![]() ![]() The car exhibits superb engine and chassis detail and is unquestionably one of the finest of its type ever offered. Americana at its best, and one of the most desirable of all standard Chevrolets, this ∥7 Bel Air benefits from a thorough frame-ff restoration. Chevrolet hailed the latter as Americas first production car engine to produce one horsepower for every cubic inch and, not surprisingly, the Corvette-engined Bel Air rapidly established itself as the street racers favorite. Power output depended on the transmission specified, and if the stock V8s 170bhp wasnt enough, performance options available ranged from the 185bhp Turbo-Fire V8 to the fuel-injected 283 horsepower Corvette V8. The Bel Airs basic engines comprised a 235.5ci (3,861cc overhead-valve six and a 260ci (4,262cc) V8. In mid year, a new Turboglide automatic transmission was introduced, augmenting the two-speed Powerglide. The single four-barrel Super Turbo Fire was rated at 220 bhp. Rochester fuel injection developed the magic one horsepower per cubic inch. At the top of the chart was the Corvette V8 with 10.5 to 1 compression. The V8 was enlarged to 283 cubic inches and available in six stages of tune. The nose and tail were made over with Cadillac cues, the result akin to a baby Eldorado. ![]() ![]() The 1957 Chevy was the exception that laid waste to the rule, lowering the whole car, a combination of smaller wheels and body modifications. Typically the third year was in dire need of freshening. The power-to-weight ratio was phenomenal, in part because V8s were lighter than their cheaper six-cylinder siblings.Īmerican car designs ran in three-year cycles. The optional Super Turbo Fire engine pushed compression to 9.5 to 1 and horsepower to 205, 225 with dual quads. The public loved it, and nearly 1.7 million were sold, a record for the marque in a record year for the industry.įor 1956, the Hot One got even hotter. Rated 180 bhp at 4,600 rpm, the 265 cubic inch overhead valve V8 was capable of 0-60 in under ten seconds, then quite a feat, and was timed at speeds to 105 mph. The ads called it The Hot One and hot it was, especially when equipped with the Power Pack, a four-barrel carburetor setup that came with dual exhausts. Chevrolet, long the nations most popular car, reached new heights in 1955 with fresh styling and a new engine. ![]()
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