If any American car deserves to be the poster child for the fabulous Fifties, the tri-five (1955-1957) Chevrolet is the one. With styling cues borrowed from GM Motorama show cars and the Cadillac line, the new Chevrolets offered the everyman a chance to own and drive a virtual custom car without straining the budget. Most important, if said driver encountered an actual Caddy at a stoplight, the optional Turbo-Fire V-8 was fully capable of holding its own if a class-warfare skirmish ensued.
With eight body styles, the tri-five model range offered something for every customer and budget. The entry-level One-Fifty, midrange Two-Ten, and top-gun Bel Air shared a 115-inch wheelbase and aspirational styling that helped Chevrolet maintain a now-unimaginable 44-percent lock on the low-priced market segment. When the first of the classic triumvirate arrived in 1955, 3825 of its 4506 component parts were not interchangeable with 1954 Chevrolet models. For all intents and purposes, it was an entirely new car. The "Hot One" had arrived.
Externally, the 55's Ferrari-inspired eggcrate grille, wraparound glass, Frenched headlamp brows, and flush quarter panels emulated the look of a California custom, but were mere icing on a tasty engineering cake. Beneath the frosting, a ball-jointed control-arm front suspension replaced sliding-pillar king pins, an open driveshaft replaced the torque tube, tubeless tires replaced tubes, the frame was a foot wider, and a 12-volt electrical system opened the door to optional electric windshield wipers, door locks and windows, and other power options the old six-volt system couldn't support.
Though Chevrolet had offered the ill-fated "Copper Cooled" V-8 36 years earlier, rival Ford offerings continually shamed Chevrolet's subsequent six-only powerplant situation with its optional flathead V-8s. But Chevy's 1955 pushrod-equipped OHV mill raised the bar overnight. At 265 cubes, the Turbo-Fire delivered 162 horsepower with a two-barrel carb or 180 horsepower with the optional four-barrel and dual-exhaust system. Sure, Cadillac, Chrysler, and others claimed higher horsepower numbers, but the 1955 Chevy's superior power-to-weight ratio made it faster and quicker at about half the price. With 9.7-second 0-to-60 times, the three-speed-stick-equipped 1955 quickly became popular with hot rodders and kids of all ages.
External refinements for 1956 included a controversial full-width grille revamp (that has enthusiasts divided to this day), elliptical rear-wheel openings, two inches of extra length, and a prominent chrome "V" on the hood and trunk of V-8-equipped cars. The top 265 was dubbed the Super Turbo-Fire and power escalated to 205, while 0-to-60 times dropped to 9.0 seconds flat for the quickest manual-transmission models. An even hotter 225-horsepower dual-quad version was announced just in time for Daytona where their fanbelts "mysteriously" flew off and top speeds in excess of 136 mph were recorded by these specially prepared machines.
Though total production was lower than 1955 or 1956, many enthusiasts agree the 1957 is the most desirable tri-five thanks to a complete blossoming of baby-Cadillac styling themes and added power. Fifty-sevens are most notable for their gorgeous chrome bumpers, recessed grilles, and sleek tailfins with anodized-aluminum inserts. But few recognize the subtle fact that the 1957's cowl and hood were dropped 1.5 inches, adding greatly to the low and wide theme.
Power grew with the simultaneous arrival of the enlarged 283 V-8 plus no fewer than three carbureted powerpack options rated at 220 (four-barrel), 245 (two-by-four-barrel), and 270 (two-by-four-barrel with Duntov Corvette cam). The biggest news was the availability of Rochester mechanical fuel injection. Shared with Corvette, it was offered in 250- and 283-horsepower versions, and records show that, of the 1,555,316 Chevrolet passenger cars built for the 1957 model year, 1530 were Rochester equipped. Interestingly, a mere 1040 1957 Corvettes sold with fuel injection, as showroom customers and wary service managers eyed the finned aluminum mystery box with suspicion.