The debut of the Impala in 1958 significantly impacted the Bel Air, as the model that brought home the bacon during the ’50s was now only “plan B” for many Chevy full-size buyers. The Impala had everything you could ask for, and Chevrolet’s love for the new nameplate was obvious.
The Impala became a separate series in 1959 and was rapidly crowned the best-selling car in the United States.
The Bel Air continued to command an important share in the full-size market, sharing most of its parts, engines, and styling with the Impala. However, it was no longer the big star of the show, and this is the reason why the owner of this fabulous 1958 Bel Air says that “it is a shame this is not an Impala.”
An Impala is typically more desirable than a Bel Air, but I admit that this 1958 example still looks fantastic. The car has already been restored, and it has the correct number of doors to be part of someone’s collection.
It still wears the original white paint and the blue interior, and the people at Classic Cars of SC, who are now trying to find a new home for this car, claim the Bel Air is “wonderfully solid.” This isn’t necessarily a surprise, considering the Bel Air has already been restored, so It’s safe to assume that you won’t discover any rust on the undersides or other parts requiring urgent attention.
However, I think it’s important to put the car on a lift and check the undersides, as you’d want to determine if the restoration also included patches or new floors – or simply discover how much metalwork was involved.
This Bel Air landed online earlier this year but still can’t find a new home, and I think there are two reasons – however, feel free to share what you think in the box after the jump. First, the car is no longer 100% original, as the engine in charge of powering this Bel Air is a 327 V8. The 327 wasn’t available in 1958, as the top engine for this model year was the 348ci unit, which launched alongside the Impala.
Second, the car is likely considered too expensive, especially because it’s no longer an all-original example. While it does feature the correct number of doors and air conditioning, not everybody seems to be willing to pay $37,500, so it’ll be interesting to see if and how fast this Bel Air finds a new home.
Meanwhile, the car remains parked in Gray Court, South Carolina, and if you agree to pay the full price, you should be able to drive it home on its wheels. The seller also enabled the Make Offer button.