- The One that Started It All
- A fantastic revolutionary new platform
- A California hot rodder who loved the classic lines and clean styling and when it came time for him to build one of his own, he took a few subtle liberties in deviating from stock
1955 was a very important model year for Chevrolet, as it changed the car's stodgy image with the public, thanks to the completely new and dramatic look. During the development of the all-new 1955 Chevrolet, the styling dictum used in the studio was:
“Go all the way and then back off.” Harley J. Earl, oversaw the development of the car’s styling, it took thousands of preliminary drawings to get it “just right,” and the finished product was an astounding success!
“Dream car” influences came in the way of the Panoramic (Sweep-Sight) wrap-around windshield, long, low “show car” styling, and a clever “dip” on the beltline design. Up front hooded headlamps gave it the modern touch, and Cadillac-themed taillights were incorporated. Tasteful horizontal side-trim was used on all models; save for the (plain Jane) base model “One-Fifty.” From every angle, the goal was to create a classically designed, handsome automobile, something the American auto industry had never seen available on a showroom floor.
When the 1955 Chevy was released on October 28, 1954, there were some 7400+ Chevrolet dealerships at this time, and many of them whited out their windows and lettered them with these words: “All New! New Life! New Everything! The fresh look of the ’55 Chevrolet was a welcome sight around the dealerships when released, as the 1953-’54 models, while reliable, were rather plain and unnoticeable in appearance. The 1954 Chevrolet appeared rather sedate, more of a mere instrument of transportation rather than a, visual, object of entertainment and style.
Besides its all-new outward appearance, a revolutionary new 265-cid Chevrolet V8 powerplant was made available, and this new engine left little doubt that the new 1955 Chevrolet was one hot player. And Chevy needed a V8 powerplant to compete with rival Ford. Mechanix Illustrated’s “Uncle” Tom McCahill, the popular automotive writer of the time, tested the new ’55 Chevrolet and said the car was “a junior sized Olds with Buick doors and a Cadillac rear, the most glamorous looking and hottest performing Chevy to come down the pike.”
A 1955 Two-Door “Power-Pack” version, with overdrive transmission with 4.11:1 rear gears, was tested by Road & Track Magazine and they clocked zero-to-sixty mile per hour runs of 9.7-seconds, and the car went 17.2 seconds in the quarter-mile, running the engine to 5200 rpm on the shifts. Top speed runs were conducted, and with the engine turning some 5400 rpm, the two-way average speed was 104.7 miles per hour. Before this new car for 1955, Chevrolet’s reputation was anything but performance. And now, especially as equipped with the Power-Pack option, the V8 Chevy was at the top of the performance charts!
The new Chevy was even chosen as the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500-mile event, driven by Chevrolet General Manager Thomas H. Keating at the 39th running of the race. Yes, the car was “The Hot One” in 1955 and it really turned Chevrolet around.
The Power Pack is an important option and most automotive historians agree that this higher-horsepower variant was the initial “first shot fired” from the factories to which what would later become known as the “muscle car.” With a four-barrel 2281S Carter carburetor and dual exhausts, it raised the horsepower figure of the 265-cid mill from 162 to 180.
In all,65,080 1955 Chevrolets were ordered with this $95.00 speed package.
A total of 740,652 V8-equipped Chevrolets rolled off the assembly lines for the 1955 model year run.
