Styling (at least at Chevrolet) became less excessive in 1961 as the wild tailfins of the 1950s were gone. The Impala continued as the top series for the third year, but the mid-level Bel Air was still popular, finding 318,000 buyers. And 43% wanted nothing more than a six-cylinder engine like the little old lady who bought this Chevy when new. Previously, this was a one-owner sedan from Basile, Louisiana, that’s available here on Facebook Marketplace for $13,000 OBO.
The options list on this ’61 Bel Air’s MSRP sticker had to be brief. No automatic transmission or factory air here. No two-tone paint or full wheel covers. So, the little old lady probably drove it off the dealer lot for less than $3,000 (excluding sales tax). This vehicle would be more desirable if it were a “bubbletop” Sport Coupe, but the car’s simplicity and condition are its main selling points.
Grandma may have driven it just 75,000 miles in 64 years, and we assume she has passed on, hence the reason for selling the Chevy. The car runs and drives, though the seller suggests that a tune-up and four new tires will be in order. While it avoids being classified as a survivor because of a prior repaint, everything on the Bel Air works as they should (lights, gauges, heater, windshield wipers, horn, etc.). Maybe only one blemish in the front seat.
The seller hints that this car would be a great candidate for a restomod or customization. I hope the buyer has no such agenda and plans to keep it as-is. It would be a shame to screw the Chevy up with an LS V8 and a jump up-and-down suspension. This Chevy can well stand its ground with any other 1960s vehicle at Cars & Coffee. Who cares about the number of doors?
I had one of these in the early ’70’s, a different color but similarly equipped, or similarly not-equipped, as the case may be. It was good basic transportation and super easy to work on. I wouldn’t mind owning this, but I’d be more interested at $7000.
Dang, I can’t remember if my grandfathers car, that replaced the Packard, was an Impala or a BelAir. It was a teal colored 4 door, and I’m sure it wasn’t a Biscayne either, grandpa coming from a Packard? No way, must have been an Impala. One owner you say? Old lady? Oh boy, slathering on with a patching trowel. Mmm, hmm, okay I know, this site is loaded with cars that the owners died, and just now coming to light. To be clear, I doubt granny bought this new, women just didn’t drive a stick, none I knew anyways, and would have sported the $75 for P/S. Clearly gramps got more than a basic BelAir here. A base 4 door cost $2545,( $145 more than the 2 door) but they got a few options. ME? I’d drop a Powerglide in it, it was a $188 dollar option then gramps, jeez,, drop the price in half, be gone. Like this, going to fissin’ for while for that right person,,,quick, before they die,,,
After seeing so many cars for sale that were filthy dirty, garbage all over the interior, dirty engine bay, air cleaner, sitting covered up in a garage, barn, etc, this is pretty well done. This is something I’d buy. It’d be a change from all the other cars I’ve hauled home that needed a day or three to wash, vacuum, remove trash from. The buyer took time to get this ready or just took good care of it, so for the price I’d maybe see if he’d come down to 12k cash. Good job seller
I never cared for the ’61 Chevy: they finally got it right for 1962. The fact that this one has four doors and is not an ugly bubble-top, would enhance it for me. And, with that six, it probably is economical to run and drive. But a 1961 Chevrolet just doesn’t “move” me. My father, who was born well before The Great War (World War I) went from a 1939 “senior” Packard that was like riding in a transportable living room, to a 1951 Packard Mayfair 250 convertible, to a 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible. So, another one who went from Packard to Chevrolet. In 1957, he was out-of-town and had to rent a car for a few days — a 1957 Chevrolet — and he complained about its “jack-rabbit” acceleration and the power brakes that “practically put you through the windshield”. He groused that he’d never buy a Chevrolet. And the very next year, he bought one (power brakes and all). Go figure. We teased him about it. He said the Packard drove like an older car, and the Chevy was “lively” and “energetic”. (Uh-huh). He also HATED Rock-‘n’-Roll, though he invariably listened to the “top 40” stations, complaining about almost every song they played. And, late in his life, he bought a Reader’s Digest 4 CD set of “The Late ’50s”, containing all those records he used to say that he “hated”, calling it “good music”. (One never knows; DO one).
Hi Harrison, still doing the double post thing, eh? Better 2 than none. The site still has problems, and if I respond to Angel Queens posts, my posts get sent to the crapper as well.
Couple diffs, I liked the ’61, perhaps because of gramps influence, did’t care for the ’62s, You mention “jack rabbit starts”, my grandfather laid rubber out of the dealer with his ’72 Nova.( with cheers from mechanics and his then 17 year old grandson beaming) Something they just weren’t used to. Power brakes too, many were used to stomping on the pedal. Power brakes would indeed put them through the windshield. Not sure why my grandfather went with Chevy after the Packard. The Packard was bought because of their war efforts, and with Packard gone, Chevy was about the next most patriotic car. Maybe had a thing for Dinah Shore, who knows? As you mention, and some may not know, our fathers and grandfathers went through quite a transition in cars. Today, what? All new info screen,,big deal, when our kin were experiencing groundbreaking innovations, like power steering, brakes, suspension, tires, and HP they just weren’t used to. Going from a big wheeled pre-war Nash to a ’65 Ambassador ( eventually) was huge deal.
BTW, my old man HATED rock & roll too. Lucky was the kid whose parents allowed that society busting, rebellious nonsense. It’s reassuring to hear MY kids cranking up “Free Bird”, like I still do. I heard, my generation and my kids generation, are the only 2 generations that like the same music.
I never cared for the ’61 Chevy: they finally got it right for 1962. The fact that this one has four doors and is not an ugly bubble-top, would enhance it for me. And, with that six, it probably is economical to run and drive. But a 1961 Chevrolet just doesn’t “move” me. My father, who was born well before The Great War (World War I) went from a 1939 “senior” Packard that was like riding in a transportable living room, to a 1951 Packard Mayfair 250 convertible, to a 1958 Chevrolet Impala convertible. So, another one who went from Packard to Chevrolet. In 1957, he was out-of-town and had to rent a car for a few days — a 1957 Chevrolet — and he complained about its “jack-rabbit” acceleration and the power brakes that “practically put you through the windshield”. He groused that he’d never buy a Chevrolet. And the very next year, he bought one (power brakes and all). Go figure. We teased him about it. He said the Packard drove like an older car, and the Chevy was “lively” and “energetic”. (Uh-huh). He also HATED Rock-‘n’-Roll, though he invariably listened to the “top 40” stations, complaining about almost every song they played. And, late in his life, he bought a Reader’s Digest 4 CD set of “The Late ’50s”, containing all those records he used to say that he “hated”, calling it “good music”. (One never knows; DO one).
cool ride drive it as id. shame to ruin it with a ls swap.
The interior is nice but not original. From the factory the floor had a combination rubber mat with carpet over the transmission hump. The seats had a different cloth pattern and there was an embossed chevy emblem in the upper vinyl section. The arm rests were not covered in the same material as the seats like this one is. They were vinyl. I owned one just like this in ’67. I installed full carpet in mine after I purchased it. The original factory brochure will also confirm this. This may have the embossed chevy emblem in the upper part of seat but hard to tell.
I’m liking 4 doors more and more. If I wanted to take buddies my age for a ride, most of them wouldn’t be able to get in the back seat of a 2 door any more. I’d put a good running 283 in this and a five speed, leave the outside just like it is and drive the wheels off of it. Nice car.
Nice clean Belair I think I would upgrade the brakes, those tiny master cylinders make me nervous. Other than that I’d drive it as is.
This body style with the roof overhanging the rear window is often referred to as a flat top.
I don’t mind four door versions of this car. Some models look awkward with four, like a ’72 Nova for instance, but this car looks fine. Someone mentioned a brake upgrade and I whole heartedly agree. And also a V8 swap is easy and nothing about the car would be permanently altered, so a swap back would be just as easy so as not to offend the originality sticklers. I don’t generally like to comment on the asking price, but sometimes it seems that free would be too much $ for some folks. Besides, who pays the asking price?
In Sept. ’83 my wife’s 1968 Nova (which she bought new), finally started to give us trouble and she took my ’79 Ford LTD, so in a pinch I bought a 1961 Impala 4door from a friend, with the promise to sell it back. I guess it had PB and PS and a V8, I can’t remember, but what a joy to drive. The Nova was a basic sedan with 6/automatic but it was no slouch, easily cruising at 75 on the highway (although the speedometer only said 69, I found out later). The ’61 Impala is now being driven to high school by my friends grandson. He has got to be king of the parking lot in that mint, original, white over red Chevy.