1955 Chevrolet One-Fifty

The Chevrolet Series 150 was the company's economy and fleet model, built as a workhorse with a spartan affair. The dramatically restyled, full-size line kicked off the popular Tri-Five generation of Chevrolets (the 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevys) and would largely define the brand, not just for the 1950s, but for the future of the division. Among them was the top-of-the-line Bel Air which would really come into its own during this generation, offering an extensive list of standard features with a roster of options that allowed buyers to custom-tailor their cars to their tastes and budgets. The chrome and polished trim, new two-tone paint options, refined interiors and a range of engine options created what would become known as a 'Baby Cadillac.' Chevrolet drove that success into 1957 when the Bel Air was crowned as one of the best-selling cars in America.

Chevrolet introduced its One-Fifty (150) model in 1953, and it was in production through 1957. It replaced the Stylineline Special model of the previous year and its name was created by shortening the production series number (1500) by one digit. When the model was dropped following the 1957 years, it was replaced by the Delray.

The 1955 Chevrolet model lineup included the entry-level One-Fifty (Series 1500), the Two-Ten (Series 2100), and the Bel Air (Series 2400). Each rested on a 115-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 195.6 inches - the station wagons were slightly longer at 197.1 inches. The standard engine was a 235.5 cubic-inch 'Blue Flame' six-cylinder unit with overhead valves, solid valve lifters (hydraulic valve lifters with the Powerglide transmission), a Rochester one-barrel carburetor, four main bearings, and delivered 123 horsepower at 3,800 RPM.

Chevrolet had been winning the sales race for decades, partly due to its ruggedly reliable six-cylinder engine and its doggedly conservative styling. Chief engineer Ed Cole came up with a low-slung V8 car powered and styled to put competitors in the rearview mirror. All this earned the 1955 Chevrolet a Time Magazine Cover, high honors in that era. The mid-year introduction of the Nomad Sports Wagon was the icing on the cake. Its unique design had its roots as a 1954 GM Motorama show car station wagon that was based on the Corvette and designed to outstyle the popular Ford Country Squire wagon.

1955 was the first year of the newly designed V8 engine which had a bore of 3.75 inches and a 3-inch stroke for 265 cubic inches. It had overhead valves, five main bearings, a Rochester two-barrel carburetor, and delivered 162 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. The 1955 Chevrolet was the first successful model with an optional V8 motor. This was not Chevrolet's first V8 engine; Chevy had offered a V8 in 1918 - a one-year-only offering. The new 'small block' was designed to be smaller, lighter, and more powerful than previous V8s. This engine could be optioned on all three models. The eight-cylinder engine could be fitted with the 'power pack' option that added a single four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. With this installed, output rose to 180 bhp at 4,600 RPM.

The 1955 model year marked the introduction of the new 'small block' engine, a new chassis, and all-new streamlined bodywork. The One-Fifty was the lowest-priced Chevy model with pricing that began at $1,600 for the two-door, three-passenger sedan. This was also the least popular One-Fifty body style, also known as a utility sedan (style 55-1263F) with 11,196 examples built. The addition of the optional eight-cylinder engine boosted the base price for all models by approximately one hundred dollars.

The most popular body style was the two-door, six-passenger sedan that was priced at $1,685 and a total of 66,416 units built. A total of 29,898 examples of the four-door sedan ($1,730) were built, followed by 17,936 of the 2-door, six-passenger station wagon ($2,030). The 125,446 examples of the One-Fifty series built in 1955 accounted for approximately 7.4% of the company's automobile (U.S.) production.

The minimalistic One-Fifty came standard with the 'Blue Frame' engine, rubber floor mats, a one-piece wraparound windshield, and all-vinyl upholstery for station wagons. The lack of brightwork and trim helped further segregate the One-Fifty from its higher-priced siblings, with chrome plating applied to the bumpers, door handles, lamp rims, hood ornament, wheel hub center caps, and grille. A three-speed manual gearbox with column-mounted gearshift was standard, an overdrive was $108 extra, and a Powerglide two-speed automatic was $178. The addition of power brakes added $38 to the base price and power steering was available for $92. Although rarely fitted, Chevrolet offered many options, including air conditioning, push-button radio, signal-seeking radio, outside sun visor, self de-icing wiper blades, continental tire kit, and locking gas cap (among others).

The 1956 One-Fifty received minor styling revisions that included new bumpers and guards, a full-width grille, new side trims, and squarer headlamp hoods.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2023