Secret 1963 Impala Z11 helped Chevrolet beat Ford while dodging historical General Motors racing ban

A secret 1963 Impala Z11 once helped Chevrolet beat Ford on the drag strip.

The 1960s are often considered the true golden age of American four-wheeled engineering.

Chevrolet, like many others, got in on the act with the secret 1963 Impala Z11.

And it did so while dodging a historical General Motors racing ban.

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Chevrolet determined to dominate the drag strip

As you are well aware, the 1960s were an incredible time for American car manufacturing.

It was a decade that saw the advent of the muscle car sector, as well as the emergence of the drag race.

And it’s a period of time that remains one of the most legendary and iconic ever.

This is mostly because this decade produced some of the greatest American cars.

And it also produced one of the rarest as well.

In order to tell this story, we have to properly set the scene.

Drag racing was a big deal to American manufacturers during the 1960s.

Dominating the quarter-mile meant bragging rights over the other brands.

The Automotive Manufacturers Association forbade any factory-backed racing teams from competition.

General Motors, of course, adhered to the ban – at least on the surface.

Behind the scenes, however, Chevrolet and Pontiac were definitely active.

Both GM brands knew that Ford and Chrysler had something up their sleeves.

And 1963 proved to be a pivotal year – because it was the year that Chevrolet rolled out its own four-wheeled artillery.

1963 Impala Z11 thrives – for a matter of months

The marque revealed the 1963 Impala Z11 as its secret drag-strip weapon.

Officially, the model was a production vehicle, but only 57 units were ever made.

In reality, it was essentially a small-run homologation special for drag-strip racing.

A small handful of these cars were released and handed down to racing teams.

With the right connections and $4,000 in cash, you could get your hands on the 1963 Impala Z11.

So, what exactly powered the 1963 Impala Z11?

This 427 cubic-inch V8 was purpose-built for Super Stock drag racing.

Despite ‘officially’ being rated at 430hp, many people consider the output to be closer to 500hp.

The rest of the Z11 Impala came with an aluminum hood, fenders, and bumpers.

It also came with a reinforced chassis and heavy-duty suspension.

The close ratio, four-speed manual gearbox was purpose-built for drag performance.

By 1964, the National Hot Rod Association began cracking down on lightweight drag cars.

This meant that, for only a matter of months, the Z11 Impala got to thrive on the drag strip.

The 1963 Impala Z11 remains one of the true unicorn cars of the 1960s.