1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Jul 17

Written By Katelyn McSherry

The Chevrolet Bel-Air is considered one of America’s favorite cars. The current owner’s father left him a 1931 Buick when he passed away, which he then traded for this 57 Bel Air. Purchasing the car was a no-brainer for the owner, as he considered the ’57 Chevy such an iconic car from his childhood. The car gets driven and loved often, with it being used as a weekend cruiser. It has also participated in the owner’s hometown parades.

Debuting during a time of economic prosperity, the Bel-Air was the essence of a proudly built American car. It was one of the few vehicles that had styling in line with contemporary fashion and design, along with being relatively affordable. Based off the 1955 Chevy, the ‘57 Bel Air was the second Chevy that sported a V8 engine since 1918. It even had a V8 before the first production C1 Corvette. Over time, the engine has been well known as Chevy’s Small-Block V8. The most sought-after Bel Airs are two-door sport coupes and convertibles.

The Bel Air had many desirable options for the time including, power windows, seats, brakes and steering, along with a signal seeking radio. The interior was simplified with a large speedometer and was finished off with a polished metal trim. The top of the dashboard was usually color matching to the exterior paint, along with two-tone upholstery in the interior. Most of the Bel Airs equipped with the 283 motor had a four-barrel carburetor making around 220hp, but there was an expensive option to have mechanical fuel injection that increased the horsepower to 283. This same fuel injected motor proved itself to be very successful in NASCAR with the Black Widows. (See Ram Jester on display)

Collection of Gerald Lettieri, Rocky Hill, CT