1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop Coupe

- Oklahoma Car
- Professionally Restored Summer of 2021
- Stroker 383 V8
- 350 Automatic Transmission
- Vintage Air Conditioning
- Wilwood Power Disc Brakes
- Only 303 Miles Since Built

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1957 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.)

“Classic 1957 Chevy Bel Air - Lawn Art That Burns Rubber” - superchevy.com

Pretty much every automotive authority agrees the '57 Chevy Bel Air (especially in hardtop trim) merits the accolade: “A classic.” And there are any number of reasons for this unanimous honor. Hemmings put it this way: “Automotive historians have long searched for one reason why the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is the quintessential 1950s American car. But there is no one reason. Rather, its status must be credited to a unique combination of reasons, taken together.” They went on to imply some sort of extraterrestrial magic at work to bring the car into being: “…all the stars somehow aligned just right behind the '57 Chevy, and, specifically, the Bel Air. With something for everyone, is it any wonder Americans have chosen it to represent the fabulous Fifties?”

Just fully restored and upgraded during the summer of 2021, the '57 Bel Air two-door hardtop offered here is an updated, re-powered, but perfectly faithful example of the genre. Just 303 miles have been added since the very high-standard restoration.

The exterior on this Harley Earl-designed classic shines with its fresh black paint, professionally applied with even gloss and no flaws. (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.) Bright trim includes the characteristic—and now iconic—mid-Fifties design accents including the “Bel Air” and “V8” gold badging, gold grille, and the three gold “front-fender louvers.” All the other classic design cues have been similarly retained on the car: the bumper “Dagmars;” the two aircraft-inspired distinctive hood ornaments; the swoopy stainless-steel side moldings; the anodized-aluminum quarter-panel trim; the dual rear (faux) exhaust outlets; even the “betcha can't find it” gas cap. Chrome on the car is uniformly outstanding in finish and condition. Lightly tinted cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear and free of flaws. The only exterior indications of the car's upgrading are the slightly lowered stance and the wheel-tire combination. USMags® 10-spoke chrome wheels with spin-off-style center caps nicely showcase the Wilwood® brake calipers and drilled brake rotors.

The respectful updating continues on the interior, as does the retention of all the classic factory design elements. The dashboard houses the stunning gauge cluster set in black steel; chrome and machined-steel textured trim extends across the dash with a push-button, period-style radio and original analog clock in place. A black steering wheel (with original chrome horn ring and “Bel Air” center cap) is in place. The shift lever for the added 350 automatic transmission is mounted on the steering column. VintageAir® air-conditioning controls are mounted below the dash. The seats are handsomely upholstered in patterned-black and silver vinyl with brushed metal “button” adornments. Door trim uses the same materials and adds stylish, curved chrome trim. Fresh black carpeting covers the floor. The car's trunk is spotless.

The tidy engine bay houses the new Stroker 383-cubic-inch V8 engine topped with a black-chrome, open-sided air cleaner and similarly finished valve covers. Billet-aluminum hardware, chrome master cylinder, and bare-metal manifold add flair. All components—including air conditioning--are properly mounted, and every surface is absolutely pristine. Viewed from below, the chassis is complete, and completely perfect. The properly routed (rear-side-exiting) dual exhaust pipes are an obvious visual focal point.

The car's original identification tag is riveted in place, and the sale includes a custom car cover.

While the more than 145 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '57 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.

Back in the day, a Chevrolet magazine advertisement promised: “You'll feel a very special kind of pride the day you park a new '57 Chevrolet in your driveway. You'll take extra pride and pleasure in the way it looks, the way it acts, and the way it's put together.” It's rare that an advertising copywriter's promise holds up more than 60 years after it was written. But, thanks to proper care and outstanding restoration skills, it sure does here.