Vintage race cars occasionally come up for grabs, but we can't recall the last time a Chaparral happened to change hands. Perhaps that's why seeing a 1962 Chaparral as part of RM Auctions' Sports and Classics of Monterey sale, scheduled for August 15 and 16, piques our interest.
Although the Chaparral name conjures images of Jim Hall's innovative designs, the Texan had little to do with the 1. The car was largely designed by Dick Troutman and Tom Barnes, both former Scarab designers who struck out on their own. By purchasing two cars from the duo, Hall unwittingly became a sponsor of sorts and his Chaparral brand was affixed to the car.
Troutman and Barnes ended up building five cars total, with Hall receiving chassis number 001 and 003. The car you see here is chassis 004, originally sold to Chuck Jones, who lent the car out to Skip Hudson. Jones kept the car until the '80s, when a California real estate magnate bought the Chaparral 1 and had it professionally restored.
As it stands today, chassis 004 sports a 318-cu.in. small-block Chevrolet V-8 (good for 340 hp), a four-speed manual transmission, and independent suspension at all four wheels. Better yet, the car also carries current FIA/ACCUS certification, and is eligible for vintage race events.
RM expects the Chaparral to change hands for between $750,000 and $950,000. Given that it's possibly the only Chaparral of any vintage that'll be for sale in the near future (most of Hall's collection is currently in a museum), that may be a safe bet.