As an icon of its age, the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air ranks right alongside Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, and Leave It to Beaver; certainly curious for a mass-market car in the last year of a three-year cycle. Nevertheless, these Chevys struck a chord that resonates to this day - even among those born long after the cars were built. What's hard to believe is that so many shoppers shunned Chevrolets back then, turning instead to restyled Fords. Chevy trailed Ford in model-year output by 170,000 cars and Plymouth rose to a close third. Not until years later was the 1957 Chevrolet lineup recognized by many as the sharpest Chevy of the decade - if not the make's full life span - as well as an engineering marvel in many regards.
Sure, the basic design was getting a little dated, but masterful reworking cleverly concealed the car's origins, making it look almost brand-new. Riding on new 14-inch rubber, Chevrolet stood 2.5 inches longer and 1.5 inches lower. Twin lance-shaped wind-splitting spears down the hood substituted for the customary ornament. Modest, if sharp, fins brought up the rear, at the time only a hint of things to come. Bel Airs came in seven models, wearing anodized aluminum trim panels on their rear body sides. In pastel shades, such as turquoise and white, a '57 convertible or Sport Coupe is enough to send shivers through many an enthusiast today, especially when it's loaded with a host of factory extras. Under the hood, customers could get anything from the long-lived six or 265-cubic-inch V-8, to half a dozen interpretations of the new, enlarged 283 cubic-inch engine. Some Bel Airs even carried fuel-injected V-8s for 1957, on loan from Corvette and whipping up as much as one horsepower per cubic inch; coming from an 'ordinary' passenger car, this was spectacular.
Finished in Matador Red over a white top and coordinating multi-tone red and silver interior, this comprehensively-restored 1957 Bel Air Convertible epitomizes the classic styling of the Tri-Five era. This very special car sports the most potent of the carbureted powerplants offered for this first year of the 283; the dual-quad solid-lifter small-block beneath the 'bat-wing' air cleaner produces a healthy 270 horsepower through a Powerglide automatic transmission. Optioned with a power top, radio, heater, spinner hubcaps and wide whitewall tires, this fabulous ragtop is not just a stunning restoration of an American icon, but a performer as well with plenty of performance that earns it its place in the top tier of desirable '57s.
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