1962

In the days when the Big 3 were still, well, big, we previewed the best rides of the upcoming year based on speed, design, comfort and engine in the cars from GM, Ford and Chrysler. For the record, although the ’63 Chevy Impala went to rectilinear styling, the ’62 model already had the 409 hp big block V8, immortalised in a Beach Boys song that reportedly ignited the hot rod music craze of the 1960s.