Private Vehicle 

Specs: 

• Engine: 283 cu in (4,640 cc) V8 “Super Turbo-Fire” four barrel carburetor developing 220 hp (164 kW).
• Gearbox: 2 Speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

The ’57 Chev would arguably be the most famous and recognisable of all the cars Chevrolet has ever made. It is desired by collectors and hot rodders and has been made famous by movies like American Graffiti (1973), Running On Empty (1982) and Dirty Dancing (1987) just name a few.

The 1957 Chevrolet was powered by several engine options which included the inline six cylinder “Blue Flame” at 235.5 cu in (3,859 cc) and the famous “Small Block” V8.  Two capacities in the V8 were on offer in 1957. The 265 cu in (4,340 cc) and 283 cu in (4,640 cc) which were marketed as the “Turbo-Fire” (two barrel carburetor) and the “Super Turbo-Fire” (four barrel carburetor).

Two options of transmission were available to the Chevrolet customer in 1957. The 3 speed manual with column shift and the two speed automatic “Powerglide”. The Powerglide earned a reputation as a simple and strong automatic which has been since developed into a drag racing transmission which can handle engines producing 2000 hp. But the early Powerglides were not without their share of problems. 

The Powerglide used a P-N-D-L-R selector sequence (instead of P-R-N-D-L)  through 1957, which could cause major problems (and embarrassment) if the driver down shifted into low gear (L) and then accidentally went through to reverse (R). This problem earned the Powerglide the nickname “the Goofy Glide”. Chevrolet fixed this problem in 1958 by changing to the much more user friendly   P-R-N-D-L selector sequence.