• 1957 Chevy Bel Air - An American Classic

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      Published on 05-08-2010 02:25 PM
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      By: William Kelly

      There are just a handful of classic cars that just about anyone will immediately recognize and the 1957 Chevy Bel Air is one of them. From the classic tail fins to the hooded headlights this model is as much an American icon as parades and apple pie. While the term '57 Chevy has come to be used as a catchall phrase for that model year, as though there were just one model, there were actually several different variations of note. It's interesting to consider that the boys at Chevy wanted to see a totally new design for the 1957 model year. Production problems and setbacks caused them to use the 1955 model design as a base one more time. Imagine how close we were to never seeing this model!


      The 1957 Chevrolet came in three different main trim packages. The Bel Air was the top of the line luxury package featuring gold anodized trim pieces on the front grill, fenders, hood and trunk lid. The 210 package was a mid-line offering with the 150 package rounding out the line as a base offering. There were several body styles available for the 1957 model year, most of which had an option of the Bel Air trim package. The standard Chevy two and four door sedans were offered as well as a two door and four door Hardtop. Often confused by novice observers are the Sedans and Hardtop or Sport Coupes. The sedan model is easy to spot when you understand that model has upright pillars between the windows while the Hardtop or Sport Coupe does not. Also produced was what they called a Utility Coupe which featured a bench in the back rather than a regular seat for salesmen who needed to carry samples and deliver items. Station wagons were also popular at the time and Chevy offered two variations in '57. The Nomad was the high end version with a Bel Air trim package while the Handyman was offered in the 150 and 210 packages. And we can't forget the famous Chevy Convertible from this year!

      On top of the many body style variations from this year a ton of different options were available. Air Conditioning and Fuel Injection are perhaps the most notable two of them all however very few were sold. Air conditioning was still considered an unnecessary luxury by most and Fuel Injection was so new that most garages simply did not know how to fix the system. Most 1957 Chevy buyers that year opted for the tried and true carburetor. Other items offered included a "Surround Sound" system for the radio (which consisted of a speaker in the rear of the car), power radio antenna, power brakes and a padded dashboard. This was the same year the ill fated Turboglide transmission was introduced. Unfortunately this tranny had a bad reputation from the start and the vast majority of buyers avoided it. The Turboglide ceased production less than 4 years later.

      While we think of this car as perhaps the most famous in American history the buying public at the time was not equally impressed. While sales are decent they fell short of expectations. In fact the Ford Motor Company out sold Chevy that year for the first time in over 20 years. Following an interesting trend in classic car market however, the 1957 Chevy remains one of the most sought after models for car collectors the world over.

      About the Author

      Bill has recently posted a fully restored 1957 Chevy on his website. To see tons of pictures of the '57 click HERE. Bill is a big fan of anything with wheels and a motor...especially Harley Motorcycles.Thanks!

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