The 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air provide an first-class example of a democratic practice in the Detroit of the fifties calledreskinning– making an old automobile bet new without interchange its basic structure by apply different taboo panels . Nobody did this better at the prison term than General Motors , and the 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air turn out it .
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fleet managerial change in the previous Forties had ushered in Thomas H. Keating asChevroletgeneral manager , brim with confidence about the future and filled with grand programme for it . By 1952 , the division was hard at work on an all - new V-8 for an equally raw group of 1955 passenger cars . in the meantime , they face the trouble of how to extend the sales life of the basic 1949 weapons platform , then looking jolly long in the tooth . Reskinning was the obvious answer .
The solution appeared for 1953 as the most changed Chevrolet in five year . Singer Dinah Shore , Chevrolet ’s television spokesperson in those days , introduced it as " a glamourous new adept , " intermit while the camera cut to a closing curtain up , then gushingly ask : " Is n’t that about the prettiest matter you ever figure ? "
We lean to express joy at this commercial now , but the 1953 Chevrolet did look pretty skillful in its day .
Stylist Carl Renner arrange up the old bodies with brisk sheetmetal below the belt , one - slice windshields ( replacing twinned - window glass ) , and a prominent ellipse lattice whose three vertical . " teeth " provided a familial resemblance to the forthcoming Corvette athletics car . Rear end on hardtops and sedan chair gained a bulkier , more " authoritative " look , and introduced bodyside two - toning on Bel Air rear fenders . Artful die changes also reshape rear side - window openings .
manakin - wise , the exclusive remaining Fleetline fastback sedan vanish , and the batting order was reordered . At the bottom came the low - monetary value One - Fifty , replacing the late Special ; DeLuxe consecrate way to the mid - range Two - Ten . This year ’s top - of - the - line series take on the Bel Air name from Chevrolet ’s 1950 - 1952 hardtop coupe , which now became a Sport Coupe with two saloon and aconvertibleas persist mate . Lower - serial offerings consist sedans , pillared club coupe , and Handyman wagon , plus One - Fifty business coupe and Two - Ten Townsman estate car , convertible , and Sport Coupe .
On the mechanically skillful side , Chevrolet scrapped its smaller " Stovebolt " six and espouse the 235.5 - cubic - inch Powerglide unit for all example . Higher compaction supercharge it to 105horsepowerwith stickshift or 115 with Powerglide . The latter version received aluminum pistons ( replace cast iron ) and insert - type gat bearings plus a more modern , pressurized lubrication system . Manual - transmissionengines would get these change for 1954 , when the six was retitled " Blue Flame . " All this reflected the bearing of new main technologist Edward N. Cole , who ’d arrived from Cadillac in May 1952 after working on that division ’s milepost 1949 V-8 .
Go to the next Sir Frederick Handley Page to read more about the 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air ’s sales success .
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Continued
The 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air arrived none too soon . Ford , define to regain sale supremacy , launched an all - out production " blitz " that year as the industry wobble back into high paraphernalia with the remainder of the Korean hostilities . Forced to sell railcar they had n’t order , Ford dealer resorted to heavy discounting . Chevrolethad no choice but to follow , and the race was on , though Chrysler Corporation and the independents ended up the nonstarter .
For 1954,Fordagain side - lifted its Modern - for-1952 body , but stole a march on Chevrolet with a fresh 239 - cid overhead - valve V-8 and ball - joint front suspension system . Chevrolet replied with more chrome , a broad radiator grille with more tooth , new taillights , bright colors , unexampled interior trims , and a fortified six run 115 horse with stickshift ( same as that class ’s 223 - cid Ford six ) , or 125 with Powerglide ( versus the Ford V-8 ’s 130 ) .
The One - Fifty business coupe was renamed Utility sedan , while a rakish two - doorway sedan call Delray replaced the Two - Tenconvertibleand hardtop . in the end , the Two - Ten Townsman was elevate into a Bel Air , bring the serial publication up to five freestanding models . New options , most often install on Bel Airs , include baron brake ( $ 38 ) and power front seat and front door windows ( $ 86 for either ) .
Despite Ford ’s hard press , Chevrolet had added just enough pizazz in 1953 and 1954 to remain " USA-1 , " produce closely 1.35 million auto for 1953 ( about 100,000 more than Ford ) and 1.166 million for 1954 ( about 20,000 onward ) . The Two - Ten emerged as the loudness leader in both year , but the Bel Air finish a creditable second , rarified for a flagship line even in those judicious days .
The Bel Air ’s winner also signal that buyers were ready for more upmarket Chevrolets with coloured " animation room " Interior Department ; chromier , two - tone exteriors ; and ever more convenience options . Indeed , the 1953 - 1954 Chevy point toward the future more than anyone likely realize at the time .
As collector cars , the 1955 - 1957 Chevrolets will probably always overshadow the 1953 - 1954 model , but the latter – especially the Bel Airs – are being observe by enthusiasts as very pleasant machine with meaning as the last of the low - soapsuds " pre - classic " Chevrolets , an important transition in the make ’s history . That ' s reason enough to include on any collectable railcar list – that and the bow - standoff badge they wear down .
Go to the next Sir Frederick Handley Page to read the specifications of the 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air .
1953-1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Specifications
The 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air had the performance to keep Chevrolet ahead of Ford in the backwash for figure one . Below are specification for the 1953 - 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air :
Specifications
locomotive : ohv I-6 , 235.5 Criminal Investigation Command ( 3.56 × 3.94 ) 1953 : 105/115 bhp ( manual / Powerglide ) ; 1954 : 115/125 ( manual/ Powerglide )
Transmission:3 - speed manual ; 2 - upper mogul - glide optional
Suspension , front : upper and lower A - subdivision , roll spring
Suspension , rearward : alive axle , semi - elliptic leaf springs
brake : front / rear drum
Wheelbase ( in.):115.0
Weight ( lbs):3,230 - 3,540
Top speed ( mph):90
0 - 60 mph ( sec):15.0
