Between 1955 and 1957, the Chevrolet Tri-Five was the best-selling nameplate of its time, moving an incredible five million units. Even though it’s a very sought-after classic these days, it’s hardly rare.
With only 23,000 of the two-door Nomad wagons delivered over the course of three model years, it is the rarest. Relatively rare are the 150 Delivery Sedan and Utility Sedan models. On the other hand, hundreds of thousands of occurrences were observed for the other varieties. This also holds true for the Bel Air Hardtop Sport Coupe, the most sought-after Tri-Five.
There’s a catch, though. Because Chevrolet built so many of them, Tri-Five Bel Airs also have a somewhat low survival rate. These cars were pretty affordable, and many owners didn’t find it hard to abandon their rigs in junkyards and barns once they purchased newer automobiles. As a result, most of the Bel Airs that soldiered on to see 2023 are in poor condition. Sadly enough, some are rusty beyond restoration.
Thankfully, Tri-Fives are still saved today. Some are restored to original specs, while others are transformed into ostentatious, potent restomods. This 1956 Bel Air is one of the fortunate ones. After being stored for thirty-three years, it is still intact and needs minimal restoration to become a flawless classic.
It also has a heartwarming tale. The owner’s son restored the two-door automobile to its former glory after more than thirty years. He carried out the action as a part of his father’s stroke therapy. After removing the automobile from the garage and giving it a thorough cleaning, he restored it to its optimum state. When he showed it to his father, who had driven a Bel Air until the late 1980s, he could see that he was impressed.
The cleaning process revealed a vehicle that’s still in excellent condition. Sure, the paint shows some rust spots, the interior a bit of wear and tear, and the original engine is missing, but this Bel Air is a full-fledged unrestored survivor. And it’s finished in India Ivory over Sherwood Green, a gorgeous two-tone combo. And in true 1950s fashion, it flaunts a matching interior.
This 1956 Bel Air two-door sedan, numbering 105,098 in total, is anything but rare. Still, it’s rare to find survivors in this condition these days, so this Bel Air deserves a thorough restoration. And hopefully, that’s exactly what it will receive in a short while.
Although the engine’s specifications are unknown, the gear that is still in place points to a V8. A 235 cubic inch (3.9 liter) inline-six engine was standard on the 1956 Bel Air, but Chevrolet also offered a choice of V8 engines. A 265-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) engine with 162, 170, 205, or 225 horsepower was on the options list.
Any of these engines are easy to source nowadays, but I wouldn’t mind seeing this Bel Air with a modern LS under the hood. We need this beauty back on the road!