The Bel Air is magnificently styled, and regardless of the two-tone paint job, chrome trim, hood accessories, fins, and more, it's still somehow understated in its design. There's no excess in this piece of rolling American exceptionalism. It's a real masterpiece of vehicle styling, a testimony to what automobile designers can do when allowed to put style ahead of all else.
See all 14 photosDipping into the throttle and looking at the sun-swept California hillside presenting prior to me frees me of thoughts of impending death. The Bel Air's engine isn't feeling well todaya most likely vacuum concern restricting the car to about 15 mph (or 110 miles per hour if the speedo is to be believed) but it does not matter.
It even handles decently, particularly when compared to the '49 Cadillac also on hand. After spending a long time driving and appreciating the Bel Air, it's not difficult to see how it won our hearts. The '55 Chevy specified its generationjust as much then as it does today.
The 1955 Chevy Bel Air: The World's Most All-time Popular Cars And Truck? To begin, the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air has been featured in hundreds of Hollywood films. Here's an example: it remained in American Graffiti. Harrison Ford made his screen launching driving a black 1955 Chevy in this movie. This was what challenged John Milner (Paul Lemat) in his intriguing yellow 1932 Ford 5 window coupe.
Among the reasons 1955 Chevy's amazing popularity in the media was that General Motors offered plenty of them, over 3 million. This was likely due to the fact that it had a powerful new V8 engine and a fresh new body design. Initially, let's consider the body redesign. Although Ford had currently went to a "shoe box" body design (without external fenders) in the late 1940s, Chevy was gradually beginning to do the exact same thing through the early 1950s.
This appearance included smooth straight panels on the sides and hood, triangular tail lights that stuck out outside and wrap-around glass on the windscreen. According to the Sales Supervisor at, the motoring public went nuts over this make over. The next attribute that was a huge hit was the offered V8 engine.
The brand-new 265-cubic-inch overhead valve V8 for the 1955 model 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 cars and truck market at the time. The 1955 model year was also a year for other Chevrolet firsts.
These alternatives included changing from an antiquated 6-volt system to a 12-volt and the introduction of numerous brand-new alternatives like cooling, 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 models.
Today, the non-post version is more popular with collectors. The Bel-Air might likewise be had in a convertible variation. If you wish to see what this lorry appears like, it would be really valuable to Google "1955 Chevy Bel Air." Chevrolet kept the comparable chassis and body design for the 1955, 56, and 57 design years.
Poll some cars and truck enthusiasts and you will likely find a consensus on the following truth: the 1955 Chevy is the most identifiable vehicle ever made. We hope that you have delighted in finding out about this vintage car!.
The all-new 1955 Chevy brought a renewed energy to the brand. Sleek "Motoramic" styling and a hot brand-new 265-cid "Turbo-Fire" V-8 engine first of the famous small-blocks made this Chevy a practically instant classic. Rock and roll music was simply starting to shake up American culture, and the Bel Air was the perfect vehicle for Saturday night travelling.
Wrap-around windscreen. Curved taillights styled into rounded rear fins. Chevrolet totally revamped its cars and trucks for 1955, with what it dubbed the 'Motoramic' appearance for the top-of-the-range Bel Air plus the intro of the legendary 'small-block' V8 engine. Exhilarating performance and a flamboyant, positive and colorful style were what made the 1955 Bel Airs coupes, convertibles and station wagons - stick out 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 contemporary. This was an automobile that looked more costly than it actually was, something that might likewise be stated about the Cruze today." The brand new 1955 Bel Air incredibly redefined Chevrolet, with its streamlined Motoramic styling, enhanced chassis and sizzling brand-new 265-cid Turbo-Fire V-8 - the first of Chevy's legendary small-block V-8s 1955 Rate Car-Chevrolet presented its new small-block V-8 engine in 1955 and showcased the powerplant in the Chevrolet Bel Air Pace Cars and truck convertible.
Keating, was the motorist TELEVISION character and Chevy spokesperson Dinah Shore positions with child in pedal automobile reproduction and real 1955 Bel Air Indy Speed Cars And Truck. The Chevrolet Bel Air, official rate cars and truck of the Indy 500 in 1955 Even now, numerous a car-obsessed kid's miniature vehicle stash consists of at least one '57 Chevy.
And there is more to the 1957 Chevy than good looks. Chevrolet introduced fuel Injection to American vehicles for 1957, and the 283-cid small-block Chevrolet 'fuelie' produced one horse power per cubic inch, amazing efficiency in 1957. Fuel-injected '57 Chevys thrashed competitors so soundly in NASCAR racing that the organization banned FI technology a restriction that is still in result today.
Big, wedge-shaped metal silver trim insert on Bel Air rear quarters. Blade-like tailfins, with rounded taillights atop the rear bumper ends. Featuring a sleek roofline initially seen on the 1954 GM Motorama idea station wagon, Chevy Wanderer put dream-car design into thousands of American driveways. The noticeably streamlined Chevy Wanderer of 1955-1957 brought mid-century contemporary design to the utilitarian station wagon.
Motivated by the program automobile's reception, and conscious that America's burgeoning suburbs were taking in ever more station wagons, Chevrolet established the Wanderer into a premium Bel Air-level "halo" design for their 1955-57 routine wagon lines. The Wanderer two-door sport wagon style was produced through 1957. Each of the 3 design years still has its passionate fans the initial Nomads have never headed out of style.
Chevrolet knocked one out of the ballpark in 1955. Not only was the car longer, lower, and broader, it offered a pureness of design remarkably 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 first year of the venerable "little block" V-8 which rapidly ended up being the beloved of hot rodders and racers alike.
