Classic Cars and Trucks / Photos Specs Model History, Production Numbers

1955 Chevy 210 Custom Wagon / Photos, Specs, Model History, Styling

Here is a great looking 1955 Chevrolet Two Door 210 Wagon. This two tone example represented the first year of the Tri-Five Chevys. This covered the model years, 1955, 1956 and 1957. This includes the well-known One-Fifty, Two-Ten, Bel Air, and Nomad models. The 210’s were the popular sporty mid range series with the Bel Air being top of the line.

The 1955 Chevrolet was a milestone car and represented a major move forward for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors.

The first year of the Tri Five Chevy’s was a huge success. Chevrolet production that year totaled nearly 1.8 million vehicles. According to the book “American Cars of the 1950s” by Robert Genat and David Newhardt, Chevrolet’s accounted for 44% of the low-price passenger cars purchased that year and 24% of all new cars sold that year.

1955 Chevrolet Styling

Styling for the 1955 Chevrolet was totally new compared to anything before it. Chevy literally changed from building little economy sedans to producing sleek automobiles that attracted a younger buyer demographic. The new 1955 Chevrolet had smooth straight panels on the sides and hood.

The 1955 examples highlighted a new grille influenced by Ferrari. The dash board had a Corvette look to it and buyers were offered a two-tone color scheme plus a new V-8 engine was made available. The chrome was minimal and the body lines gave a low profile look. The flared rear quarter panels of the 54 models was gone which gave the 55 model a sleek look.

The top of the line Bel Air, the highest priced Chevy passenger car, came with the maximum amount of exterior chrome and bright trim.

Options for the 1955 Chevy 210

Plenty of options were available for the Chevy 210 Wagon, several of which are standard equipment on most automobiles today. These included backup lights, courtesy lights, air conditioning, deluxe heater and defroster, dual electric windshield wipers. floor mats, electric clock, power brakes, locking gas cap, and more.

1955 Chevrolet 210 Wagon Specifications

Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums.

Dimensions include a 115.0 inch wheelbase, overall length 197.1 inches, 74.0 inch width, 60.8 inch height. Curb weight 3,450 lbs.

Total 1955 Chevrolet Production was 1.775,000 vehicles. Out of that number there were only 29,415 two door 210 Handyman Wagons produced. In total, the Chevrolet Division built 160,000 wagons in 1955. The biggest seller for Chevy that model year was the four door Bel Air Sedan at 366,000 units. As far as market share, Chevrolet produced almost 25 % of all new cars sold that year.

In regards to our featured 55 Chevy Two Door 210 Wagon , only 29,400 examples were produced making this a fairly rare classic automobile.

Related Auto Museum Online articles include..

1955 Chevrolet Nomad Wagon

1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible

Reference material for this article includes..Complete Book of Collectible Cars by the Editors of Consumer Guide..A Guide to Building a Tri-Five Chevy by Ron Ceridono..Tri-Five Chevrolet by Patrick Hill.

The 1955 Chevrolet 210 Collector Popularity

As sales numbers clearly demonstrate, the 1955 Chevrolet was a big hit with buyers. Here is a milestone automobile that ushered in the modernized Tri-Five Chevy years. All of the Tri-Five Chevy’s including those from 1955 remain popular collector cars.

Those looking to restore or freshen up any of these Tri-Five models should find parts relatively easy to find.

Sale prices for the 1955 Chevrolet 210 Wagon’s in good to excellent condition have been in a range from about $35,000 to $60,000 depending on both condition and originality.

(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)

1967 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T / Photos, Specs, Model History

Featured is a great looking 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T. The 1967 Dodge Coronet offered buyers some serious performance with powerful V-8’s available. The Coronet was considered Dodge’s lower priced muscle car but with two very powerful engines that stood up against any muscle cars of that era.

The 1960’s marked the beginning of the Dodge muscle car legacy by introducing powerful models such as the Charger and Coronet.

Model History

The Dodge Coronet was produced over seven generations. The first was a full size model coming out for 1949 and that model was Dodge’s top of the line offering. . Four generations ran up through 1959, although in 1955 the Coronet was placed at the bottom of Dodge offerings.

After that the Coronet disappeared until 1965. Three additional generations took the Coronet through 1976 when the model was then cancelled. It was in those years 1965-1970 (fifth generation) that the Dodge Coronet reached the top of it’s power ratings. Many automobile nameplates reached it’s highest horsepower output during the late 60’s.

1967 Dodge Coronet Styling

The “standard” Dodge was the Coronet which included the Coronet Deluxe, 440, 500, SE, and R/T.

For 1967, the Coronet adopted more Charger styling cues, including a new single-piece grille, but the car’s basic profile was unchanged. The Charger was essentially a Coronet with a restyled back end. Also that year Dodge debuted its R/T line on the Coronet, which stood for “Road and Track. The R/T, named with permission of Road & Track magazine, had a false hood scoop and a unique grille along with a standard 440 Magnum engine and handling package.

The 1967 Coronet 440 was available as a convertible, Hardtop and as a station wagon.

Among several things, the Coronet R/T included a unique air intake, not to mention the powerful engine available for this true muscle car.

1967 Dodge Coronet Specifications

Lot’s of power was offered with the 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T. This R/T trim was available with either a 426 cubic inch Hemi or 440 cubic inch Magnum V-8 which delivered 375 HP. . The 440 came out in 1966. It was not long before the engine was available in full-size sedans and coupes and in intermediates during the horsepower wars of the latter 1960’s.

For 1967, Chrysler made the decision that the Hemi should be available only in their badged muscle cars which included the Dodge Charger, Coronet R/T, and the Plymouth Belvedere GTX.

The 67 Dodge Coronet R/T included a heavy-duty transmission. A Chrysler TorqueFlite three speed automatic and a four speed manual.

Brakes are four wheel hydraulic drums with a front disc brake option.

Dimensions include a 117.0 inch wheelbase, 203.0 inch overall outside length, 75.3 inch width, height 55.0 inches. Curb weight 3,800 lbs.

Total production of the 67 Dodge Coronet 440 was 92,500 vehicles.

The 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 440 had production of over 10,100 units. Only 300 Hemi equipped Coronets were produced in 1967. In addition there were 116 1967 Dodge Chargers with the Hemi. Another very rare model is the Coronet RT Convertible where only 625 examples were built.

Related Auto Museum Online articles include..

1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer

1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee

Reference material for this article includes..Hemi Muscle 70 Years: Chrysler, Dodge & Plymouth Performance by author Darwin Holmstrom..Muscle Cars: Kings of the Street From The Golden Era by Auto Editors of Consumer Guide.

The 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T / Great Collector Car

The 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T is a standout muscle car from the late 1960’s muscle car era. The Coronet represented Dodge’s first R/T. The Coronet was offered only as a full performance car. This included fast engines, stiff police car type suspension, and a speedometer that reached 150 MPH. If you run across a 67 Coronet R/T Hemi you’ve found a very rare example with only about 300 units produced.

Parts for these late 1960’s Dodge Coronets appear to be reasonable available in the aftermarket which is a plus for restorers.

Current asking process for the 1967 Dodge Coronet 440 R/T in good to excellent condition with very high originality generally fall into a range of about $35,000 to $60,000 plus.

(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible / Photos, Specs, Model History

A true classic from the 1960’s is this beautiful 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible.

pontiac grand prox — 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Convertible

The first generation Grand Prix ran from the 1962 through the 1964 model year. First generation models were full size vehicles and became mid sized starting with the second to the fifth generation for the sedan and to the sixth generation for the coupe.

John De Lorean who was the head of Advanced Engineering at Pontiac managed the development of the Grand Prix as well as several other performance models such as the GTO. The Grand Prix was developed to be Pontiac’s flagship model that combines style, luxury and performance.

Beginning in the 1969 model year the Grand Prix would be shortened to a 118.0 inch wheelbase becoming a mid size car and be part of the Pontiac LeMans series.

The 1967 Grand Prix is a part of the second generation which ran from 1965 through 1968.

Pontiac Grand Prix..A Mixture of Luxury and Power

One thing the Grand Prix was well noted for was it’s luxurious interior while keeping the sporty touch. Seat coverings were either cloth upholstery or Morrokide. This sporty interior touch also included a tachometer and rear audio speakers. If a car buyer wanted to display performance yet do it in a luxurious enclosure, the Pontiac Grand Prix was his or her automobile with plenty of V-8 horsepower. It’s interesting to note that the Grand Prix was perhaps overlooked a bit as a muscle car simply because of it’s luxurious styling. Many muscle car enthusiasts of that era were likely much more concerned with what was under the hood than the upscale interior appointments. The truth about the Pontiac Grand Prix was that it offered plenty of both.

The Grand Prix was built on the Pontiac Catalina platform. This was Pontiac’s shorter big car chassis. The Grand Prix differed a lot from the Catalina with it’s sportier interior including popular Strato bucket seats. Between the seats was a console along with a floor shifter.

A Big Redesign

As years progressed, nearly every GM vehicle grew in size-and the Grand Prix was no exception. The additional weight negatively affected performance and handling. And a major redesign for 1967 produced a Grand Prix that shared little with what it was just a few years before. By 1968, Grand Prix sales figures had dipped below 32,000 units. Amid the increasing popularity of musclecars, the larger Grand Prix was doomed for extinction if drastic changes were not in its future.

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Specifications

Engines available on the 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix included 400 and 428 cubic inch V-8’s in various configurations and horsepower. The 400 cubic inch came as two and four barrel carburetors with horsepower at 265 and 350 respectively. The 428’s delivered 360 and 375 HP with four barrel carbs.

Pontiac built a reputation for powerhouse engines. Their 1967 GTO models, also powerful muscle cars, came with the first Ram Air engine. The Ram Air I was the most advanced 400 cubic inch engine Pontiac had at the time and pushed the horsepower up to 360.

Transmission options were a three speed and four speed manual along with a three speed Hydramatic and Hydramatic Turbo.

Dimensions include a wheelbase of 121.0 inches, overall outside length 215.6 inches, width 79.4 inches, height 54.0 inches. Curb weight 4,280 lbs.

New car price averaged about $3,750.

Only 5,856 Grand Prix Convertibles were produced for the 1967 model year. This was out of a total Pontiac 1967 Production of 780,700 units.

Related Auto Museum Online articles include..

1965 Pontiac Grand Prix

1964 Pontiac GTO

1967 Pontiac GTO

Reference material for this article includes..The Life and Death of Pontiac by Tony and Michele Hamer…Grand Prix : Pontiac’s Luxury Performance Car by Don Keefe…Pontiac: The Performance Years by Martyn L. Schorr…Pontiac Registry.

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix Collector Car Sales Prices

Pontiac’s from the 1960’s are popular collector cars both for their modern styling and powerful engines. Both the Grand Prix and the GTO fit well in the muscle car wars of the latter 1960’s. As far as the 1967 convertible models are concerned, they are considered rare and highly collectible as only 5,856 were produced. collectible today.

High retail value for examples in showroom condition will see bids of $55,000 on up. Those in excellent condition have seen bids in the $35,000-$45,000 range. Those models in good condition are in a wide range of from about $20,000 to $30,000.