A 1957 Chevy Bel Air hardtop was a Teenager’s first car

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Here's a '55-'57 Chevrolet that could give the top-of-the-line cars from Detroit a run for their money: Chevelles, GTOs, 4-4-2s, Fairlane GTs, and Plymouth GTXs, to name a few. Even in its original, unaltered form, a clean, stock Bel Air was a highly sought-after vehicle, thanks to its sleek design and respectable horsepower.

There's one factor to consider when it comes to the psychology of car ownership: a 1957 Bel Air, even being old, was not considered inferior to other models.

Back in the day. If anything, he had his sights set on something like a British sports car.

I really wanted a '62 Austin-Healey 3000, but those cars were priced at around $2,000 in 1968, which was totally unaffordable for me. Back then, I made only a dollar an hour working part-time, so I had about $350, which was the result of 350 hours of work. I remember feeling pretty down about how little I could buy with that kind of money. To put it into perspective, if you work for $15 an hour today, you can buy a pretty pricey car for $5,250, but it was about the same back then for me. Then, my mom mentioned that Old Man Hanson was selling a car from his front lawn, and I distinctly recall thinking, 'Why would I want Old Man Hanson's car?'

At that point, Rich chuckles. "He was really old. He was 55 I'm 74 now, but I thought he was as tough as nails."

That means "Old Man" Hanson, born about 1907, was nearly 50 in 1957. Young Rich may not have believed it then, picturing some old-fashioned, by-the-book type, but when Mr. Hanson went looking for a new car for his wife to drive that year, he picked the one you see here.

With thoughts of classic Studebakers and the iconic Rambler in mind, Rich headed over to Mr. Hanson's house as soon as he found out about the opportunity.

"I rode my Schwinn bike down to his house and didn’t see any cars, so I knocked on the door and asked him." Mr. Hanson mentioned that he'd just bought his wife a 1967 Chevrolet Impala, explaining that every ten years he had the habit of buying her a brand new car. If 35-year-old Mr. Hanson had gotten his wife a 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline with the same features 20 years ago, it would be intriguing to hear her thoughts on how the Chevrolet driving experience has changed over time. We do know that she put 2,800 miles on her Bel Air every year for the decade she had it, and when Rich first saw it, the car was still stored in its usual spot in the backyard garage.

He showed me the garage where his car was parked," Rich remembers. "The garage was a small, single-car space, painted white with a park-and-go mechanism that swung the doors open with a handle on the back. The car was facing inward, and all I saw was a sleek 1957 Chevrolet with an incredibly low mileage of 28,000 miles on it!" Recalling this memory still gives him goosebumps. "As I tell you this, I get shivers all over," Rich admits. "Certain events in life can stay with you for a long time. My garage, too, was built with a design similar to that special garage so I can hold onto that memory.

It would be nice to say that the deal was sealed immediately and Rich's relationship with his '57 started right then, but it wasn't that simple. Even if Mr. Hanson wasn't aware of the high demand for nice Tri-Fives on the used car market, he knew he had a great car and wasn't about to part with it for a low price. He was asking for $750.

“"My heart sank," Rich says. Based on the calculation, that's between $8,300 and $11,250 today. Rich, you'll remember, had only $350, which he offered. "He said, 'Oh no, Richard, I have to have $750. This is a nice car.'"”

He wasn't mistaken and so Rich took his $350 with him. The subject came back up during dinner.

My mom and dad asked if I had seen the car, and I told them it was a '57 Chevy.

Rich realized the value of the '57 Chevy, but his dad thought the price was too high for a 10-year-old car. "That crook!", his dad said, claiming it was only worth $500. They got into his '62 Impala and went back down, but the seller was unyielding. They carefully examined the car again, discussing its low mileage and good condition, but couldn't dispute the facts. "I couldn't find a single stone chip," Rich remembers. His dad eventually came around, admitting "We're not going to find another car like that for $750."

“Me he lent $400, says Rich, and it took me two whole years to pay him back. That was on May 15th, 1968. I paid 28 dollars in taxes on the 750 dollars I owed him.”

It has power brakes, which was a big advantage at the time, and its power steering unit is mounted on the back of the engine."

He also had a 1955 Black Chevy Bel Air and Chevy's four-speed, the 'T-10', wasn't offered as a factory option, but he was able to find a dealer who would install it for him. Before he was in high school, however, many owners of the early Chevy Tri-Five series were converting their standard three-speeds to manual shifts at home.

“Back then the kids in high school wanted them. The kids with '55s were taking the front bumpers off. Kids with automatics were removing the transmissions and swapping them with four-speeds…”

Rich highlights the preservation of the Powerglide in his car as a key factor in its condition. “I would have gutted the rear,” he says, if it wasn't for the two-speed automatic's easy acceleration from a standstill. But once it gets going, the car really takes off. “Those two-speed transmissions are something special, if you're driving 45 or less and shift into a lower gear, the front end lifts and the carburetor roars. Before you know it, you're at 80. Considering it only weighs around 3,400 pounds, it's not a heavy car at all.”

It was also a case of circumstance that helped me keep the car running. "Most of keeping it was an accident: I was lucky I didn't crash it at 17 or 18. You're with your first girlfriend, it's Saturday night, driving 100 mph down a dark road just to see if you can reach 100. That's extremely reckless. I never got a ticket in it, nor was I ever in an accident.

When I bought the car, one thing that helped save it was that I needed to find a better job afterwards. I got a job at the Goodyear dealership where I worked as a mechanic, so the car already came equipped with Goodyear tires. The other guys at the dealership had sweet rides, including a '64 GTO, a Chevy II with a 327, and a Chevelle. I picked up valuable skills on car maintenance by working on the car and learning from my coworkers, who would even let me practice on the lift. I also later got a job at an auto parts store, where I could buy parts at a discount. My best job came when I landed a gig at a car dealership where I made up to $2.00 an hour detailing cars. I quickly proved to be efficient and accurate, allowing the owner to make a lot of money off his business. It gave me access to top-notch detailing supplies and the opportunity to hone my skills in using rubbing compound, polishing compounds, and Blue Coral wax. When I finished my shift at 4 PM, I'd often stay late to give my car a thorough cleaning, and my attention to detail carried over to every vehicle I owned from then on, with each one always being meticulously kept and maintained.

Finally, the end of Rich's days at high school marked a change in his relationship with his '57. "I drove it to high school for two years, and then when I was a freshman in college, you weren't allowed to have a car, so I stored it in the neighbor's garage. It was $5 a month—for five hours of work! I kept it there all winter." Being on campus also rekindled Rich's love for small British sports cars. He was introduced to MGs and took particular notice of how people seemed to be drawn to the owners of MGs.

So, I was really set on getting myself an MG. When I returned from college after my freshman year, I purchased a 1960 MGA for $200. I now had two cars, but I was still stuck with the financial burden of the first one. I told my dad I didn't want the '57 to get damaged, and he knew I was right. I took the MGA to college, thank goodness. I drove that car throughout my sophomore and junior years, and, during the summers, I would take out the '57 for Saturday night dates. It was very impressive to pick up a date in 'that' car. This strategy helped save it.

Rich also got accustomed to storing the car early on. His early working years took him to Montana, while the '57 remained in New Jersey, where Rich's brother would occasionally turn the key for him. Five years later, Rich decided to permanently relocate to Peru, Vermont, where he now lives in a log house he built himself.

I built the garage with swinging doors first, with my car inside on day one. Day two we moved upstairs, where we only had wood heat, no running water, and oil lamps, we were living on the river. I'd have to bring water up from the river. When we were sitting in the living room, my '57 car would be right there with us. It was pretty cool. It took me a full five years to actually move into the log house.

Today, Rich still regularly takes the '57 out for a spin on nice days, and it always draws a crowd. He'll be quick to point out its flaws, but he's proud to own an incredibly well-preserved original 1957 Bel Air hardtop that remains untouched. Above all, the car brings back fond memories for him of "high school dates, trips to the drive-in, and coming back from track practice," as well as more significant events like weddings, children's proms, and other special occasions that have unfolded with this one-of-a-kind, quintessentially American automotive icon.

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