1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Tribute

- Car was born as a 210
- Fully Restored by Auto Performance in the 1990's
- 2018: radiator, 4-wheel drum brakes, new shocks and tires
- Minimal miles since restoration
- Rebuilt 327 Small Block V8
- Classy Tri-Five

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Tribute on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of this classic car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 140 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video. please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“'57 Chevrolet! Sweet, Smooth and Sassy!” - Magazine advertisement headline for the 1957 Chevrolet

In a 2008 article entitled “the Best There Ever Will Be-1957 Chevrolet,” Hemmings Classic Car noted: “Back in the middle Fifties, like always, the mantra at Chevrolet was 'beat Ford.' That, and the unspoken price of failure, motivated Chevrolet's national sales force. The division was after market share and profit, not building a legend. Though the Tri-Five years are archetypes of Chevrolet dominance, the 1957 models--and we're talking about the entire lineup here--utterly stands alone. 1957 is, beyond any argument, the ultimate legend among all the bowtie monuments.”

Offered here is a fitting and very well-executed tribute to the top-of-the-line 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan. The car was fully restored by AutoPerformance in 2009 with power steering, a replacement radiator, new shock absorbers, and new tires added in 2018. Only minimal mileage has been added since this latest work.

The exterior on this tribute to the Harley Earl-designed classic shines with its classic turquoise paint, professionally applied in an even, lustrous finish across every body panel, complemented by the characteristic mid-Fifties ample use of chrome trim. The exterior chrome (with iconic brushed-metal rear-fender trim) is departed from only in the “Bel Air” and “V8” gold badging and the three gold “front-fender louvers.” All the other classic design cues have also been perfectly integrated on this Bel Air tribute, originally a 210 model: the “Dagmars,” the two aircraft-inspired distinctive hood ornaments, the proper grille, the rear bumper with dual exhaust outlets incorporated, and the anodized-aluminum quarter-panel trim. All proper, authentic emblems and badging are present in the factory locations. Cabin window glass—including on the wrap-around windshield and beautifully curved rear window—is clear and undamaged; the same is true for the lighting lenses fore and aft. Chrome almost-full (the turquoise painted steel wheel rims still show as they should) wheel covers and thin-stripe whitewall tires complete the presentation.

Inside, the build retains all the classic factory design elements including perfectly installed, period-correct, custom 3-color upholstery in turquoise and dark blue vinyl with textured black-fabric panels. Behind the turquoise steering wheel with automatic transmission shifter and gear indicator, the matching, turquoise-painted dashboard houses the stunning gauge cluster rendered in chrome; chrome and machined-steel trim extends across the dash. Turquoise carpeting covers the floor (with rubber, period-Chevrolet-logo protective mats in front). Door-panel upholstery perfectly mimics the seating-surface design, and includes a thin, curved chrome-strip trim and roll-up window handles. The car's trunk is properly painted, with the floor covered in black rubber matting and the spare tire (with matching wheel) in its correct location. Even the original jacking-instruction sticker is in place.

The clean, period-correct engine bay houses a correctly turned-out, 327 cubic-inch Chevrolet V8. The powerplant has no chrome add-ons or inauthentic modifications. Nothing in the compartment is out-of-place or haphazardly positioned. Viewed from below, the chassis is complete and free of damage; rust inhibitor has been applied on the untreated metal.

While the more than 140 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '57 Bel Air Tribute in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

Hemmings proclaimed: “…the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is the quintessential 1950s American car.” This beautifully re-created “tri-five” Bel Air is a worthy tribute to the iconic Chevy model. It's ready to uphold Hemmings' assessment at any cars-and-coffee or hot-rod-parking-lot gathering. Its next owner can expect compliments aplenty.