapted from Corvair and Pontiac Tempest components and then turned 180 degrees so the engine was out front. This powertrain was then installed in a 1962 Chevy Impala Sport Coupe, and an extended hood and front fender assembly was constructed in fiberglass to cover the hardware. As implausible as it may seem, the front/rear weight distribution of this unusual setup was said to be acceptable.

While the long-nosed Impala was no thing of great beauty, it evidently served its purpose as a test mule for the flat-10 engine and front-drive system. But the second-generation Corvair engine family was never sent into production, so the project was concluded and as the story goes, the car was scrapped soon after.

• 10 Cylinders and Front-Wheel Drive: A 1962 Chevy Impala Prototype
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