1957 Chevrolet Bel Air “fuelie” convertible

When one thinks of a classic, iconic American car, the image of a 1957 Chevrolet comes to mind for many people.  Truly, the last year of the “Tri Five” Chevrolets has come to represent a simpler time in the history of our country and become the standard against which other iconic vehicles are judged.  Available in three trim levels—the base 150, the midline 210 and the top of the line Bel Air—the 1957 Chevrolet has been highly desired by collectors for decades.

Ironically, the 1957 Chevrolet that today is among the most sought-after American classics among collectors and investors almost wasn’t!  General Motors executives wanted a brand-new car design to compete with the new car being offered by rival Ford Motor Company in 1957 but production delays forced GM to use the existing “shoebox” design for one additional year.  Ed Cole, chief engineer at Chevrolet, made some design changes that while adding significant cost to the vehicle have proven to stand the test of time and elevated the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air to a status shared by few other vehicles in the history of automobiles.

Changes for the 1957 Bel Air that hit dealer showrooms in September 1956 included a new dashboard, a sealed cowl, relocated air vents to the headlight pods and a new wide front grill that along with smaller 14-inch tires gave the car the appearance of a much lower stance.  The rear tail fins were made taller to carry the wider look to the rear of the vehicle.  Also, the 1957 Chevrolet models marked the first time tubeless tires were offered to the public.  One of the more interesting available options offered included an electric razor connected to the dash!

Another innovation introduced in the 1957 Chevrolet was the availability of mechanical fuel injection.  Developed by the Rochester Products Division of General Motors and known as the Ramjet, the concept of fuel injection for passenger cars had been researched since the early 1950’s and Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole pushed for Chevrolet to be the first GM brand to offer that option.  Checking RPO 578 on the passenger car order sheet (or RPO 579 on a Corvette) along with the high-horsepower solid lifter V8 engine option resulted in producing 283 horsepower from 283 cubic inches of displacement, the first General Motors car to accomplish the feat of generating one horsepower per cubic inch.  Adding the fuel injection option to the lower-powered 283 with hydraulic lifters resulted in a 250 horsepower powerplant, which was still impressive.  Fuel injection was a very rare option, given the fact that mechanics of the day were reluctant to learn the new technology and that it added $500 to the car’s price which pushed the price tag on a convertible to just over $3,000.

From a sales perspective, the 1957 Chevrolet proved to be something of a disappointment to the company.  For the first time since 1935, Ford sold more units than Chevrolet.  Reasoning at the time was that new car buyers were more impressed with the brand-new design of the Ford than the redesign of the “shoebox” Chevy while others cited customer reluctance about the tubeless tires on the Chevrolet.  At that, Chevrolet still produced almost 1.5 million of the 1957 Chevrolet across the three trim platforms, but those vehicles were among the popular and successful vehicles at drag strips, circle tracks and later demolition derbies which greatly reduced their numbers over the past six decades. Today the iconic 1957 Chevrolet is a much more desired car than the 1957 Ford, and generally commands a much higher price than a Ford in similar condition at auction houses and private sales.

Evergreen Digital Showroom offers this rare 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, one of 69 convertibles built with the Rochester Ramjet fuel injection (250 HP) and is currently finished in Matador Red (according to the trim tag the car was originally Onyx Black).  This car has an older restoration that presents very well and has been a part of the present owner’s portfolio since January 2006.  Under his ownership the vehicle has been in a humidity-controlled environment and has been driven very little.  Options include power steering, padded dash and a power top.  The white convertible top is nice, as is the correct two-tone red and silver patterned vinyl interior.  The transmission is a column-shifted three-speed manual and shifts well.  One of the few concessions to the modern era is a newer style radio but the dash does not appear to have been modified allowing a stock radio to be installed if desired.  A few spots on the paint show very minor chipping, which is expected from a restoration of that era.  The odometer at present shows 56,160 miles, but without documentation the car will be sold “mileage exempt” due to age in accordance with statutes governing licensed Missouri auto dealers.

We have priced this exceptionally rare classic American icon at $94,900.  Pre-purchase inspection is both welcomed and encouraged.  This car could serve as a cornerstone for your collection, be a prize contender at most any show or be an exceptional tour car.  If your dream car is a red 1957 Chevy Bel Air convertible, you will not find many more rare examples than this car.  Transportation gladly arranged at buyer’s expense.   For additional information contact Steve Russell at 417-532-8000.