Plain-Looking 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne Is a Super Rare Sleeper With a Nasty V8

And that's a shame because while it wasn't as fancy as its sibling in terms of trim and features, the Biscayne was sold with all the engines Chevrolet had to offer at the time, including the high-performance big-block V8s.

This 1965 Biscayne is one of those cars that flies under the radar design-wise but will run the quarter-mile quicker than most full-size cars from the era. Because it packs a 409-cubic-inch (6.7-liter) V8 that turns it into a full-blown sleeper.

Introduced in 1961 in the Impala Super Sport, the 409 V8 was originally rated at 360 horsepower. The engine remained in production through 1965 and Chevrolet developed a handful of different versions that generated from 340 to 425 horsepower. The 409 in this Biscayne is not the range-topping version, but RPO L-31, which came with 400 horses on tap. And that's exactly what makes this Chevy extremely rare.

That's because only a few of them left the factory in this configuration. With a brand-new 396-cubic-inch (6.5-liter) V8 available in 1965, the 409 was on its way out. Chevrolet sold 2,828 units before it was discontinued, but most of them were the 340 horsepower version and only 742 left the factory with 400-horsepower specs.

Granted, 742 isn't exactly "super rare," but there's a catch: this figure is for all Chevrolet models fitted with this specific 409. How many Biscaynes got it, you ask? Well, Chevrolet did not keep records, but experts estimate that only 20 cars were ordered with the 409/400 combo. And as you might have already guessed, only a few of them are known to still exist.

It's also a special-order model with a Convenience Package delete, which eliminated the exterior mirrors and the backup lights. In addition to that, it left the factory with a Danube Blue Metallic exterior and Fawn (beige) interior, which most likely make it a one-of-one gem.

The car changed a few owners over the years and even got a few aftermarket upgrades at some point, but it was restored to its original specifications in 2007. Described as a "completely matching numbers" example, the Biscayne won a few awards and was featured in the Muscle Car Review magazine.

Come 2022 and the Chevy looks just as brilliant as it did when the restoration was completed 15 years ago. And it's looking for a new home via MS Classic Cars / Hemmings. There's no price estimate or bidding as of this writing, but with Concours-ready 1965 Biscaynes valued at more than $40,000, this rare two-door could change hands for almost $100K.