Summary

Rarest of the rare; only a handful were built. Scored 994 at Chevy Nationals. 283/220hp, Powerglide transmission. Featured on the Velocity TV show 'One of a Kind.'

Details

The rarest of the 1957 Chevys, the 'Poor Man's Cadillac.' Reuben Allender envisioned a Chevy 'Bel Air Brougham' for the blue-collar luxury customer. Allender was a millionaire who put a hard cast to his dream. He brought his ideas to Creative Industries in Detroit and the car embraced many of the focal points of GM's luxury star Cadillac, with emphasis on the legendary Cadillac fins. Only 20 1956s were built. Undaunted, Allender completed a design for 1957 to emulate the Eldorado Brougham. All cars had the same equipment: 283/220hp, Powerglide, power steering and brakes, push-button radio and wide whitewall tires. A few carried dealer-installed options. All were sold in Chevy dealerships with full factory warranty. It was very unusual that Chevrolet let someone else modify their cars and still provided the factory warranty. Production halted in April or May 1957 and only a handful of cars made it out the door; most of the 1957s were 4-door and 2-door hardtops, three were convertibles. Total production for both years is estimated at between 27 to 35 vehicles. Purchased by the current owner in 1990, it was professionally rotisserie restored in 1992 using mostly original restored parts. The restoration was refurbished in 2012. This is a real show-stopper with several First Place, People's Choice and Best of Show awards. It was the high-point car at the Classic Chevy International Show; Best Workmanship and Attention to Detail awards at other national events.