The seller of this Stageway-converted 1957 Chevy Bel Air must be confident his car is a conversation starter. I say that because there’s no actual text on the eBay listing, but I suppose it’s fair to say a car like this needs no introduction. Stageway took GM vehicles and built them into limos like this Chevy for airport use (and other affairs involving a livery service), and often times started with brand new vehicles – leading some to say these are “factory” conversions. That’s not really correct, but who cares? This thing is glorious and evil at the same time. Check out the Bel Air airport coach here on eBay where bidding is over $25K at the moment.
I think it’s safe to assume this is a fully-restored Stageway car, as the eBay photos show what is believed to be this same vehicle in primer and inside a body shop environment. Unlike some aftermarket hack jobs, I’d be reasonably confident that a company like Stageway knew its way around a stretch conversion and made the proper reinforcements a priority when converting a car like the classic Bel Air into a limo. What’s most impressive to me is some limo conversions look weak right from the start; this car makes it look as if the Bel Air was made for it.
The interior is likely partially faithful to the original design, perhaps in terms of seat configuration, but it also has been modernized – slightly too much for me, but it may be just right for you. The TVs and stereo equipment makes me feel the builder more intends for this Stageway to be used in a modern fleet for weddings or some other commercial application, but I wish it had been restored back to its original 1950s configuration. Limos from this era are effectively barometers for what was considered peak luxury at the time, so similar to presidential carriages, it’d be great to see the Chevy converted to how it appeared if it pulled up curbside at JFK.
Still, it’s hard to deny the allure of peering through that divider wall to look at the ornate ’57 dash. The Stageway conversion of a classic car like the Chevy Bel Air makes this a notable find, but its usage forces it into a limited pool of potential buyers – those with a livery business, and those with a garage big enough to store it! Hard to beat as a conversation piece and a must-have if you otherwise own a Bel Air in every other configuration possible – just ditch the TVs if you take this classic Stageway home.
There’s a bunch of descriptive text in the eBay ad, they put it into the picture scroll for some reason.
I once saw a `87 or `88 Hyundai Excel stretch…I kid thee not. Which only goes to prove, NOTHING is out of the realm of consideration in making a stretch limo, and that good taste is DEFINITELY subjective. Just like this `57 Chevy.
OMG!!! I want it! This would be an ideal
way to sweeten my family’s fortunes.
With weddings, proms, and ’50’s and ’60’s
reunions, and TV work, a fellow could make a pile of cash with this car. Buy a
National hearse conversion, and I’d corner the funeral market too! It’s
opportunities like this that make our
country great!
Kenneth Carney [& anyone else considering this],
If you think you’re going to make a profit running this in a limo business, and do it correctly, with all the regulations followed, it ain’t gonna happen!
One of the easiest ways today to lose money every month is to start a vintage limo service. Sure, you will get Saturday weddings, and a few evenings out every month, but that’s not enough income. [and believe me, you don’t want to do “Prom work”, especially if you love your cars!]
Funeral homes want to use their own hearses, not subletting to a 3rd party. Hearses are expensive, and they need that income.
Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. Until the 1990s I owned the east coast’s largest vintage limo service, located in an upscale area: Washington/Baltimore. Insurance rates alone were my biggest cost every month, without ever filing a claim!
Bill
Funny you mentioned that. Back in 1981 I bought a 1960 Cadillac Limo in perfect condition that once belonged to a deposed president of Mexico, Miguel Aleman. I think he ran off with his mistress.
Anyway long before there were limo companies around every corner on the West Coast, at least in San Diego, I had the market cornered….lol.. the name had Vintage Livery in the title of the company :)
I had to give the fledgling business up when I got tired of being offered to be paid in illicit substances………and driving around while beautiful women ended up in ergonomically inconvenient positions against the divider window.
But it was fun while it lasted. So insurance was the least of my problems :)
In the restoration photos, it’s clear the car was originally an 8-door airport limo. The four center doors have evidently been sealed up and a newer style stretch limo-rolling bordello interior has been built up from scratch. It’s probably more usable as a commercial limo this way, but it’s kind of a shame it’s not original. That’s just me though.
I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that this is a restoration. It’s pretty clear from the eBay pictures that it’s newly fabricated. And I doubt that they had electric cooling fans in 1957.
This was most likely an eight door airport limo with four rows of bench seats, not a luxury limo like a Cadillac. These were used to shuttle passengers from airports to hotels and such before full size vans became common. At least in this configuration somebody could make some money with it to offset upkeep. 40 some years ago I remember seeing a station version of this parked along Rte 11 near Berwick, Pa. I always wondered where that one went.
There is a red extended 57 Chevy Limo that exists around this area. Happens a couple of years ago I had a car in the same car show this one was shown in. I honestly can’t say I spent much time looking at it but what I saw looked good.
If I had a limo service, I’d definitely be looking into this one.
It looks right, until you open the doors to that cheesy interior.
What a perfect car to haul around people, wine tasting in Temecula Valley wine country. You’d be booked every weekend.
Well the seller shows all the restorations pictures you need.
I agree with Jeff. The interior would have benefited from a more subdued and dare I say ‘classy’, to use a Dumpf Era phrase, treatment.
Something along the line of a mohair interior with a more classical bar setup. But hey, the guy paying the bills called the shots.
I think it’s very cool and will certainly find favor with a commercial limo service.
Happy to see it.
This article is (a)stounding, (in)deed, Jeff is using the word livery as opposed to the non-word: “delivery”. Today’s written language is corrupted and means nothing since NEGATIVE prefixes such as: de, re, i, a, e, ex, etc., are used in wording that is supposed to have a positive performance meaning. This practice voids the written language.
Eigil,
Sorry, but you are incorrect. “Livery” is the correct term for a vehicle that is rented and includes the driver. The entire “Livery” industry uses that exact word.
This Chevy is so long that it qualifies as a ‘57, ‘58, and a ‘59.
Love it! My other favorite extended ’57 Chevy, owned and treasured by a nearby funeral home:
I just saw one parked in front of a Cuban restaurant on Long Island . Never saw one before and now this ad appears.
The restaurant had several mid 50s parked as obvious eyecatchers for the business, but now I have to go back and check it out .
I looked perfect as I passed it, have to check out the mechanicals and make an offer
For a moment, I thought this was the same car that was built by a guy here in New Orleans back around 2000. However, I’m pretty sure that car had all the door seams smoothed over, so it looked smoother down the sides. He had also removed all the door posts from the center doors. It was for sale at the time for around $55k, but the interior wasn’t finished. Otherwise, it had a brand new engine and was just like a new car. I wanted to start a classic limo company with it, but couldn’t afford it at the time. I wonder what happened to it, there can’t be that many converted Stageway ’57 Chevys out there. Anyway, this one looks pretty cool.
Being a bit pedantic but when this car was born that would have been Idlewild Airport (before it was JFK) …
I have yet to figure out what the big deal is with a 57 Chevrolet of any sort. I like the 56 better and the 58 even better.
Hershey schools used these stretch limos to pickup there students, they are having a 64 Chev stretch being restored by the AACA in Pa. as we speak.
I remember a variety of stretched student haulers owned by Milton Hershey School, prior to the van era.
Nice job on the body/frame/drivetrain!
Like this one much better than the “shorty” one posted a few weeks ago.
Oh barf, not another 57 Chevy.
Car strongly reminds me of a 1959-65 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 limo, especially with the wraparound windshield.