AutoHunter Spotlight: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Blending modern features with vintage looks, this Tangerine Pearl tri-five has all the right ingredients to make it the perfect boulevard cruiser. It went through restoration 15 years ago in 2008 but still looks fresh, and its option packaging would be right at home with any of today’s modern builds. Equipment includes a Hotchkis sway bar, air conditioning, four-wheel Wilwood disc brakes, and 20-inch five-spoke chrome wheels. This unique Bel Air is being sold by Zoom Classic Cars in Massachusetts, and the auction ends tomorrow.

The original Bel Air was a huge success: Building on the already-popular 1956 model, the ’57 took things up a notch in the styling department with its iconic tailfins. The car rode on the General Motors A-body platform and sold over 700,000 units in 1957 alone. Some of those have not only survived the test of time but have been treated to cosmetic and performance upgrades that bring them into the modern era. Today’s example is one such car.

The interior is my favorite part of the build, and it looks like a particularly nice place to spend time. The bucket seats offer a more supportive seating position when compared to the original front bench. The Lexus-branded all-weather floor mats are a nice touch, and personally I found them to be a fitting upgrade considering the car has many of the amenities of a modern car like air conditioning, a stereo, a center console, and power steering.

In 1957, the Bel Air could be ordered with an optional 283cid V8 as its largest engine, but this Bel Air comes with a bigger powerplant than stock. The specific origins of the currently-fitted small-block 350cid V8 are not called out, but it reportedly hails from the 1970s era and has been upgraded with a Holley Sniper fuel-injection system and a mild cam. Torque is fed rearward through a four-speed automatic transmission. Along with all that power, a proper performance car needs good brakes, and this Bel Air delivers: Wilwood discs are fitted at all four corners for optimized stopping ability.

This Bel Air is a perfect example of a car that offers the hustle of a performance-built powertrain along with the creature comforts of a daily driver. It has Lexus floor mats, after all.

The auction for this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air ends tomorrow, on Friday, August 11, 2023, at 12:15 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery