The story behind the 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air and its amazing recovery

After giving birth to the Impala nameplate in 1958, the Bel Air was gradually turned into a second-class citizen of Chevrolet’s car lineup.

And it all happened for a very good reason. Everybody seemed to love the Impala, as its sales just kept on growing, with the peak eventually reached in 1965. It was the year when the Impala became the first car in the United States to sell more than 1 million units in a single year in Chevrolet’s home market.


But this doesn’t necessarily mean the Bel Air itself is a model we should forget about.

Certainly not, and the rusty 1960 version we have here is one of those still hoping for another chance. But on the other hand, a few clicks in the photo gallery should be enough to quickly figure out the condition of the car is challenging, to say the least.

This 4-door Bel Air is very, very rusty, and eBay seller i*find*u*flip themselves admits there’s a lot that needs to be patched and maybe replaced on this old Chevy. But nevertheless, it still has a good frame and a solid trunk, and this should be good news for someone planning a full restoration.


Despite likely sitting for many years, the car is complete, and the original V8 under the hood is still there today. On the other hand, the 283 (4.7-liter) is no longer running, but the owner isn’t sure it’s locked up either. So an in-person inspection of the car should help figure out if you can still save the V8.

Given its rough condition, this Bel Air is obviously pretty cheap. The top offer as part of the eBay auction is currently $305, while the Buy It Now price is set to $2,550. It remains to be seen if the price gets anywhere close to this value, but considering the overall shape, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this Bel Air selling for pocket money. 

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