57 Chevy, Ford Were Auto Classics
Bel Air, Fairlane Mirrored Year of Firsts, from Sputnik to Beatniks
GM and Ford are celebrating the 50th anniversary of two of their classic cars, the 1957 Bel Air and the 1957 Fairlane, both of which reflected the boldness of the year.
Of all the things introduced in 1957, few are remembered by Americans much more than the 1957 Chevy Bel Air. Unless it was the 1957 Ford Fairlane.
Either way, that’s saying a lot because 1957 produced some very significant firsts:
- Russia launched Sputnik’s 1, the world’s first artificial satellite.
- The European Economic Union was formed.
- Britain tested its first hydrogen bomb off Christmas Island.
- The United States conducted its first underground nuclear test
- Congress passed its first significant civil rights legislation since the Civil War
- Scientists discovered the first growth-producing hormone
- The International Atomic Energy Agency was formed
- California got its first major league baseball teams, the Giants and the Dodgers, both moving from New York
- Dr. Seuss published "The Cat in the Hat."
- The term "Beatnik" emerged.
- The Frisbee was invented.
- The Pacific Coast Stock Exchange was formed.
- Ford launched the Edsel, which failed miserably.
Okay, in the great scheme of things, maybe the 1957 cars were not the most memorable products of the year, but they were certainly special to auto fanatics. They were both a product of their times and reflective of their times, big, growing, bold, showy.
50th Anniversary of Car Classics
The popularity of the two cars was confirmed in August 2007 when both General Motors and Ford celebrated the 50th anniversaries of the Bel Air and the Fairlane.
As they’ve done almost every year, the ‘57 Bel Air fans renewed fond memories and raved about the car at classic auto shows across the nation. One owner boasted that 20 weddings, including his own, had been conducted in his yellow Bel Air, solemn testimony to the awe in which the vehicle is held. His marriage ended in divorce, but he didn’t blame the Bel Air. He kept it.
Doug Guthrrie wrote in the Detroit News that the ‘57 Chevy brought "high performance, chrome and tail fins to the common people." Its "exterior design and internal muscle found a place in American pop culture," he added.
Today, auto collectors pay as much as $100,000 for a ‘57 Bel Air and one of the convertibles was advertised on EBay for $150,000 in 2007.
Greg Wallace, manager of the General Motors Heritage Center, told the Detroit News that GM built 1.5 million of the Bel Airs, offering them in 20 body styles and six engine options.
Ford Outsold Chevy
Actually, the 1957 Ford outsold the Bel Air. Like the Chevy, it was huge, with long hood and fins. It was highly promoted as "the car of the future" and came equipped with Fordomatic transmission, console range radio, power brakes, backup lights, 245 horsepower V-8 with dual exhausts, safety padded panel and visors, Style-Tone paint, Magicaire heater and seat belts. The Skyliner model boasted of having the first mass- produced retractable hardtop
The ads said "You feel like a millionaire when you drive a Ford."
Another Ford ad, an early example of flaunting incorrect grammar, said "it takes nothin’ from nobody."
