1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Screams Corvette Screams, Someone Paid $148K for That

And no, it was not owned by someone famous, it didn't make a name for itself on some racing circuit somewhere, and by no means is it unique or rare. It is, however, a Bel Air, that breed of Chevrolet cars that will probably ignite people's imagination even after the world ends.

The Bel Air is, alongside some other cars made in the 1960s and 1970s on the American continent, a name that will probably live on forever in some circles. The bowtie carmaker introduced it in 1950 as a full-size vehicle designed for the space age (or, at least, the aviation age), but little did it know the model would be more popular with some people long after production stopped than it was while the lines were rolling.

The Bel Air was on the market for a little over three decades, and it was made in a total of eight generations. Naturally, not all of them were created equal in terms of popularity, with most people going nuts about the examples belonging to the first couple of generations.

The Bel Air you're looking at now is part of the second one, born in 1955 to serve the needs of a mid-century American who used it in unknown ways on unknown roads. It is one of the many cars of its breed that has survived to this day, but one of the few to have received such love and care that its value increased by more than seven times compared to its factory worth in inflation-adjusted dollars.

The restoration process of the convertible, which also bettered the vehicle as a whole, took no less than two years and covered everything from the way the car looks to the way it feels and drives. And the result is spectacular, to say the least.

To keep the appeal of the Chevy, the unnamed garage that handled the build kept the original lines untouched, but a realignment of the panels for a perfectly smooth look was performed. Chrome was not only maintained on the bumpers and emblems but also polished to look better than it ever did. When the body was complete, two-stage Gypsy Red PPG paint was added on most of the car, together with many layers of clear coat and a back painted Cameo White.

The body hides underneath a custom Art Morrison frame that seems gifted enough to take the Bel Air over any surface imaginable. All of the car's original suspension system was replaced with modern hardware, in the form of independent gear at the front with power rack and pinion steering, lower control arms, and a four-link setup at the back, usually found on Corvettes.

A Corvette is also what donated the custom 2.5-inch exhaust system. The thing is tied not to a massive engine, but an impressive one nonetheless: a 383ci stroker equipped with aluminum heads and a serpentine pulley system.

It's unclear how much power the engine develops, but it sends it all to the Cragar-style five-spoke 17-inch wheels with the help of a four-speed automatic transmission. Stopping power comes from disc brakes on all four wheels.

Such a big caliber build wouldn't have meant much without an interior to match, so that's exactly what we get here as well. All suitable surfaces have been covered in tan leather with red stitching. The floors are hidden beneath German-style square-weave carpet, also in tan.

When there's a need for that, the Bel Air can remove its Haartz power convertible top and allow everyone a peak at this amazing setup. The eyes will then also see a tilt steering wheel, and a console covered in leather between the front seats. It is here that the builder installed the controls for the car's modern features, including the Bluetooth stereo system and the Vintage Air system.

The mileage on this Bel Air or the year it was completed are not known, but that hasn't stopped an unnamed enthusiast from spending exactly $148,500 on it during the Barrett-Jackson auction that took place last week in Scottsdale, Arizona.

It is probably not the most a car of this caliber sold for over the years, and probably not the last time this exact vehicle goes under the hammer. The Chevy is, however, the perfect example of how the cars of old are sometimes a lot more exciting (and a lot more expensive) than the most modern of vehicles. And in some sense, that's the way things should be.