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As far as sales go, the 1957 Chevy was far from special. In fact, that year marked the first time since 1935 that Ford outsold Chevrolet. The styling on the '57 Chevy wasn't anything special either. After all, it was a carryover model from the 1955 and 1956 model years. According to Wikipedia, the executives at General Motors wanted to bring out a completely new model but couldn't due to production delays. Instead, chief designer Ed Cole made some significant and costly changes to the 1955-1956 models for 1957. Probably the most noticeable was the tail fins, which had anodized aluminum trim in the fancy Bel Air
model. The popularity of the '57 Chevy grew during the 1960s and 1970s. Why? The '57 was considered by many enthusiasts to be the ideal size and weight. Additionally, there was enough room under the hood to install a large GM block engine, making it popular with the hot-rod crowd. The model was also relatively easy to customize and upgrade with things like air conditioning and disc brakes, uncommon options in the '50s. Many people with fond memories of the '57 Chevy now have the bucks to restore their dream car. According to Nada Guides, these cars can be worth upwards of $100,000. Now
that's special.
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