What is the wheelbase of a 55 Chevy Bel Air?
The wheelbase of a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is 115 inches (2,921 millimeters).
Wheelbase basics and significance
The wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. It influences ride quality, stability, and interior space. For the 1955 Bel Air, a wheelbase of 115 inches contributed to a spacious interior while preserving the car’s characteristic proportion from the mid‑1950s era.
Tri‑Five era consistency
From 1955 through 1957, Chevrolet’s Tri‑Five lineup, including the Bel Air, used a shared wheelbase. The 115‑inch measurement helped standardize the platform across most body styles in these models.
The primary body styles in the 1955 Bel Air lineup included several variants; the wheelbase remained constant across them:
- Two‑door sedan
- Two‑door hardtop
- Four‑door sedan
- Convertible
In all these configurations, the wheelbase is 115 inches (2,921 mm). This means that regardless of whether you were selecting a Bel Air two‑door or four‑door, the distance between the axles stayed the same.
Related context
Wheelbase is one dimension among several that define a car’s footprint. While the Bel Air shares the 115‑inch wheelbase across its 1955 variants, overall length, track width, and styling details differ by body style and year within the Tri‑Five family.
Summary
The 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air uses a wheelbase of 115 inches (2,921 millimeters) across its body styles, reflecting Chevrolet’s uniform Tri‑Five platform for that year.
How long is a 55 Chevy Bel Air?
A 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is approximately 195.5 to 195.6 inches (or about 16.3 feet) long. While the length can vary slightly by specific model (e.g., hardtop vs. convertible), the overall length is very consistent across the 1955 line.
- Hardtop: The hardtop model is 195.6 inches long.
- Convertible: The 2-door convertible is 195 inches long.
What was the wheel base of the 55 Chevy 3100?
Base prices rose from $1494 in 1955 to $1619, and the V-8 (called Trademaster) produced 155 horsepower while the six jumped to 140. Depending on model, buyers could choose from the usual wide range of transmissions; both the standard 114 and an extended 123-inch wheelbase were available.
What is the most desirable Bel-Air year?
Perhaps their most sought-after vehicle is the 1955 Chevy Bel-Air. The Bel-Air offers classic car enthusiasts a number of features worth writing home about.
What is the wheelbase of a 1955 Chevy Bel Air?
The 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air has a 115-inch wheelbase, which it shared with the outgoing 1954 models despite having a completely redesigned chassis and body, according to Savoy Automobile Museum and this YouTube video.
- Wheelbase: 115 inches.
- Shared with 1954 models: The 1955 Bel Air maintained the same wheelbase as the 1954 model.
- Chassis and body: Despite sharing the wheelbase, the 1955 model featured an all-new chassis and body.
