Here’s a sweet little clip featuring the car that changed the Detroit auto industry, the 1955 Chevy, going through its paces at the GM Milford Proving Ground.
We’ve featured the 1955 Chevrolet with regularity here at Mac’s Motor City Garage, and we feel it’s justified on a number of counts. First, 1955 brought the introduction of the small-block Chevy V8, one of the most popular and influential engines in automotive history. Next, the 1955 models transformed Chevrolet from a well-regarded but conservative maker of bland grandma cars into the industry’s leading high-performance brand. Finally, 1955 kicked off the ’55-’57 Tri-Five Chevy series, which remain among America’s most beloved collector cars.
This neat little promotional clip, excerpted from a longer Jam Handy feature, was filmed at the General Motors Milford Proving Ground, the giant 4,000-acre vehicle testing facility just outside Detroit. (See our in-depth video feature on the Milford PG here.) Both the six-cylinder and the V8 engines are given the spotlight and some interesting factoids are presented. Boasts for the new Turbo-Fire V8 include a 0-80 mph time of 23.7 seconds and and 24 mpg at 50 mph. “Turbo-Fire delivers a double bonus of both performance and economy that will take your breath away!” the narrator exclaims. Indeed. Video below.
This sure was a exciting time experiencing Chevrolet’s new look and new OHV V8 engine.
I purchased a brand new 55 Bel Air Hardtop right after they came out and went on to build the engine into what made this car a 5.0 sec in a quarter mile screamer.After returning from the service I installed a small block Chevy engine in my 40 Ford coupe.
I’d like to know why the TriChevys are so popular. I understand why the ’32 Ford V8, it was quick and there were many around. But the Sixties Chevys looked zoomier than the Fifties shoeboxes and had bigger engines. Was it just a matter of being the oldest car that a V8 would fit into, thus the cheapest to hot rod? The Nomad is a fine looking wagon but the group look like bland grandma cars.
They were a game changer. Beautiful styling and V8 OHV engine in a low priced car.
Game changer certainly. It’s logical that they would be popular at the time. But compared to what came after, they’re stodgy and slow. I’ve owned a ’56 post coupe. It wasn’t a great driver and wasn’t ultra-light either. A 327 Chevy II could run circles around it.
A few years ago, an acquaintance showed me his stock ’56 Chevy. Maintained, not restored. The doors sounded and felt like a bank vault when you slammed them shut. Compare that to an early ’70s GM car door, where it feels like the hinges are loose and it sounds like the insides are breaking free when you slam the door. The tri-fives seem like some sort of Detroit high point, as good as it got.