Classic recollections: 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Sharon and Keith Koehler had some very different reasons for wanting to purchase their 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
For Keith, it was fond childhood memories. “My grandparents had one and I can remember climbing into the back seat as a young boy and looking out the front window as my dad gave it a test drive the first weekend they brought it home to their house in New Lenox.
“Now, every time I get in ours, that happy memory still flashes across my mind,” the Wheaton resident said.
Sharon, on the other hand, wasn't looking for a reason to reminiscence. She was merely looking for a car of her own to wheel to cruise nights, and ended up falling in love with the '55 Chevy's timeless aesthetics.
“We had purchased a '68 GTO the year before,” Keith said, “but Sharon wanted something a bit ‘tamer.' ”
When the Koehlers spied this car, Sharon couldn't help but be drawn to the simple lines and eye-catching trim, her husband said.
Whatever their rationale, together this Chevy-crazy couple has enjoyed the many miles of satisfaction their '55 has given them.
The car was originally from the sunny West Coast but was parked at a Lombard cruise when the Koehlers came across it in the summer of 2001. The previous owner had completed the majority of the necessary refurbishing on the ready-to-drive shoe box, rebuilding the 235-cubic-inch, Blue Flame six-cylinder and reupholstering the nonfactory black interior with an appropriate Bel Air blue color scheme.
Die-hard purists might object to the car's non-Chevy Metallic Blue exterior paint, accented with India Ivory, but the stately combination doesn't bother the Koehlers one bit.
Available documentation is sketchy, but as best as the couple can tell, they are the fifth owners of their four-door, which was built in California. “Despite the top-of-the line ‘Bel Air' trim, you won't find any power assist or even air conditioning on the car. The sole notable option is a heater/defroster,” Keith said.
Coming as no surprise, the couple rarely needs to defrost windows as they spend most of their time motoring along during the warm months, taking their bow-tie to cruises in Wheaton, Naperville and Winfield. Along the way, they've picked up awards at events from such shows as the Sycamore Turning Back Time show and the Long Grove Fall Classic.
Reliving true American nostalgia, they even took their classy four-door on a Route 66 rally, following the Historic Route 66 highway down to Springfield.
While the locations may change, the one thing that remains constant is the amount of attention the easily recognizable sedan garners — a testament to very high production numbers and easy-on-the-eyes styling. “We get so many compliments because of the memories this car helps folks recall. It seems most people can remember being a kid and riding along in a family sedan like ‘Bel.' At the end of the day, everyone just loves its bare-bones simplicity and elegant design.”
Just as with its owners, whether you love the nostalgia or simply the Bel Air's style, it doesn't seem to matter into which camp motoring enthusiasts fall. It is hard to get away from the amount of admiration shown for this classic rolling icon.