The Baddest Classic Chevys
Chevrolet was founded in 1911, and the bowtie has been around since the very beginning. Chevrolet has spent the last 111 years creating well-rounded and refreshed vehicles, always trying to one-up its previous work. While we at Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin love the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV and the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, we have to admit that some of the baddest Chevys lay in the Classics.
Let’s narrow the years down from the 1950s to 1999. We want to show off some earlier Classic models, while also giving a sneak peek at newer models that can soon be classified as classic cars.
In order only by date, here are the baddest classic Chevrolets.
- 1955-57 Chevy Bel Air
From the wide and long hood and trunk, only to be accented with wide wings on either side of the taillights, the Bel Air is the image of the ‘50s. One could almost imagine it fitting in with the cars of Grease or even be a twin to Flo from Cars. The Bel Air itself was where Chevrolet introduced the small-block engine. Chevy started packing its hotrods with the small-block V8 engine in 1955, which took off spectacularly, as it was affordable and powerful.
- Late 1960s Chevy Impala
The late ‘60s Impala’s design was more iconic once it separated itself from being a Bel Air Impala, and before the harder design edges were smoothed out in the 1990s. The elongated hood and trunk brought a strong look to the Impala and made it its own distinctive muscle car. Chevy would go on to sell more than 13 million Impala vehicles before the turn of the century.
- 1999 Silverado 1500 LT Z71
Can a car made in the ‘90s be considered a classic? We think so. The Silverado truck came to be just before Y2K and the turn of the new millennium. Turning 23 this year, the Silverado’s classic look started with this 1500 and it’s the first image that comes to mind when someone thinks about Chevrolet trucks, down to the design of the front-end badging.
Honorable Mention: 1918 One-Ton
The 1918 One-Ton is a little out of the year range we set for ourselves, but we couldn’t leave it out as this Chevy would become a blueprint for better Chevy trucks in the future. (Looking at you 2024 Silverado EV. It would be like creating a family tree and not mentioning a grandparent. Hard pass.) Chevy’s One-Ton was inspired by what Chevy’s own factory workers were using to get parts from A to B, the open design focused less on safety and more on getting the job done. As Chevy trucks have evolved, the two truck purposes worked together to create even more powerful vehicles.
We think Chevy’s come far and continues to endow each of its models with enough personality that sometimes it’s hard to choose a favorite But we all have our favorites.
Which classic Chevrolet is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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