Alex Van Halen's 1955 Chevy Bel Air Is a Modern Take on the Infamous Black Widow

The drummer made headlines in 2021 when he was spotted driving a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, but his garage wasn't always made up of modern high-performance machines. Alex also owned and drove a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. And before you say a 1955 Chevy is a bit mundane for a rock star, you should know that this Tri-Five is no regular Bel Air.

This apparently stock two-door hardtop rides on a bespoke Art Morrison chassis with an independent front suspension and adjustable Strange Engineering coil overs. Not only that but the original mill was ditched in favor of a big-block V8 that displaces a massive 540 cubic inches (8.8 liters).

Installed during previous ownership, the mill also features an Edelbrock intake manifold, MSD electronic ignition and billet distributor, braided fuel lines, RHS cylinder heads, and an aluminum radiator with dual electric fans. The V8 mates to a Tremec TKO five-speed manual gearbox and a nine-inch rear end with 4.11:1 gears.

There's no word on power but this classic hot rod setup should be good for at least 500 horsepower. And that's more than any muscle car from the golden era, regardless of manufacturer and engine. And needless to say, the big block sounds downright amazing when the pedal hits the floor.

The two-tone, black-and-white paint keeps things understated on the outside, but the aggressive stance and the meaty rear tires indicate that this Bel Air could spend weekends at the drag strip.

The paint job reminds me a bit of the iconic Black Widow race cars that The Southern Engineering Development Company (SEDCO) built for the 1957 NASCAR season. Based on the 150 utility sedan version of the Tri-Five, the Black Widow was created as a way around the AMA ban on factory-backed racing and went on to dominate the Grand National Series that year.

Also owned by five-time NHRA champion Joe Amato before it was purchased by Alex Van Halen, this stunning and almost inconspicuous hot rod is up for auction via Bring a Trailer. Bidding has reached $38,000 as of this writing, but with four more days to go, this hot rod could fetch more than a fully-restored 1955 Bel Air. Check it out revving its nasty engine swap in the video below.