1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

- Movie Car
- Same Owner for Past 25 Years
- Rebuilt 235ci Inline 6
- Blue and White Paint
- Original, Collector Example

(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 145 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 in blue-and-white over the identical two-color interior. Owned by the same individual for the past 25 years, the car's condition and presentation are exceptional; fully collector-quality. It is largely original, beautifully maintained, and has been respectfully upgraded without diminishing the car's original presentation. What's more, the car has a Hollywood credit: a role in the 2003 Kirk Douglas movie “It Runs in the Family.” Alongside Bernadette Peters, the movie was one of Douglas' final cinematic roles. This is a rare opportunity to acquire this historic Chevrolet Bel Air in virtually pristine condition.

The car's exterior Skyline Blue and White (original colors) 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 is in outstanding condition. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) 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. The folding (to allow easy trunk access) “continental kit” spare-tire carrier on the rear bumper is a perfect Fifties design statement. 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. “Clear” plastic seat covers are in place, but the plastic has yellowed over time. Also, just like the exterior, all interior surfaces are virtually flawless. The Skyline Blue steering wheel with 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. The factory AM radio remains 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, period-Chevrolet-emblem rubber mats in place for protection. The car's trunk is fully carpeted and the carpet condition is excellent.

Under the hood, the recently rebuilt 235-cubic-inch inline-6-cylinder commands a beautifully original and pristine engine bay. Correct “Chevrolet-blue” paint on the engine and matte-black on components makes a period-correct, simple-power statement. All surfaces are clean. Viewed from below, the chassis is similarly complete, free of damage, and yes, clean. Only light surface rust on some untreated metal, with no indication of body-panel rust.

The car's factory build and information tags remain properly in place.

While the more than 145 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 in search of an evocative showroom centerpiece, or simply a proud bowtie enthusiast—will steward this beautiful car for years to come. Its movie role even adds a touch of Hollywood glow to its appeal.

It is a joy to list this special automobile.