Almost as soon as they were made, the 1955-57 full-size Chevrolets were destined for greatness. And the leader of that pack was the Bel Air, a name that would populate Chevy brochures for more than 25 years. The seller’s 1955 hardtop looks like the poster child for “barn find” on the outside, and yet on the inside it looks to be in pretty good shape. This classic auto is located in Coos Bay, Oregon (along the Pacific Ocean) and available here on Facebook Marketplace for $22,900.
The first Bel Air rolled off the assembly line in 1950 and would become the flagship nameplate at Chevrolet – until the Impala came along later in the decade. Like many cars of the early 1950s, it was hard to tell one from the other until the 1955 Chevy came along and helped change the styling landscape. One of the big news items for ’55 was the addition of a 265 cubic inch, 162 hp V-8 option, which found its way into many Bel Airs. When mated with a 2-speed Powerglide, the car could do 0-60 in under 13 seconds, considered a pretty fair accomplishment in those days. The new Bel Airs sold like hotcakes, with more than 800,000 going out the door with nearly 25% being a 2-door hardtop like the seller’s.
This is one well-equipped 1955 Bel Air. Besides the V-8/Powerglide combo, it has power steering and brakes, duel radio antennas and a continental kit for the spare! I don’t recall the last time I saw a ’55 Chevy with one of those. The car apparently has spent quite some time outdoors and yet the interior looks surprisingly fresh. Those plastic see-though aftermarket seat covers must really work! There is a tremendous amount of surface rust on the trunk lid, more so than on the front. But it looks as though it has started to penetrate the metal. Exterior pictures are few for the asking price and none of the undercarriage.
The seller tells us the car has 83,000 miles on it and makes mention of the original owner, but we don’t know when the car left that person’s possession and why it was parked. There is zero reference as to whether the car runs, so anyone seriously interested in the car might as well assume a complete mechanical restoration will also be needed.
A Bel Air like this in show condition can easily bring mid-five figures. But this one is a long way from that condition, so the seller’s asking price seems unrealistic. As a final note, one thing keeps bothering me in the photos. Shouldn’t there be a jet bird ornament on the hood and a Chevy emblem below it? From the two photos of the hood we have, it looks as though neither were ever there.
No, not at that price. Maybe if the rest of the car looked as good as the headliner. This is the only year of tri fives that I prefer the post cars over the hard top. Early memory of one in the neighborhood that, IIRC, was a coral and grey 2 door post.
Oooohh! A 55 Chevy!!! Next it’ll be a Mustang!
Then a mopar 👀💰
I think the Firebirds hold that title of most on Barn Finds.
Lately it seems to be Alfas
At least the continental kit on this one appears to have been installed when the car was new, BUT, it is still hideous (IMO)! The asking price has been “Barrett-Jackson-ized”. GLWTS!! :-)
Continental kit not original, factory kits had bumper ends close to body with just a ” kick out” in the center. For many years there was a kind of obsession with adding a continental kit to your ’55 – ’60 Chevy, but I always thought they were kind of ugly and wrecked the proportions of the car.
The WW2 guys loved the continental kit, spotlights and dual antennas for some reason.
Way to much for all the work needing to be done!! I’m with you mopar man I hate continental kits on any car!! In my opinion it looks ridiculous and makes a car way to long!! Good luck at this price point!!!
Well, the ad now says “sold” so I guess they worked out a deal with someone.
Wow! Look at that patina, headliner, and 70’s Chevy pick-up truck hubcaps for only 23K! What a deal! 🤣, not! Although, I have to admit that I kind of like the continental kit……
Very pricey for condition, interior is amazing, and LOSE the Continental Kit.
That’s not the GM continental kit accessory offered in `55. That’s some aftermarket job. The factory unit was a ‘hoop’ attached to the rear bumper without having to have the extension! I’d lose that in a NY second. What this car has going for it is, pretty much any and everything needed to restore this is being reproduced today, right down to the sheet metal & bumpers. Price reflects the ludicrous level `50’s Chevys bring today–hopelessly overinflated IMHO. $14K-$15K, but not over $20K.
$22,000 for a rust bucket,I knew I should have kept all my scrap iron i had laying around the house.KRAZY!!!!
I wonder why anybody would leave a 55 Chevy outside . THis one was pretty nice and obviously someone spent money on it. To leave it out unprotected is a crime. We see it all the time. It is not and never was a 50 dollar clunker.
Wow, this thing is pimped out! The only thing that’s needed to make it a full “fly car” is a convertible top.
The interior looks amazing in comparison to the exterior. It can be fixed. The question is, is it worth it? I would say yes, to the right person.
The interior is in excellent condition, even the ashtray has never been used. The seat covers were installed by the dealer when he bought the car new in 55 at age 25. They were to protect the seats from his children. Even the trunk compartment in in perfect condition. The undercarriage is very solid, and no rusted through panels.It has surface rust on the body panels,and some but not all of the chrome, which can be replated. The drivetrain is a factory installed 265ci four barrel, automatic, with dual exhaust. It was parked in 1976 in a open end carport down on the coast, due to his health. He once told his children that when that time came, he wanted to be buried with the car.There father passed away last year at age 89.They were having a hard time making that decision to sale it. They knew how much there father loved that car. Original hubcaps, hood ornament, chevy emblem,oil changes,service records, and title is with the car. He wouldn’t even drive this car when it rained. I just noticed that it has started raining outside. As this 55 is now parked in my garage, and in honor of the original owner, I won’t be working on the 55 today due to rain. The car will stay all original as possible, with the exception of maybe a paint job,otherwise there won’t be any aftermarket parts installed. Being 65 years old,this car has a very bright future ahead.
If I’m going to have a Chevy with twin antennas and a continental kit, make it a ‘59. If you’re going to go nuts with the rear end styling, go all the way.
I was thinking the same thing, but with a 58 !
To some people a 55 Chevy is just another car . Especially with people that were old enough to buy them new. They were just basic transportation to most people, and there were a lot sold so although desirable , they weren’t rare when this one was parked.
I’d guess this car was “duded up” in the late 50s – early 60s. Its possible some of the factory options were added after the car was sold , the antennas, spotlights , bumper overriders , hubcap , continental kit are all period stuff which I would leave as the owner intended.
As for the missing bird ? maybe the original owner had the hood ornament removed or maybe it was damaged and replaced with a new hood (assuming the new hoods needed to have holed drilled for the ornament ) .
No emblem, or hood bird. Custom grill. Aftermarket Continental kit. Twin antennas. Nice custom work back in the day. Not original if anyone cars, good luck on the price.
Don’t know who bought it, but if he doesn’t already have all the bumpers, and exterior brightwork, he’ll spend a fortune getting it. That stuff is expensive!
It was common in that era to have such cars “nosed” and “decked”, meaning hood and trunk ornamentation removed and mounting holes filled and painted. Very stylish.😊