Often automobile manufacturers try to convince us that the newest models are something special, revolutionary, fast, or just cool, when in fact they are just a minor rehash of the previous model. And sometimes they go so far as to try to convince you that their cars are something they aren’t. Case in point, the Toyota Camry. Because they put some black plastic up front to make it look more aggressive, somehow Toyota thought they could convince the buying public that they were cool, bold, and fast. Seriously? The stupid people that bought one for any reason other than to have a reliable 4 door car, deserve whatever ridicule they get in the carpool lane at the Elementary School for having some license plate frame that says they have a Bold New Camry.
But what happens when a manufacturer does hype the hell out of their newest model and it DOES in fact check all the boxes they said OR becomes an icon in automotive history because of the ground breaking design, technology, or both that they brought to the table? Such is the case with the 1955 Chevrolet. Suspension changes that included features we now take for granted, like Anti Dive, along with leaf springs mounted outside the frame instead of underneath, were just a couple of the features of the new for 1955 Chevrolet. But the most dramatic was the introduction of the venerable Small Block Chevrolet engine. They called it the TurboFire V8, but it will forever be known as the Small Block.
The engine was available in 1955 Corvettes, and rated slightly higher on power, but the small block in a passenger car would be the turning point in hot rodding history, even if we didn’t know it yet back then.
So while most of the hype that manufacturers make about their new models is just that, I wonder if the engineers, marketers, and sales team in 1955 had any clue what this one car would do to the world or cars in general and hot rods in particular.
What do you think?
Probably my favorite body style of all time.
I believe there is a video on YouTube called Boxes and Balls, which goes into detail about the changes in structural and handling features for 1955.
The greatest moment in the movie is when they sail one of these lead sleds off a ramp into another vehicle to prove how tough it is.