1957 Chevy Belair (2dr HT)

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Vehicle Specs

Few things bring more joy to a Chevy enthusiast or a classic car enthusiast in general, than the sight of a proper 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop dressed in signal red with a contrasting White roof and all red with black contrasts in the sumptuous and roomy interior. This Bel Air is powered by 283 cubic inches of small block V-8 mated to a Powerglide automatic transmission. Excellent driving car and a perfect option for someone who is looking to invest in a classic like this and not be afraid to drive and enjoy it. 

Automotive historians have long searched for one reason why the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is the quintessential 1950s American car. But there is no one reason. Rather, its status must be credited to a unique combination of reasons, taken together.

Consider 10 elements that define, or have come to define, the 1957 Chevrolet:

1. It's a Chevrolet...traditionally, although not in 1957, America's favorite car. That puts it on first base right away.

2. The 1957 Bel Air showcases all the major 1950s styling cues without going overboard: "Dagmars" up front, headlamps below heavy eyebrows, distinctive hood ornaments, swoopy stainless-steel side moldings, anodized-aluminum quarter-panel trim, Harley Earl's sexy dip below the quarter windows, a hint of fins, a "betcha can't find it" gas cap location, and dual exhaust outlets (albeit fake) in the rear bumper. Simply, it includes every major styling element from a decade characterized by the outlandish.

3. It could have the 283-cu.in. V-8. Debuting in 1957, this engine ultimately defined V-8s in the low-price field. Chevrolets so equipped are nimble, with generally crisp response and good handling. The 283 V-8 responded to cheap, easy hopping up when it was introduced, and still does. Even so, the Blue Flame Six remained well-respected. "Stovebolt" power being an acceptable alternative renders every 1957 Chevrolet collectible.

4. There's factory fuel injection. While each of the low-price three had its own V-8 by 1955, factory hot-rodding hit its stride in 1957 with Ram-Jet fuel-injected Chevrolets, supercharged F-code Fords and Studebaker Golden Hawks, dual-quad Plymouths, and 327 Rambler Rebels. Fuel injection kept '57 Chevys either up front or out front in that competitive market.

5. The 1957 Bel Air models included the original Nomad, arguably the most attractive entry in the important 1950s station wagon market. Its uniqueness and glamour indirectly enhances all other 1957 Chevrolets.

6. For 1957, Chevrolet's Fisher Body quality proved better than its primary competitors. This made sure that '57 Chevys were well-liked when new, and also later, as late-model used cars. With around 1,500,000 units built, many of today's collectors rode in them as youngsters. These positives helped ensure that they'd be sought after and available decades later.

7. The 1957 Chevrolets were good cars mechanically. They took abuse fairly well, and when they did break, they were often cheaper to repair than their contemporaries. Thus, a higher percentage of them survived to become hobby/collector cars.

8. Operable 1957 Chevrolets were still available after a higher percentage of their competitors had been scrapped due to mechanical issues or body integrity. More potential hobbyists could thus afford a used '57 Chevy as their first car, and they were easy and cheap to work on. Those experiences often initiated a lifetime passion for that make and model.

9. Nothing succeeds like success. As soon as all the above factors buoyed 1957 Chevrolets early on, increased demand for reproduction parts made them readily available at competitive prices. This, in turn, created a demand for both unrestored cars and more parts to restore them.

10. Finally, model year 1957: the end of an era. The industry's 1958 "downer" is not as fondly remembered, and 1959 saw compact cars become permanent contenders. When the Big Three compacts arrived for 1960, the industry mix changed forever. The new-car market would never return to the simple innocence of 1957.

Could Chevrolet Division's product planning, production and marketing departments have "engineered" every one of these elements to create the icon that is the 1957 Chevrolet? Of course not. Nonetheless, all the stars somehow aligned just right behind the '57 Chevy, and, specifically, the Bel Air. With something for everyone, is it any wonder Americans have chosen it to represent the fabulous Fifties?