The Bel Air is wonderfully styled, and in spite of the two-tone paint job, chrome trim, hood accessories, fins, and more, it's still in some way understated in its style.
There's no excess in this piece of rolling American exceptionalism. It's a true masterpiece of vehicle styling, a testimony to what automobile designers can do when allowed to put design ahead of all else.
See all 14 photosDipping into the throttle and taking a look at the sun-swept California hillside rolling out prior to me releases me of ideas of impending death. The Bel Air's engine isn't feeling well todaya likely vacuum problem restricting the car to about 15 miles per hour (or 110 miles per hour if the speedo is to be believed) however it doesn't matter.
It even handles decently, especially when compared to the '49 Cadillac also on hand. After investing some time driving and admiring the Bel Air, it's not difficult to see how it won our hearts. The '55 Chevy defined its generationjust as much then as it does today.
The 1955 Chevy Bel Air: The World's Many All-time Popular Car? To begin, the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air has actually been featured in hundreds of Hollywood movies. Here's an example: it remained in American Graffiti. Harrison Ford made his screen launching driving a black 1955 Chevy in this motion picture. This was what challenged John Milner (Paul Lemat) in his fascinating yellow 1932 Ford 5 window coupe.
One of the reasons 1955 Chevy's impressive popularity in the media was that General Motors offered lots of them, over 3 million. This was likely since it had an effective new V8 engine and a fresh brand-new body style. Initially, let's think about the body redesign. Although Ford had actually already went to a "shoe box" body design (without external fenders) in the late 1940s, Chevy was slowly beginning to do the same thing through the early 1950s.
This look involved smooth straight panels on the sides and hood, triangular tail lights that jutted outward and wrap-around glass on the windscreen. According to the Sales Manager at, the motoring public went nuts over this brand-new look. The next attribute that was a success was the available V8 engine.
The new 265-cubic-inch overhead valve V8 for the 1955 design year was a style that was an enormous hit. This engine was developed to be lighter, smaller sized, and more powerful than any other V8s in the automobile industry at the time. The 1955 design year was likewise a year for other Chevrolet firsts.
These choices consisted of altering from an antiquated 6-volt system to a 12-volt and the intro of many new options like a/c, power windows, power seats, power brakes and power steering. The 55's greatest trim offering was the Bel-Air. The Bel Air had more chrome and trim than the 150 or 210 designs.
Today, the non-post variation is more popular with collectors. The Bel-Air could also be had in a convertible version. If you desire to see what this car appears like, it would be extremely useful to Google "1955 Chevy Bel Air." Chevrolet kept the comparable chassis and body style for the 1955, 56, and 57 design years.
Survey some cars and truck enthusiasts and you will likely find a consensus on the following truth: the 1955 Chevy is the most recognizable cars and truck ever made. We hope that you have actually taken pleasure in discovering this vintage car!.
The all-new 1955 Chevy brought a renewed energy to the brand name. Sleek "Motoramic" styling and a hot brand-new 265-cid "Turbo-Fire" V-8 engine first of the legendary small-blocks made this Chevy a practically immediate classic. Rock-and-roll music was just starting to shake up American culture, and the Bel Air was the best vehicle for Saturday night cruising.
Wrap-around windscreen. Curved taillights styled into rounded rear fins. Chevrolet completely revamped its automobiles for 1955, with what it called the 'Motoramic' search for the top-of-the-range Bel Air plus the introduction of the legendary 'small-block' V8 engine. Exciting efficiency and a flamboyant, confident and colorful style were what made the 1955 Bel Airs coupes, convertibles and station wagons - stand apart from the crowd.
" In my opinion, the '55 Bel Air is the very best of the Tri5s," asserts Ed. "It was such a departure from 1955, so fresh, so modern. This was an automobile that looked more costly than it in fact was, something that could also be stated about the Cruze today." The all-new 1955 Bel Air wonderfully redefined Chevrolet, with its smooth Motoramic styling, enhanced chassis and sizzling brand-new 265-cid Turbo-Fire V-8 - the very first of Chevy's legendary small-block V-8s 1955 Speed Car-Chevrolet presented its brand-new small-block V-8 engine in 1955 and showcased the powerplant in the Chevrolet Bel Air Rate Cars and truck convertible.
Keating, was the motorist TELEVISION personality and Chevy spokesperson Dinah Shore postures with child in pedal cars and truck replica and genuine 1955 Bel Air Indy Speed Automobile. The Chevrolet Bel Air, main pace automobile of the Indy 500 in 1955 Even now, lots of a car-obsessed kid's miniature lorry stash consists of at least one '57 Chevy.
And there is more to the 1957 Chevy than great looks. Chevrolet introduced fuel Injection to American cars and trucks for 1957, and the 283-cid small-block Chevrolet 'fuelie' produced one horse power per cubic inch, astonishing performance in 1957. Fuel-injected '57 Chevys whipped competitors so soundly in NASCAR racing that the company banned FI innovation a ban that is still in effect today.
Big, wedge-shaped metal silver trim insert on Bel Air rear quarters. Blade-like tailfins, with rounded taillights atop the rear bumper ends. Including a smooth roofline first seen on the 1954 GM Motorama principle station wagon, Chevy Nomad put dream-car design into countless American driveways. The noticeably streamlined Chevy Wanderer of 1955-1957 brought mid-century modern style to the practical station wagon.
Encouraged by the show car's reception, and mindful that America's blossoming suburban areas were soaking up ever more station wagons, Chevrolet established the Wanderer into a premium Bel Air-level "halo" model for their 1955-57 routine wagon lines.The Wanderer two-door sport wagon design was produced through 1957. Each of the three design years still has its passionate followers the original Wanderers have actually never ever headed out of design.
Chevrolet knocked one out of the ballpark in 1955. Not only was the cars and truck longer, lower, and wider, it provided a purity of style extremely devoid of the chrome-laden excesses that had ended up being the standard on American cars. This was a landmark automobile, too, as it marked the very first year of the venerable "small block" V-8 which quickly became the darling of hot rodders and racers alike.
