1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-Door Hardtop
Among other claims to fame, a '55 Chevy appeared prominently in American Graffiti and Two Lane Blacktop. As it turns out, Harrison Ford's character in American Graffiti used the same car from Two Lane Blacktop, only it was painted gloss black. Then later, the main on camera car was restored with the help of the original builder, brought back to primer and sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2015 for $159,500, but not before James Taylor got to see it in Jay Leno's garage. Meanwhile, when new, the 1955 Bel Air cost about $2,200.
For consignment, a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop with a title-verified 77,584 actual miles, dressed in a stunningly classic color combination, and ready for the next caretaker to jump into the Tri-Five pool with both feet!
Exterior
Two stage Gypsy Red paint glistens up to the point it gives way to the gorgeous Shoreline Beige rear fender and roof. Framed by the jet-age trim piece on the rear quarter panel, the two colors complement each other and represent a stylistic trend not seen since. The use of metal trim work on this car is quite a work of art, from the piece that hugs the front wheel opening and flows back on the rocker panel, to the front spear that offsets the rear jet, the tapering C-pillar in polished metal, the grille, bumpers, and of course, the now iconic hood ornament, part eagle, part jet, all spectacular on this car. Chevrolet hubcaps are on the color keyed steel wheels which are wrapped wide white walls. Search as we might, we did not find any glaring imperfections in the paint, glass, panel gaps, or brightwork.
Interior
Red and beige makes its way to the inside of the car where two tone door panels show a little bit of discoloration or dirt and a nasty scratch in the painted header of the driver's door. Slight usage is apparent on the driver's side of the split bench seat which is topped in red vinyl over beige cloth and a robust red shell, all intact and in very good condition. Same configuration on the rear bench which, along with the sculpted side walls, appears to be in top condition. A shiny red steering wheel has a shiny metal horn ring, and it shares the bright red column with the black handled shifter. The bowtie stamped dash and wedge shaped speedometer look amazing and the paint of the lower dash looks like it's been polished and waxed along with the car. Our consignor states the AM radio is original and still works and of course, we'll test that on the drive, but it looks right at home in the center of the dash. The passenger gets a wedge of their own on the dash which has Bel Air in script and sits above an analog clock. Smooth and fitted bright red cloth mats cover the floor along with floor mats and from stem to stern, it all looks fantastic. Shiny metal braces support the beige headliner and are clean while the trunk brings in the exterior beige paint cleanly and a fitted rubber mat blankets the truck floor.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a show worthy 265ci V8 rated at 162 horsepower and supplied fuel by a 2-barrel carburetor. The transmission on hand is the TH350 3-speed automatic which eventually connects to 3.36 gears in the back. Power steering is on board and drum brakes are on all four wheels.
Undercarriage
More show worthiness underneath as it's pretty darn clean! There's no surface rust to speak of and only a drop of oil on the pan. The newer dual exhaust flows into a pair of Magnaflow mufflers and then black pipes carry the fuel byproduct to chrome tips that exit under the rear bumper without a lot of pomp and are not really visible to onlookers. Coil springs up front, leaf springs in the back, just like Grandpa's car!
Drive-Ability
There's something ultimately patriotic about a Tri-Five, especially one with the classic two tone pattern. As such, it's a joy and honor to drive these and this one performed just about flawlessly on the test loop. No complaints and no reports of malfunctions. Just a clean, well running representative of America during the time Rock 'n Roll was about to be hatched. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Runs good, looks good, iconic model and color combo. If you're shopping at Classic Auto Mall for a Tri-Five why wouldn't you, put this one on your checklist. Or start your Tri-Five collection today, appropriately with the first year of the run!
VC55K034692
V-V8
C-2400 Series
55-1955
K-Kansas City, MO Assy Plant
034692-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
STYLE NO 55 1037D-1955 Bel Air 2 Door Hardtop
BODY NO K1215-Kansas City Body #
TRIM NO 521-Beige & Red Cloth & Vinyl
PAINT NO 615-Shoreline Beige & Gypsy Red
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
