1960 Chevrolet Bel Air

Description

It's amusing to think that when it was new, the fins on this 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door sedan were considered "conservative." Even though the tailfin era was winding down, the 1960 Chevrolets remain iconic machines, and when they're rendered in bright red, well, they're pretty hard to resist. This one is downright gorgeous and is one of those rare cars that just get everything right.

The paint is PPG Vermillion Red, and there's no denying that it will snap some necks out in traffic. Deep and luxurious, it will prompt strangers to pull up next to you and find themselves unable to resist giving you a "thumbs up" or to ask what color it is. In addition to the striking bodywork, the finish shows incredible depth and a sheen that almost seems radioactive in the sunlight. Add the Arctic White top and you get a traditional two-tone look with a heck of a punch. Of course, when you're going to attract attention, you need to do it for the right reasons, so they made sure the sheetmetal was ultra-straight and smooth, which only comes with hours and hours of tedious labor. And while Chevrolet designers were scaling back the flash, there's still a lot of chrome trim on this big cruiser, including the dramatic side spears that highlight the Bel Air, and all of it is in excellent, show-worthy condition. If you want to get noticed, few cars will do it better than this one.

Chevrolet pretty much owns the houndstooth upholstery look, despite the fabric being insanely popular throughout the '60s. Beautifully stitched into covers for the original bench seats, the very correct red and white interior looks at once sporty and upscale. Detailing is spectacular and there's as much art as function inside this 2-door post. Gorgeous door panels echo some of the exterior styling elements, including the white insert and trim that's beautiful just for the sake of being there, and it's all pretty much the way the factory intended. The dash got an upgraded look, with those trick Auto Meter gauges flanking a centrally-mounted speedometer, and with a bright strip of trim along the lower edge, it definitely looks expensive. It's updated but not out of character, and they added an AM/FM/cassette stereo in the original slot just to maintain the look. And if you have any doubts about the size of these big cruisers, check out the trunk which has been expensively upholstered and beautifully finished to match.

There were still a myriad of engine options in 1960, with the 283 cubic inch small block V8 being the one that works best today. This is the car's original engine and while it looks stock, it was balanced and blueprinted and fitted with a Comp Cams camshaft to really wake it up. It also wears its Chevy Orange paint with pride and shows off beautiful valve covers, coated ram's horn exhaust manifolds, and a 4-barrel carburetor. It exhales through a Flowmaster dual exhaust system that works with the Bel-Air's luxury/performance mission, and doesn't hide any of the very solid, clean floor pans. A TH350 3-speed automatic transmission powers the stock rear end, so it drives like it's 1960 all over again, and the suspension has been lowered using spindles and custom springs. That stance is enhanced by custom-made 17-inch wheels from Wheel Vintiques and a set of custom 17-inch whitewall radials to match.

With tens of thousands of dollars and many months invested in the build, this car is simply stunning in every way. Drive it, show it, whatever you want to do, this Chevy will definitely deliver big grins every time. Call today!