Car Corner

William Kelly asked:


There are just a handful of classic cars that just about anyone will immediately recognize and the 1957 Chevy Bel Air is one of them. From the classic tail fins to the hooded headlights this model is as much an American icon as parades and apple pie. While the term ’57 Chevy has come to be used as a catchall phrase for that model year, as though there were just one model, there were actually several different variations of note. It’s interesting to consider that the boys at Chevy wanted to see a totally new design for the 1957 model year. Production problems and setbacks caused them to use the 1955 model design as a base one more time. Imagine how close we were to never seeing this model!

The 1957 Chevrolet came in three different main trim packages. The Bel Air was the top of the line luxury package featuring gold anodized trim pieces on the front grill, fenders, hood and trunk lid. The 210 package was a mid-line offering with the 150 package rounding out the line as a base offering. There were several body styles available for the 1957 model year, most of which had an option of the Bel Air trim package. The standard Chevy two and four door sedans were offered as well as a two door and four door Hardtop. Often confused by novice observers are the Sedans and Hardtop or Sport Coupes. The sedan model is easy to spot when you understand that model has upright pillars between the windows while the Hardtop or Sport Coupe does not. Also produced was what they called a Utility Coupe which featured a bench in the back rather than a regular seat for salesmen who needed to carry samples and deliver items. Station wagons were also popular at the time and Chevy offered two variations in ’57. The Nomad was the high end version with a Bel Air trim package while the Handyman was offered in the 150 and 210 packages. And we can’t forget the famous Chevy Convertible from this year!

On top of the many body style variations from this year a ton of different options were available. Air Conditioning and Fuel Injection are perhaps the most notable two of them all however very few were sold. Air conditioning was still considered an unnecessary luxury by most and Fuel Injection was so new that most garages simply did not know how to fix the system. Most 1957 Chevy buyers that year opted for the tried and true carburetor. Other items offered included a “Surround Sound” system for the radio (which consisted of a speaker in the rear of the car), power radio antenna, power brakes and a padded dashboard. This was the same year the ill fated Turboglide transmission was introduced. Unfortunately this ****** had a bad reputation from the start and the vast majority of buyers avoided it. The Turboglide ceased production less than 4 years later.

While we think of this car as perhaps the most famous in American history the buying public at the time was not equally impressed. While sales are decent they fell short of expectations. In fact the Ford Motor Company out sold Chevy that year for the first time in over 20 years. Following an interesting trend in classic car market however, the 1957 Chevy remains one of the most sought after models for car collectors the world over.

Dirk Gibson asked:


There are certain vehicles that develop an aura over the years. The Toyota Land Cruiser certainly falls into that category. From a utilitarian beginning, it has become a bit more modern without losing the toughness we all loved.

Toyota has always taken a unique approach when it comes to their model lines. The company prefers to launch a model and then stick with it unlike most other car companies. The Land Cruiser is a classic example. The truck was first designed in 1951 with full scale production beginning in 1954. It has come in versions ranging from convertibles to station wagons. As it closes in on 60 years of production, the Land Cruiser is still the lead SUV model for the company. That’s staying power!

The story of the beginnings of the Land Cruiser is surprisingly mundane. The Japanese government asked the company to build a vehicle similar to the Jeep used by the United States Military to such effect. The name of the vehicle is often written as “Landcruiser”, but this is incorrect and obviously so when you know the origins of it. The name was based on the Land Rover built in England. Toyota wanted a similar name that sounded similar.

Despite this mundane beginning, the Toyota Land Cruiser became an iconic vehicle. The “40” series of the vehicle looked very similar to the classic military Jeep. The engine and suspension system, however, proved to be far superior. The 40 became a much sought after vehicle for off road enthusiasts as its climbing ability was second to none. Despite being built in the 60s and 70s, the vehicle is still a huge favorite as it often outperforms modern 4 wheel drive cars in off road competitions.

Perhaps the biggest testament to the popularity and reliability of the vehicle is known as the documentary/travel show testimonial. What is this? Well, pay close attention to the vehicles being driven in travel shows and documentaries in exotic locations. The vehicles are almost always Land Cruisers. This is a testimonial in that it essentially says the Land Cruiser is the vehicle of choice if you are going to be out in the middle of nowhere. That’s pure credibility.

Don Levy asked:

Most classic car collectors (me included) have always maintained that a 4-door sedan wasn’t really a classic car. Usually the argument was about the styling and desirablility. A popular argument has alway been “just because it’s old

doesn’t make it a classic”. This is likely still true but all older cars that have been restored may be viewed as a classic car to some degree. It’s true that a coupe or convertible is

going to be more desirable than a 4-door in most cases, but later I’ll give you some reasons why a 4-door might be the way to go.

In this article classic cars will basically be a catchall name for all the cars that I’m discussing here, so bear with me.

Here is a brief trip through history to try and explain how the 4-door kind of got shoved aside as a classic car. If someone is restoring or making a street rod from the twenties, thirties or

forties car a 4-door is sometimes more desirable than a roadster or a coupe. This is due to utility being very important as a lot of owners like to cruise with their family and friends.

In 1949 there was a big change as most cars now came with rear seats and could carry four or more people in comfort, so there wasn’t much reason to choose the utility of a sedan over a coupe or convertible. With the utility factor gone buyers started buying classic cars based on desirability. This really kicked into high gear when the hardtops became the hot ticket in the

early fifties.

When the muscle car era began in 1964 almost no one looking for a muscle car ordered a 4-door because muscle cars were built on the premise of low weight and high horsepower. Today most

buyers would prefer a car from 1964 to 1972 to be a muscle car or at least have the appearance of one which of course excludes the 4-doors.

As I’m writing this I’m beginning to be a little more tolerant of 4-doors than I was yesterday. This started this morning as I approached a 1966 Chevelle Malibu from the rear and saying to

myself “that’s a good looking classic car” and then as I passed I said “too bad it’s a 4-door”. Shortly after the “different strokes for different folks syndrome” kicked in and I started

thinking, there must be some reasons why a 4-door would be a good car to own and by golly I thought of some. Even though a 4-door (even a 4-door hardtop) will never have style of a hardtop or

a convertible there are a number of reasons why they are a good deal. Here they are:

1. First of all, the price is going to be much less than a hardtop, sometimes as much as 50% less, mainly because they are less desirable.

2.Secondly many 4-doors are still original. A lot of them will be one or two owner cars and likely be low milage. Many will be passed down from parents and will be in very good condition. This is a plus as there will be less expense for restoration and you can put your own touches on it.

3. Third the utility is greater in a 4-door because of the back doors letting people get in and out easier plus there will be more leg room. Kids, wives and older people will appreciate this.

4. Fourth your insurance will likely cost less than the sportier cars as the insurance company will know that someone who buys a 4-door will likely be a safer driver because it’ll probably be a family car.

5. Fifth the operating cost most likely be less because most of the 4-door cars had smaller engines and most had automatic transmissions.

This in itself will keep the desire to hotrod down to a minimum which will save money in gas and parts.

6. Sixth and probably most important is the fact that the wife will be much more receptive to your buying a classic car if you can explain how the whole family can go cruising instead of just you and your buddy. I speak from experience.

There are likely more reasons for someone to buy a 4-door but I can’t think of them right now. If you have any let me know and I update this

article it the future.

Author: Don Levy My website at Classic Car Hunter has over a thousand classic cars and trucks, muscle cars, hotrods street rods and assorted cars for sale along with an area to list your car for sale.

There are also many articles like this about the classic car hobby.

My blog address is Classic Car Hunter Blog