1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

- Same Owner for 31 Years
- Rebuilt 265ci 4bbl V8 with Power Pack
- Retro Stereo and Speaker
- Factory Skyline Blue/White
- Power Steering
- Lots of Original Documentation and Books

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 170 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“Chevrolet's Game-Changing Bel Air Won Our Hearts in 1955 ... and Today” – Christian Seabaugh, Motor Trend headline, July 2019

“Seeing a Chevy Bel Air in like-new condition in the 21st century is trippy, to say the least; it's somehow anachronistic yet futuristic at the same time. The Bel Air is beautifully styled, and despite the two-tone paint job, chrome trim, hood ornaments, fins, and more, it's still somehow understated in its design. There's no excess in this piece of rolling American exceptionalism. It's a true masterpiece of automotive styling, a testament to what automotive designers can do when allowed to put design ahead of all else.”

“Motor Trend had six Car of the Year winners in the '50s, but none was more impactful than Chevrolet's game-changing 1955 lineup including the 150, the 210, and the Bel Air. It sported a new chassis and modern suspension (which helped it earn 'Best Handling' and 'Most Roadable'), and it was available with a 265-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) V-8 and a Powerglide two-speed automatic capable of zipping from 0 to 60 mph in a quick 12.3 seconds.”

Offered here is a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air hardtop. Owned by the same individual for over 30 years, this Bel Air's condition and presentation may well be in the top 1%--maybe half of 1%--of all the remaining such cars. Largely original, beautifully maintained, and respectfully upgraded without diminishing the car's original presentation, this is a rare opportunity to acquire this historic Chevrolet in absolutely pristine condition.

The car's exterior Skyline Blue and White over a matching interior perfectly captures the mid-Fifties buoyant zeitgeist. America was on top of the Post-War world, optimism was rampant, and the future held nothing but excitement. The '55 Chevy design brought all that into sheet-metal reality. Here, the two exterior colors are especially handsome where they come together on the car's flanks, trimmed in chrome. Every aspect of this car's exterior—including its factory-original paint—is in outstanding condition. (Please review the many close-up photos in the accompanying gallery to appreciate the condition of the original paintwork.) There is no damage, nor any appreciable wear anywhere on the car. The chrome—on the grille, two-winged “jet” hood ornament, bumpers, bodyside trim, window surrounds, door handles and mirrors, and taillights—is almost showroom-new. Only the lightest patina from age is present on some surfaces (such as the door handles). Factory badging is all correct and original: the bowtie crest emblems front and rear, “Bel Air” script with crest on the rear quarter-panels are all perfect. Wide-whitewall tires are mounted on the original body-color-painted steel wheels with full, chrome wheel covers. (Trivia question: How many bowties appear on a '55 Chevy Bel Air? Hint: Before you answer check the hubcaps and the interior dashboard trim.)

Inside, the exterior two-tone color theme is evident on the stylized door trim and vinyl seat upholstery front and rear. Also, just like the exterior, all interior surfaces are virtually flawless. The Skyline Blue steering wheel with gold Chevrolet emblem and chrome trim (including the horn ring) frames the same color on the car's magnificently designed dashboard. Every piece of dash trim, every control surface, and the curved speedometer framed in chrome under the dashboard arch is again, virtually perfect. The shift lever for the Powerglide® automatic transmission is mounted on the steering column with the chrome-trimmed gear-indicator on the top of the column. Heating and ventilation control design reflect aviation inspiration. A retro Wonderbar® pushbutton radio and speakers are mounted. On the passenger side, the dashboard has a second arch incorporating the radio speaker grille, Bel Air script badge, and a round analog clock. The cabin floors are covered in. matching blue carpeting with rubber, bowtie-emblem rubber mats in place for protection.

Under the hood, the recently rebuilt “265-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) V-8… of zipping from 0 to 60 mph in a quick 12.3 seconds” with Powerpack and 4-barrel carburetor commands a beautifully original and pristine engine bay. Script “Chevrolet” embossing on the valve covers and the engine's correct orange paint are focal points. All surfaces are spotless. Viewed from below, the chassis is similarly complete, free of damage, and yes, spotless. Rust inhibitor coating has been applied to exposed-metal surfaces, while the engine and other components (including the engine, automatic transmission, fuel tank, steering components, and full-length dual-exhaust system remain uncoated.

The car's factory build and information tags remain properly mounted. The sale includes original documentation and literature.

While the more than 170 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '55 Bel Air 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.

The above-referenced Motor Trend article concluded: “The '55 Chevy defined its generation—just as much then as it does today.” There can be no better representation of that than this pristine example. Its next owner—perhaps a Chevy dealer or a proud bowtie enthusiast—will steward this beautiful car for years to come.

It is a joy to list this special automobile.