Today, December 28, is my birthday, so I decided to select from the AutoHunter docket the vehicle that I would most like to be sitting in my driveway with a big red bow on it. My wish would be:
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this LS1-Powered 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. The car is being offered by a dealer in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and the auction will end Tuesday.
My uncle Jeff has owned and restored a number of ‘55s. Over the recent Thanksgiving holiday, I visited him in Salt Lake City and got a glimpse of his latest project. Interestingly enough, it has the exact same color scheme as the AutoHunter car. So, if I can’t get anyone to buy me the one that’s up for auction, maybe I can just steal Jeff’s someday. I’ll be riding in style either way.
This Bel Air’s most compelling feature is its modern drivetrain: Power comes from a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 – the same engine that powered the Corvette from 1997 through 2004. It was an advanced engine for its time and has since become popular in restomod applications. Depending on the model and year, LS1 engines were rated at between 305 and 350 horsepower. That’s roughly double what the Bel Air’s Turbo-Fire V8 would have produced back in 1955. I can imagine that the car moves with authority and confidence up interstate onramps or steep grades.
Adding to the allure of the car are a Vintage Air climate-control system, four-wheel power disc brakes, chrome wheels, a Custom Autosound stereo and a dual exhaust system. The red leather inside the cabin is an attractive and tidy upgrade to an already solid restomod package. My favorite interior detail of any Bel Air from this era is the wrap-around dash trim with miniature bowtie logos inscribed into it.
The 1955 Chevrolet was – and is – an icon in the classic car context. Perhaps most notably, it was the car in which Chevrolet introduced a new, lightweight, reliable 265ci Turbo-Fire V8 engine. Additional features included a new “shoebox” exterior design, a 12-volt electrical system and nine different body styles ranging from convertibles to station wagons.
I won’t hold my breath in hopes that someone out there in The Journal’s reader base wants to make my birthday wish come true. I just hope this car goes to a great home, because it’s a Bel Air that any Chevy enthusiast would be lucky to own and drive.
The auction for this LS1-Powered 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air will end Tuesday, December 31, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (MST)
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
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