How often do you come across a #classic car of over 60 years old with less than 13,000 original miles? And not just any car; but the iconic 57 #Chevy! When we heard about this Chevrolet 150 being for sale by its third owner, we knew we had to make a classic car report about it for LCR.
The car was sold new by Nalley Chevrolet in Atlanta, which by the way is still in business, albeit at a different location. The cardboard dealer plate from #1957 is still with the car, as well as this ‘57 map of Georgia.
This ‘57 four-door sedan is almost entirely original. It proudly wears its original black paint; the cloth upholstery is original and the car is standing on the original whitewall tires from 1957. “They don’t build them like they used to” definitely applies to these 64-year-old tires, that don’t even show any cracks.
The 1957 Chevrolet is one of the icons of the golden age in the USA. Tail fins, rocket-like details inspired by the start of the space age, the iconic curved glass, royal amounts of chrome, everything is there to make it a symbol of the 50s. The design process was led by Chevrolet’s chief designer Clare MacKichan and is one of the most recognized classic car designs today.
The car has a body-on-frame construction, with the body being produced by GM’s prestigious in-house Fisher coachbuilding division.
This 150 is equipped with the 235 cubic inch inline six, rated at 123 hp. It is paired to a 3-speed manual transmission which has the shifter on the steering column.
This model doesn’t have power steering, which despite the large steering wheel is something dearly missing in the 3221 lb. car. No power disc brakes here, either. The car is stopped by manual drums on all four wheels. What it does have, however, is the original tube radio. Still operational in 2021, the radio outputs surprisingly good sound quality through a small grille in the top of the steel dashboard. Especially when you extend the antenna that’s almost longer than the car itself.
Talking about materials: do you see all those plastic parts? Me neither. Cars like these is where the term ‘American iron’ came from. Thick, heavy steel.
Every surface on the inside is made of metal. No cracks ever in this steel dash! The blinker stalk feels more solid than your entire Toyota. Door handles, window winders, nothing is made of plastic.
And look at these woven fabric weather strips. And all of it is original to the car, like the vacuum wiper system and even the fabric seat upholstery with the funky pattern.
So how are the creature comforts in this mid-level sedan from the 50s? The front bench is adjustable and gives a surprisingly good amount of room.
The Chevy has heat and air through a unit under the dash. For natural air, it has these nice lockable so-called cigar vent windows that for some reason have completely disappeared from modern cars. As said before, all windows in this car are manual.
The high beams are controlled with your left foot, which is interesting as this car is not an automatic. The Chevy logo behind the steering wheel lights up when you turn them on. And yes, there are the 12,854 original miles on the odometer! On the inside, it has a dome light that turns on when you open any of the doors, and it even has a lighted glove box! With cupholders inside the door. It furthermore features this beautiful Art Deco clock.
The black exterior paint is beautifully accented with subtle black painted accents on the hubcaps and chrome exterior trim. And look how nice the thin bezels on the mirrors are. Compare that to the big bulky plastic mirrors of today.
It is just incredible to see how this 50s Chevrolet combines function with great design. The iconic curved windshield and rear window for example, provide perfect visibility without having a thick A-pillar right in your face, and the designers managed to also make it look beautiful. It shows how much room for innovation there was in the 50s before the government started deciding everything.
Talking about practicality, look at this nice big trunk. It has the original rubber liner, which also makes a lot more sense than today’s carpeted trunks where everything slides all over the place.
Anyway, how do we get home now?
I wonder if the tube radio is upgradable with an Android Auto or Apple Carplay module?
We want to thank Dick Allis for giving us the opportunity to review this unique classic, and want to remind you that the car is for sale. If you’re interested, drop us a line in the comments!
31 дек 2021
