1957 Chevy
Vic, Jr. and his wife, Nancy, had been entertaining the idea of building a ’57 Chevy when they happened upon one of the most innovative builders around, Posies. It didn’t take long for them to strike up a conversation, and right then the plans were set into motion. While the challenges of being located on opposite sides of the country could have been a problem, teams Posies and Edelbrock were able to come together from the initial planning stages all the way through to the turn of the key and the first of many cross-country adventures.
This year marked 70 years since the 1955 Chevy hit the streets, kicking off a three-year run that forever changed the automotive landscape. And judging by the rows of spotless Bel Airs, hardtop sedans, wicked gassers, and full-tilt pro-touring machines, the legend is alive, well, and meaner than ever. Everywhere you turned, there was another masterpiece—whether it was a flawless restoration, a ground-shaking drag car, or a radical custom that pushed the envelope.
In 1955, Chevrolet didn’t just redesign a car—they ignited a movement. The Tri-Five Chevys (that’s shorthand for the 1955, 1956, and 1957 models) arrived like a thunderclap and never really left. These machines were leaner, lower, and louder—in both looks and performance—ushering in a new era of V8-powered excitement. The shoebox shape, the tailfins, the grille teeth…every detail had attitude. And the world noticed.
Back in the ’60s, a youthful Barry Wallner was well known in and around Illinois for his modified ’57 sedan delivery. It was a tough competitor at the local dragstrips, but time took its toll, and most of the dragstrips have disappeared, giving way to housing and shopping-center developments and industrial complexes. But this hasn’t stopped Wallner, who was an adept restorer. So, from the late-’60s through the mid-’90s, he has gone on with other ’57 Chevys to win top show awards.
In a world often divided between Chevy and Ford lovers, these pristine pretenders bridge this gap with matching themes and paint schemes, leaving some to wonder and others to say, “Wow!”
