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101 Cars: Chevrolet Bel Air, Nomad, & Others
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com   
08/01/2008
Charlotte, North Carolina
 
You could get a two-door sedan, a two-door post coupe, four doors, a convertible, and no fewer than three different station wagon variants, including the now much-sought-after Nomad. (Photo: Barrett ยป More Photos

The 1955 through 1957 full-sized Chevrolets rand a select few transportation icons, such as the Model T, the Mini, and the Mustang. From the end of World War II through 1954, Chevrolet built sturdy but boring cars, powered by inline six-cylinder engines. But it all got crazy in 1955, when Chevy introduced a new-from-the-ground-up car powered by an optional hot, new, overhead-valve V-8. The inimitable "small-block" V-8 started out with 265 cubic inches and just 180 horsepower, but soon grew to 283 cubic inches. You could get a dual-quad four-barrel Power Pack good for 270 horsepower or a practically exotic, fuel-injected 283 V-8 in 1957.

And talk about body styles! Remember this was before brands made cars in so many different sizes. You could get a two-door sedan, a two-door post coupe, four doors, a convertible, and no fewer than three different station wagon variants, including the now much-sought-after Nomad. These cars did everything well; they were light for their size, handled nicely, had lots of room and a big trunk, they looked great, and, as mentioned, they could be configured as family grocery getter or hot performer. As was typical at the time, the annual model change brought different front and rear styling each year, culminating in the pointy fins that highlight the '57, considered by many to be the best among this trio.

America was being paved with interstates, and who knows how many families took their first trips across Route 66 in a 1955-1957 Chevy. They were big in motorsports too. A '55 Chevy paced the Indy 500 that year. Given the high-revving power of the new V-8, they were cleaning up in stock car and drag racing. A fervent aftermarket sprung up around them, and '55-'57 Chevys have been customized, hot rodded, and modified as much as any cars in history.

They were sales successes too, and by the mid-1960s, were being recognized as a great American classic, along with another icon that was built only those same three years, the original two-seater Thunderbird. And who knows how many movie appearances these famous shoebox Chevys have made? Remember the ratty one James Taylor drove in the cult classic Two-Lane Blacktop? Or the nasty black one that raced against the '32 Ford in American Graffiti?

To drive a '55, '56, or '57 Chevy is to understand American cars of the 1950s, and the generations of car enthusiasts that were born because of them. After all, is there anything more American than a red '57 Bel Air convertible parked at a burger stand drive-in on a Friday night in Anytown, USA?

Specifications
Engine: 283-ci OHV V-8 (optional, 1957)
Horsepower: 283 (fuel injected)
0–60 mph: 7.9 seconds
Top Speed: 120 miles per hour
Price New: $2,290 (Bel Air coupe, 1957)
Value Now: Depends on model, body style, equipment, and condition. $1,000 buys a parts car; $100,000 buys a show car
Photos of the Chevrolet Bel Air, Nomad, and others...



Claim to Fame

CLAIM TO FAME: Just being itself, and an icon at that


Soundtrack

SOUNDTRACK: "See the USA in Your Chevrolet" by Dinah Shore


Perfect Passenger

PERFECT PASSENGER: The girl next door


Behind the Wheel

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Any car auction will have a few.


Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW: Ford actually outsold Chevrolet in 1957, but the latter became a classic while the former just became an old car.


The Perfect Drive

THE PERFECT DRIVE: Route 66, at least as much is left of it.



Read the REVIEW and Get Your Copy of 365 Cars You Must Drive

Catch 101 Cars You Must Drive on SPEED! Monday nights at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.
Check out the 101 Cars Countdown!

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