Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Craigslist
It’s difficult to name just one thing that made the 1957 Bel Air a truly special car, but the most notable highlight was probably the debut of the fuel injection system.
Sixty years ago, carburetors were, well, everything, so when Chevrolet decided to come up with a fuel injection system, the auto industry was caught unguarded. Customers included, that is, as the first Bel Air with a fuel-injected engine wasn’t necessarily successful.
The 1957 release, however, was the last year when the Bel Air was playing solo in Chevy’s full-size yard. 1958 witnessed the debut of the Impala, a model whose popularity skyrocketed almost overnight, eventually becoming the best-selling Chevrolet and the top model in the United States.
Sure enough, getting your hands on a 1957 Bel Air isn’t by any means easy. At least, not if you don’t want a rust bucket that’s worth nothing.
The example that I recently came across on Craigslist is completely the opposite. As a genuine barn find, this Bel Air was recently discovered in a garage in central California, where it presumably spent the last few decades. Little is known about this long tenure in hiding, but the Bel Air is allegedly at its second owner after previously being inherited from the first person who drove it.
This Bel Air ticks all the boxes for a one-of-a-kind restoration candidate. Not only is the car entirely original, but everything is still there as well. A Continental kit is also around, and the vehicle comes with the original power windows and a matching-numbers V8.
The engine brings mixed news, but most professional restorers would probably prefer to see the glass half-full. The V8 under the hood no longer runs, but given it’s the original unit that came with the car, trying to bring it back to life will probably be a priority for the next buyer. The odometer indicates a little over 80,000 miles (some 128,000 km), and the mileage is obviously supposed to be original, given the long time of sitting.
A clear Nevada title is available as well.
All the other details are currently missing, but a car this special certainly deserves an in-person inspection. 1957 Bel Airs in tip-top shape typically sell for close to $100,000 if everything continues to be original, so this example could eventually become a rare gem worth a small fortune with the right restoration job.
At this point, the vehicle is up for grabs for just $11,500, and the seller claims they offer the Bel Air together with a trailer at no extra price. As such, taking the car home would be even easier, given the Bel Air is already on the trailer waiting for a new owner.
The 1957 release, however, was the last year when the Bel Air was playing solo in Chevy’s full-size yard. 1958 witnessed the debut of the Impala, a model whose popularity skyrocketed almost overnight, eventually becoming the best-selling Chevrolet and the top model in the United States.
Sure enough, getting your hands on a 1957 Bel Air isn’t by any means easy. At least, not if you don’t want a rust bucket that’s worth nothing.
The example that I recently came across on Craigslist is completely the opposite. As a genuine barn find, this Bel Air was recently discovered in a garage in central California, where it presumably spent the last few decades. Little is known about this long tenure in hiding, but the Bel Air is allegedly at its second owner after previously being inherited from the first person who drove it.
This Bel Air ticks all the boxes for a one-of-a-kind restoration candidate. Not only is the car entirely original, but everything is still there as well. A Continental kit is also around, and the vehicle comes with the original power windows and a matching-numbers V8.
The engine brings mixed news, but most professional restorers would probably prefer to see the glass half-full. The V8 under the hood no longer runs, but given it’s the original unit that came with the car, trying to bring it back to life will probably be a priority for the next buyer. The odometer indicates a little over 80,000 miles (some 128,000 km), and the mileage is obviously supposed to be original, given the long time of sitting.
A clear Nevada title is available as well.
All the other details are currently missing, but a car this special certainly deserves an in-person inspection. 1957 Bel Airs in tip-top shape typically sell for close to $100,000 if everything continues to be original, so this example could eventually become a rare gem worth a small fortune with the right restoration job.
At this point, the vehicle is up for grabs for just $11,500, and the seller claims they offer the Bel Air together with a trailer at no extra price. As such, taking the car home would be even easier, given the Bel Air is already on the trailer waiting for a new owner.
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