The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air “Bubbletop” 409ci coupe was a favorite among the NHRA street stock drivers. Photo from www.mecum.com

The Beach Boys sang a lot of songs about cars but only one about a Chevy. “409” was written by Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Gary Usher and was originally released as the B-side of the “Surfin’ Safari” single. Later released on their 1962 released “Surfin’ Safari” album, the song was also included on their 1963 album, “Little Deuce Coupe.”

Brian Wilson actually knew very little about the surfing and hot rod lifestyle but collaborator Gary Usher did. Helping Wilson understand the southern California lifestyle, Usher was a hot rod enthusiast. One day the pair were driving to Los Angeles to buy a new part for his “409,” Usher mentioned that they should write a song about the 409ci engine. Jokingly he told Wilson that they should add the hook “giddy up, giddy up,” referring to horses as in horsepower. “We came back and put it to three simple chords in five minutes, and it developed into a million-dollar car craze,” explained Usher.

The legendary “409” engine on display at the GM Heritage Center. Photo from wikimedia.org

The song describes the Bel-Air sport coupe version of the car equipped with the “4-speed, dual-quad, Positraction” equipment. It could do a 12.22-second quarter mile at 115 miles per hour. Zero to 60 miles per hour in four seconds flat.

Dubbed “Turbo-Fire,” the 409ci began production in 1961. In our book, the 1962 Bel Air 409ci “Bubbletop” Coupe best represents the song and #2 on our top five list because it was a consistent winner in the NHRA stock classes.