1956 Chevrolet Brochure

updated November 14, 2003 Another fine scan from Jeff George!

"... look at Page 3... I used to own one just like it! This same color - two tone olive green and lemon yellow. It was a top-of-the-line Bel Air 2-door hardtop coupe. It was beautiful. It had electric windows and a signal-seeking radio. This was probably one of the first years these features were offered on a Chevrolet. Mine was a V-8 and had power to spare! ...

click on an image below to view the brochure

... I bought the car in 1957, with only 2200 miles on it. I bought it from a Chevrolet dealer in Houston, and it had been the parts manager's wife's car. And he bought her a new one every year. Anyway, it was the car I had when I married my wife. We drove it until 1963, when I bought a new Pontiac.

I sold the Chevy to a teenaged boy. In only a few weeks he wrecked it - totaled it! It was about this time (1963) when the 1955-56-57 Chevrolets were becoming hot items for people buying them and souping them up. Many times I wished I had kept that car - it became one of the all-time classics.

It's funny to me that I have never since seen this color (lemon yellow/olive green) on any restored 1956 Chevrolet. It was a popular combination at that time, but I've never seen it since. Have you? I could be wrong, but I think that's the only year it was offered.

I always thought the 1956 was prettier than the 1957. I thought the sculptured tailights and the side trim were very tasteful on the '56. The 1955-56-57 Chevrolets all had the same body shell. But on the '57 they added the big fins, which got so much attention.

I remember reading a new car review at the time, which really criticized the looks of the 1957, saying it was "too much" adding on the fins and even more chrome. But the writer of the article misjudged the public, because the '57 was a big hit."

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