Vehicle Description
1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible
In 1956, less than 3% of consumers selected a convertible at the
dealership. It was viewed as more of a luxury or reserved for
sports cars rather than being part of the everyday fleet for
working Americans. "Ads said that the 1956 Bel Air was even hotter.
And it was. Among the seven Bel Air models on sale in 1956, the
most attractive as a collectible is, arguably, the two door Bel Air
convertible. And despite being the fifth most popular amongst the
seven body styles, more than 41,000 of them were sold in 1956. With
such impressive volumes made, it wouldn't come as a surprise to
hear that significant numbers survive across the globe."
Derives-Ives magazine, June 2024
For consignment, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible, showing
77,258 miles that are unverifiable. Originally a Florida car, it
arrived in Pennsylvania in the 90's where it has been garaged and
driven in dry weather only.
Exterior
Two tone paint jobs are said by some to embody the joy of living,
and it certainly does add an element of pizazz to this 1956, with
Sierra Gold and Adobe Beige interacting on the body. The beige
spears forward from coverage on the decklid and is accompanied by
stainless trim the whole way to the front. From the back, it looks
like you're following a beige car, but in profile, the dynamic
combination of the colors gives movement and depth, augmented by
detailed stainless accents behind the front wheel, rising to the
shoulder line, and just above the wraparound front bumper. It's
almost too much for the senses, like a fine piece of abstract art
that just keeps revealing itself. Even the wheels are a complex
combination of body colors and textures, the covers cut like a gear
wheel and embossed with the bowtie around the center. The tan
canvas top is in good condition, showing a bit of discoloration and
housing a clear, plastic window. Get closer, and we detect a
handful of touched up chips and scratches in the gold paint, and a
small tear in the canvas. Beyond that, the paint and brightwork are
very nice.
Interior
The partnership of color continues on the beautifully designed door
panels which pick up on the spear-like protrusion of tan through a
copper vinyl background, showing just a touch of patina but show
worthy as is. It's a wonderful color combination which continues on
the split bench front seat where tan V-shaped panels spill down
over smooth copper, only to return on the lowers as stitched
borders. This is all copied on the back bench, and all are in very
nice condition. Sierra Gold makes a comeback on the shiny steering
wheel with a contrasting and integrated horn ring. The dash is
glossy with a classic jukebox-like appearance with an arched dash
over a fan shaped speedometer surrounded by polished metal and
robust chrome knobs. The grated mid panel of the dash houses an
AM/FM radio, then intersects with another arched panel where Bel
Air is scripted over a handsome clock. Copper loop carpet covers
the floor with quality and copper visors are mounted to the
polished window frame.
Drivetrain
A very clean, orange blocked 265ci V8 engine is under the hood,
producing 205 horsepower with a single, 4-barrel carburetor on top.
A Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission sets this beauty into
motion and sends power to the 3.36 gears in back while drum brakes
on all four slow it down.
Undercarriage
Clean underneath as well with minimal surface rust and very little
grease build up at the knuckles. We note some residual oil on the
rear differential and some sling by the U-joint, as well as a drop
on the oil pan drain plug and residual on the transmission pan. The
rest of the underside is clean and dry and devoid of any major
imperfections. The dual exhaust flows cleanly into a pair of stock
style mufflers, then find their way to the outside via chrome oval
tips that resemble oversized USB-C plugs. Suspension consists of
coil springs up front and leaf springs in the rear.
Drive-Ability
Just sitting idly in this car is enough for us, but it doesn't tell
us whether it will run. The interior is a very nice place to be
with colors and materials that are both exciting and comfortable.
But okay, we'll start it up, and when we did, we were not
disappointed by the smooth running engine, the pleasant tone of the
dual exhaust, and the soft ride on 70 series tires. Blind spots are
slightly compromised by the canvas top but realistically, aren't
you going to drive this with the top down anyway? That being said,
we found the power top to be inoperable and speed will have to be
by the seat of your pants because the speedometer is also not
functioning. All other workable items, however, operated as they
should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions
were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee
these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Despite some sizable production numbers, we haven't seen many
convertible Tri-Fives at the mall, so we're excited to have this
beautiful example in our Hallowed Halls. Can you imagine streets
filled with two tone cars with chrome and polished accents in the
'50s? They could not have known how iconic and classic these
rolling bits of art would be, and this 1956 is a living example of
the ornate daily drivers of the 1950's. We can say with some
confidence that this one will attract attention, so register your
interest as soon as you can.
VC56T021367
V-V8
C-2400 Series
56-1956
T-Tarrytown, NY Assy Plant
021367-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
STYLE NO 56 1067DXT-1956 Bel Air Convertible
BODY NO L3323-Lansing Body #
TRIM NO 621-Copper & Tan Vinyl
PAINT NO 700-Adobe Beige, Sierra Gold
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee
is not included in the advertised price.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
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