427 SS convertible, Protect-O-Plate, #’s matching, GM executive car
special HISTORY is
entirely documented
Best pedigree possible …… ALL DOCUMENTED including the 35,511 original Miles
!!!!
A true “Brass Hat” (built for a GM executive) internally ordered “427 Super Sport”
Impala convertible !
Special Ordered by General Motor’s “Southwest Zone Manager”, Robert Chandler.
This was to be Mr. Chandler’s last company car provided by Chevrolet on an open MSO in his role as a corporate
executive with GM. Within months of taking delivery of his 427 Impala, Mr. Chandler received his own GM Agency/Dealership
in Paris, Missouri called Van Pragg - Chandler Chevrolet & Oldsmobile.
As a GM executive, Mr.
Chandler was well aware of the coming introduction of Chevrolet’s new top weapon and now famous 427. Simply put,
he submitted an internal order for the ultimate Impala Super Sport Convertible that would be hard “loaded” with
options and have a high impact color combination all intended to showcase the new and mighty 390 horse power 427.
And what a special car it turned out to be !
A beautiful Tropic Turquoise with two tone turquoise Bucket Seat
interior SUPER SPORT loaded with rare OPTIONS. Full power car with Power Windows, Power Top, Power Steering and Power Brakes.
The car also came with ultra rare Factory Air Conditioning, Am/Fm Radio with very COOL Multiplex Stereo, Rear Speaker option,
Deluxe “simulated” Magnesium Wheels, front and rear Bumper Guards, full Tinted Glass, deluxe Seat Belts, brushed
aluminum Console, and the ultra cool “Stacked Gauges” that are unique to 1966.
But what really separates
this special order Super Sport Convertible from the others is the high performance driveline in a combination available for
the FIRST time, which included the heavy duty12 bolt rear end and heavy duty Turbo 400 tranny mated to the 427 power plant
- ALL of which are still ORIGINAL and NUMBERS MATCHING to the car! Representing a vast improvement over the out dated 409
powerglide Impalas, the “427 Impalas” are truly the crème-de-la-crème of classic Impala MUSCLE,
and the 427 Convertibles are among the best investments in the collector car world.
Mr. Chandler would log
only 2,000 miles on the odometer as a GM executive before he would leave GM and sell the car at the grand opening of his newly
opened GM dealership to its ONE and ONLY registered owner for the next 42 years, Mr. Dick Eckman. The car comes with a video
interview with Mr. Eckman discussing the history of this car.
The Pro-tect-O plate shows the car going from Mr.
Chandler’s dealership to Dick Eckman.
Mr. Eckman purchased the car for pleasure only and never used
it as primary transportation. From 1966 to 2008 (42 YEARS), Mr. Eckman would drive the car a mere 32,522 additional
pampered miles bringing the total mileage to 34,522 at the time I purchased it. Until I purchased the car, it had only left
the state of Missouri once and that was on Mr. Eckman’s honeymoon. I did a video interview with Mr. Eckman in
which he gives some history and confirms the low mileage. That interview will go to the purchaser of this car along with the
interview of Mr. Chandler’s son, the Pro-tect-o plate and ALL the documentation items listed below. This car has
incredible provenance including living documentation.
Unlike 99% of the rare cars out there, this car is documented
by LIVING history, factory documents, dealer documents, video testimony, interviews and other items including newspaper clippings
on the Grand Opening of Mr. Chandlers dealership. Mr. Chandler passed away a few years ago, so I was unable to meet
him. I did read in Automotive News where Mr. Chandler would ultimately go on to retire as Fleet Manger of American Motors.
I interviewed Mr. Chandler’s son as well as one of Mr. Chandler’s original employees at the former dealership
who has known the car, Mr. Chandler and Mr. Eckman since 1966. If all of this were not enough, Nancy Stone, President
of the Monroe County (Missouri) Historical Society where this car lived its entire life, personally knows the car, Mr. Eckman,
and the history of Robert Chandler’s dealership.
OPTIONS (options, options & more
options)
Super Sport Package (still a “separate” package that had to be individually
ordered)
Mechanically EXCELLENT in every way with boat loads of
torque…it just keeps on pulling.
The shifts are perfect and the car is super smooth and “quiet”
just like the factory intended it to be. You can drive it with the palm of one hand and enjoy it on the hottest of days
with the ice cold AC. The car does NOT run hot.
One repaint in the original Tropic Turquoise color in 1992.
I would describe the paint job as a very presentable local show / driver quality job. It is slick and has a nice highly
reflective gloss. It is more comparable to the quality that this car would have had when it was new – not today’s
show car best. It still has the original paint in the door jambs and under the deck lid. The body panels are original
and all appear to be completely rust FREE including the original Floors. Only a small portion of the very lowest part
of the rear QTR drops behind the rear wheels were replaced in the repaint.
The interior is substantially original
and excellent for its age. Only the front buckets have been recovered. There is some of the patina you would expect from a
car that is 42 years old including some sun fade on the top part of the rear seat and 2 small cracks in the dash at the far
edges. The boot is also original and has hardened on the edges as original boots this age always do. All the gauges
work, as does the original sound system. The top is nice and goes up and down with no issues and the Power Windows operate
properly. The AC still works and its COLD, however it has to be serviced every year due to a slow leak.
This is
a low mileage car that has been lovingly maintained as new since new. It has always been a garaged car. It has not been
passed around and it has never been abused. The experience behind the wheel is much as it would have been when the car
was new.
RARITY & PROVENANCE
The 1966 is the FIRST and the RAREST of the sought after
“427 Impala SS Convertibles”. It is also interesting to note that the 1966 427 had a higher horse power
rating than the 67 and 68’s.
There always seems to be a few 67’s, 68’s and 69’s on the
market at any point and time, but you can go years and never see a REAL documented numbers matching 1966 427 Impala SS convertible.
Although Chevrolet did not keep records that document the exact number of 427 “Impalas” built in 1966,
it was a small number and even a smaller number of those would have been “Super Sports”, and the smallest number
of all would have also been “Convertibles” (all three of these items were still separate options in 1966).
The estimates I hear are always in the 100 and less range – with emphasis always on “LESS”. Whatever
the count is, I am confident that the number that survived these 42 years in the hands of the FIRST registered owner, that
are ALSO still substantially original, that have documented low mileage, are all numbers matching, and have “iron clad”
documentation could probably be counted on ONE HAND – most likely one finger.
It is not hard to conclude
that this Brass Hat 427 convertible is truly a one of a kind car that belongs in a Museum or in the hands of a preservationist
minded collector.
DOCUMENTAION COMES WITH THE CAR ….Original Pro-Tect-O Plate….going
from Robert Chandler’s dealership to Dick Eckman ….Title still in the Eckman name ….video interview
with Mr. Eckman ….notes from telephone interview with Robert Chandler’s son ….notes from telephone
interview with 1966 employee at Chandler’s Chevrolet dealership ….notes from telephone interview with local
Historical Society President who knows the car, knows the Chandler connection and knows
personally Dick Eckman ….Phone numbers to all parties interviewed above ….1966 Paris Missouri “newspaper
article” on Grand opening of Mr. Chandler’s dealership ….Original owner’s manual and other original
factory documents ….1992 Missouri vehicle registration certificate documenting 31,116 miles ….Picture
of Mr. Eckman standing by the car the day it left his care of 42 years ….Pictures of Mr. Eckman showing the car
at the June ’05 Anchorfest car show ….Pictures autographed by Mr. Eckman holding the Pro-tect-o plate,
etc ….A disc with all the pictures and video in this ad
WHAT IS IT WORTH ?
REAL, documented numbers matching “427 Impala Super Sport CONVERTIBLES”
have not even begun to hit their value potential AND this car in many ways is one of the most notable and verifiable ones
in existence regardless of the year.
I have seen 67’s & 68’s, most of which were lesser cars in
some “value point” or another, sell in the $70k to $100k range. This car is rarer than the 67/68’s.
I simply have never seen, or even heard rumors of, an even remotely comparable 1966 in terms of notable and limited owner
history, low mileage originality, numbers matching with documentation and the boat load of options. I am aware of three
recorded auctions of 1966 427 convertibles selling in recent years. One was a low option yellow car that went for over $70,000,
another was a black car that brought $115,000 and the last one was a blue car that went for $105,000. I do not know
anything surrounding the documentation on these cars as there was no mention of any.
The provenance and “rarity”
on this car simply cannot be duplicated with money or unverifiable stories. Any car can be given an over the top restoration,
however you…. can only be original once …. AND, you simply cannot duplicate things like unique Brass Hat history,
1st year historical significance, options rarity, limited verifiable ownership, overall desirability and low mileage integrity
- ALL with substantial “irrefutable” provenance and documentation. Simply put, I believe this is the most notable
1966 427 Impala Super Sport CONVERTIBLE in existence.
VIDEO: click link below to see a video WALK AROUND
and TEST DRIVE…. please allow time to load
No trades ….. My name is Michael Chance and I can be
reached at 817-992-7991. If you want to learn more about me go to www.MyRod.com. This car is located in the Dallas, Texas
area within 30 minutes of either major airport. I can help arrange shipping anywhere in the world.
