Return of the legend: golden Chevrolet Bel Air
Average reading time — 2 minutes
Chevrolet Bel Air, created by a team of enthusiasts based on the 1955 project, was sold at the Mecum auction. This luxury car is gold-painted, and many of its parts are plated with 24-carat pure gold.
The golden car itself is not the only attention-grabber; its backstory is also fascinating. At the end of 1954, General Motors produced its 50-millionth car. To celebrate this achievement, it was decided to create three special Chevrolet Bel Airs. All parts that were chrome-plated in the serial versions of this model were gold-plated in the anniversary modifications. These cars were used for promotional purposes and were showcased to the public.
Unfortunately, all three cars were later lost. One was destroyed in a fire, and the other two disappeared without a trace. It seemed that the story of magnificent creations of General Motors had ended and that the world would never again see the gleaming golden Chevrolet Bel Air. However, decades later, a group of vintage car specialists decided to recreate the legend of the American automotive industry.
The team tried to make a replica of the golden Bel Air as close to the original as possible. Many components from 1954-1955 were used in the production. The project took 1800 hours of work and a significant amount of money. The gold plating alone cost over $100,000.
Hundreds of parts were covered with the precious metal of the highest fineness, including door and window handles, hood and trunk locks, wheel covers, bumpers and dashboard. Even the outer structure of the car was gold-painted, which gave the car a special charm. Under the hood of the Bel Air — an eight-cylinder engine with a power output of 162 horsepower.
The resurrected Chevrolet became a hit at car shows in Detroit and Chicago, where it received several awards. Eventually, the extravagant car was sold at auction for $434,500.
Gold is often featured in premium cars as the most striking and attractive design element. Another excellent example of this approach is the luxurious cars by Mansory, which we tell about in one of our articles:
Masterpieces on wheels: cars by Mansory
