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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Are 1957 Chevy 4-doors cool yet?


Four-door is an ugly word in many car circles. For decades, teenagers have been taunted for driving their 'mama's car' should they be burdened with two extra doors. It was as if a ‘more’ door branded you as only qualified for life in the slow lane. The 1957 Chevrolet has been ballyhooed as the most recognizable car in the world by folks in many automotive circles. Do four doors, a functional convenience feature, still make 1957 Chevrolets second-class citizens?

MORE MONEY FOR LESS DOORS
A co-worker of mine traded his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door for a new pick-up truck in 1994. The dealership gave him $1,500 towards his new truck in return for one of Chevrolet's iconic classics, albeit the four-door variety. A short time before he parted with the four door '57, he sold his 2-door 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. The red 2-door was drivable, but in need of restoration, it brought $10,000. Those two bonus doors made a big difference in value 15 years ago. What about now?
FUTURE OF COOL CLASSICS?
Will the cool factor find favor in four-door classics? Will the 2-door varieties become too scarce and expensive? Let me know at junkyardlife. Check out these recent photos of a 1957 Chevy four-door languishing in the weeds. Would you save it? Use it for parts on your two-door project? Let me know. You can leave comments or send me an email here.
Click on photos for much larger images.

This 4-door black and white 1957 Chevy would make a good patrol car.


This ’57 Chevy sports Bel Air trim




This 1957 Chevy was hauled from Texas to Alabama.


Look a 1957 Chevy. Oh no, its a more-door!


Are inline sixes, 2 cylinders less cool?


Red wheel center with Two Ten on it.


’57 Chevy kissing bumpers with a Dodge. 

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a generational thing. No self respecting 'car guy' in the USA who was into cars during the 50s, 60s, or 70s would be caught dead driving a 4 door anything. So it persists to this day for cars of that era that became collectible. And the US factories played up to that bias, notice that there were no 4 door muscle cars in the USA. (There were 4 door muscle cars in South America and Australia.) But today's young people make no distinction, and there are plenty of new 4 door performance cars, American, European, and Japanese. Like a Lancer EVO, Subaru WRX STI, new Hemi Charger, extreme performance BMWs and Mercedes, etc. Many are 4 doors.

steven said...

Well im 44 years old now and my very first car was a 1956 chevy 210 wagon witch i still own to this day. I also have 4 other antique autos that are 4 door, so i would say that yes i think they will surpass the 2 door.

Anonymous said...

i own a 1972 impala 4 door and people think its %20 cooler
beacuse people would tell me how much they liked it and how much theives fail at getting way in it

Unknown said...

I love my 4 door '71 Torino, although it was originally a parts donor for my two door which I no longer have. Is a 351 Cleveland any slower in a 4 door?

Anonymous said...

When I was 16 I owned a 1957 Chevy Belair 4 door. It was black/white with red interior. Love that car, sure would like 2 own it now. I live in Virginia,the motor went out. My father sold it to another man (we live in Newport News) that his wife had one which was stolen and striped. Sure would like what happen 2 it. I now own 2 Thunderbirds 1994 and 1995. Love working on them. Carol, sugarrun1@cox.net