Throughout the whole of the Danchuk Tri-Five Nats, I’ve been working on one thought that won’t go away: ignoring “class models” (you know, the difference between a 150, 210 and Bel Air), effectively this is a show about one model of car, and only three years of that model. How on earth, then, is the show so massive? What is it about 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevrolet passenger cars that connected with the public in this manner? Remember, this wasn’t a special deal kind of car…this was Chevrolet’s bread and butter for those years, and the factories cranked them out by the millions…almost four million, according to production numbers.
The few thousand that descended upon Kentucky, then, was merely a drop in the bucket of what is really out there in the world. Even sixty years on, you can go hunting and find a tri-five Chevy to put together if your heart is into it. Try that with a Ford or Mopar of similar vintage. We wish you luck. So again, back to my thought…what is it about these three model years? Do you have answers?
Click on a photo below to see more from the Tri-Five Nationals!
Really Bryan? I hardly know where to begin. The 55-56-57 Chevy’s are
part of America’s post war boom. The new V8 had every contemporary
good idea. The old stovebolt six is tough as nails.
They were affordable. They were durable. They were popular.
I’ve had my ’56 BelAir for 29 years, and the most common comment is :
My Dad (or other friend or relative)
had one just like it, but it was (put body type and color here).
When driving one, people wave and give thumbs up like you’re in a parade!
When they got to be old cars, the interchangeability allowed a hot rodder
to make it any way they wished. Street, drag, or oval, these cars did it all.
Because they were so common as daily drivers, they don’t have the
“snobbiness” of a Corvette, or the menace of a Pony car or Muscle car.
The 55-56-57 will always be part of America’s car culture.
Beats the hell outta me. I’ve always thought they were ugly and never got the attraction. My bet guess it’s the Chevy herd mentality; Chevy Sheeple must love tri fives or be outcasts…
5-6 & 7 Fords were way nicer, and outsold Chevy.
1957 Was the first year that Ford outsold Chevy, and if they were so nice where are they all at today? I haven’t seen a trifive Ford event with 2700+ cars attending.