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1956 Chevrolet (Chevy): 'The Hot Ones' get hotter
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Coming between the lauded '55 and '57 models, the1956 Chevrolet is the neglected middle child of the "Hot Ones."
Bookended by breakthrough '55 Chevys on one side and everybody's favorite, the '57 on the other, the 1956 Chevrolet often gets short notice. Unfairly so, as the '56 improved on the '55 with revised suspension, a fresh, longer, wider look and a gorgeous, if neglected model, the dramatic new four-door hardtop Sport Sedans.
Chevy's 1956 line-up boasted 19 models. Everything from dowdy stripper station wagons to V-8 powered Corvettes with sleek new bodywork was on offer.
Chevy grills now stretched across their entire front, visually widening it greatly The hood was flatter and 4" longer. Over all, the car looked sleeker as well as bigger. "Longer, lower, wider" was General Motors' design chief Harley Earl's command to his designers and the '56 Chevs were a perfect illustration of his principles.
Unfortunately for the '56 Chevy, it was bracketed by its breakthrough predecessor on one side and the breathtaking new upgraded '57 models on the other. This has led to the '56 being the least coveted of "The Hot Ones" as GM's ad agency termed this series of cars.
The 1956 Chevrolet didn't rest on the laurels of the wildly successful '55 models. General Motors spent $40 million to restyle the car and reworked its still-new suspension. There might be a lesson here for modern American carmakers, who all too often let their cars languish with infrequent updates.
Next post: 1957 Chevrolet: The king of 'The Hot Ones'
For more info check the slide show below and:
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