1955 Chevrolet (Chevy): First of 'The Hot Ones'

October 28, 2:25 PMClassic Autos ExaminerJim Cherry

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1955 Chevrolet: the "hot one" boasted a powerful new V-8 to flatten hills.

Called "The Hot One" by General Motors marketers, the 1955 Chevrolet set a new standard for low-priced American cars. 1954 Chevys? Some people like them, but most car fans consider them stodgy, under-powered, tall-boys with boring styling. Who cares, really? But for the 1955 model year, legendary GM engineer Ed Cole's genius  joined with Harley Earl's design mastery to create a classic for the ages. The 1955 Chevrolet, with its "Motoramic" styling sporting a Ferrari-inspired egg-crate grill, wrap around windshield, and new V-8 power electrified the automotive world on its introduction and went on to become an evergreen classic.

The 1955 model year cars were termed "The Hot Ones!" by Chevy's ad agency and the name was appropriate. A brilliantly designed small block V-8 was introduced with 265 cubic inches and from 162 to 180 horsepower. Chevy's new "Turbo-FIre" V-8 was lighter than its old "Blue Flame " 6 cylinder. With less weight and more power, the '55s lived up to their "Hot Ones" hype.

Chevrolet had quite a full stable of offerings for 1955: three lines of full size sedans and station wagons, a convertible, a new sports luxury wagon called the Nomad and the Corvette with a new V-8 engine option. Everything was new, powerful, and shiny, and the public responded enthusiastically, making it the best selling car of the year. The '55 cars were so right, everyone wondered how Chevy could top it for 1956. More on that in my next post.

For more info check out the slide show below and:

1956 Chevy: The 'Hot Ones' get hotter

1957 Chevy: Hottest of 'The Hot Ones'

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