MIDDLE Child

Child An Old School Build Caught Between Two Icons

- ALAN PARADISE

The firstborn gets all of the attention. The last born gets all of the pampering, as well as the benefits from the lessons parents, learned raising their older children. It’s the middle child who must find his or her own way.

As it is in a family, so it went in the ’50s within the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. When the ’55 models were introduced, there was a great rumble that rippled throughout the entire auto industry. The modern Motoramic styling matched with a new Turbo-Fire V-8 engine had thirsty consumers running into showrooms. Likewise, the stunning ’57 was styled at the apex of the tailfin era and fitted with the new 283 cid engine that could be optioned with fuel injection.

As the decades rolled past, both the ’55 and ’57 Chevy models became iconic cars. Some were centerpieces of movies and television shows. The ’56, on the other hand, became the forgotten middle child. In retrospect, many historians now view the styling of the ’56 as the most pleasing of the three. With its elongated egg-crate grille, gentle rear wheel well slope and unique body trim, all giving the profile the illusion of motion, it was the ideal combination of fashion and function.