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Transition To The Late 50s Chevrolet (The Quick Gear Changes)

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Part 2 of 3

Then came the now classic 1957 model year. The 57 definitely tweaked the 56. As was the trend, it put in more classic fins and changed the front grille. Subtle changes, but the result was and is one of the most recognizable Chevys. It is a real automotive icon.

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Even the models, like the pictured 4 door sedan, looked quite sporty for the day.

But then came another change in the 1958 model year. Two things changed:

1. The body style completely changed. To me, it looked like it went backwards from a styling perspective.
2. Chevrolet introduced a new model name, The Chevy Impala, a name that is still in use today.

This is 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air I photographed at a San Francisco strip mall.

Here is a link to a Wikipedia page that shows a 1958 Chevy Impala and describes the subtle differences between the Bel Air and The Impalla..

Transition To The Late 50s Chevrolet (The Quick Gear Changes)

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Part 1 of 3

I wonder what it was like fifty years ago. I mean being a teenage boy during the great years following WWII. Oh, wait a minute, I do remember and it was great. It seems my best friend (Richard Haber) and I lived on our bikes. We lived in Jersey City, New Jersey and would ride our bikes everywhere. Each September we would ride about two miles to the Chevrolet dealer in town and sneak a look at the new models a week or so before the formal release date. I literally remember looking at the printing embossed in the taillight lens to verify the model year of the car, 1956, it read.

Now, of course, I have a different perspective about the battles between the car companies. Car companies then really meant the American car companies, G.M., Ford, Chrysler and the others like Nash, Studebaker & Willies. I have written a few posts about Chrysler’s moves during the second half of 1950s. Chrysler skipped an entire year and brought out the 1958 cars in 1957 just to get an edge. The funny thing that I do not remember is what G.M. was doing with the Chevrolet line during the same time frame. G.M. was also moving quickly. In fact, G.M. had three significantly different designs in 1957, 1958 and 1959.

Let’s start when the fun begins, the 1955 Chevy Bel Air. This was a real breakaway design in more than one way. First, the body style and dimensions were much changed compared with the 1954. Secondly, the V8 engine also introduced in the 1955 model added numerous options to the Chevy line. Also, Air Conditioning was added as an option.

Click Here To See The 1955 Brochure

The 1956 model just built on the 1955 models, but somehow they look much bigger. The two cars (1955,1956) had the same exact wheelbase but the 1956 model was about two inches longer. The ’55 front grill was also replaced with a full width grill and the back end started the move towards the “fins craze”.

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The next part of this post will explore the 1957 and 1958 models. Things change a lot and very, very quickly too.

1947 Chevy, Needs A Little Work

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Walking in The Castro District near our home, I spotted this gem. I believe it is a 1947 Chevrolet which was made right after WWII. This car looks to be in pretty good shape and given the age of the picture (November, 2003), it is probably restored or has gone to dust.

I found this bit of information on a website that seems to fit this car’s appearance. So, until corrected, this car will be known as a 1947 Chevrolet Stylemaster. If you know better, please post a comment.

BUSINESS COUPE
5-passenger, 2-Door,
5-window coupe with luggage compartment
in rear deck

More Information, click here

1955 Chevy 210

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While I was in college in Beaumont Texas in 1962-1968, many of my classmates had cars like this one. Some were four doors, some two doors and even one was a convertible. This car was a big hit for General Motors.

When Chevrolet introduced the 1955 Chevy in late 1954 it changed their history. What made the new Chevy so popular, then and now? It’s new 265 cubic inch V-8 was probably the most important feature in the motoring public’s eye. The 1955 Chevrolet also represented a completely new vehicle in styling and engineering. With its new styling and the option of a potent new “Turbo-Fire” V-8 it was the most changed Chevy and the most exciting car to ever wear the bowtie badge since WWII.

More Information, click here

Two Years Before The Classic ’55

NOTE – The model year of this car was changed from 1954 to 1953 based on a comment from a user Thanks to Hannibal for the heads up.

This is a photo of a 1953 Chevrolet Be Air. This particular one, photographed in Napa California is representative of the era. It is fully “dressed” with rear fender skirts, chrome headlight caps and the windshield canopy. The next model year represented a big style change. We will see some of those cars later in the series.
© Fred Winograd copyright 2013

This Car Is 52 Years Old

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I remember this car. My wife and I were in Palo Alto visiting some friends and went in-line skating. I got a few unusual cars that day but this one was special. I remember, as a kid, sneaking into the Chevy dealer’s backyard and looking at the new models that arrived about this time each year. This 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is a real classic and in remarkable condition.
© Fred Winograd copyright 2009