By Natasha Fujimoto
STRAIGHT out of the atomic age the iconic, 1960 Chevrolet Bel Air was big, bold and confident, in many ways reflecting the optimism encapsulated in the American dream itself.
A bestseller for much of the 1950s and 1960s, the Chevrolet Bel Air took its name from an up-market suburb of Los Angeles and was a family favourite until production ceased in the mid-1970s.
With its signature curved windscreen and enormous batwing fins, the six-meter-long car was a vehicle that Shepparton local, Sahil Raj just had to have as soon as he saw it.
Imported from Long Beach, California, Sahil said he ‘jumped on the opportunity’ to purchase the nassau blue and ivory automobile once it had arrived in Australia, following a fallen through sale.
Featuring all original parts, the left-hand drive boasts 283 cubic inches of V8 engine, complete with column shift, electric wipers, front and back arm rests and ‘enough ashtrays to accommodate every passenger.’
Although surprisingly economical to run after some initial engine work, Sahil said that cruising down the highway was like being transported back in time, to an era where the journey was just as important as the destination.
“When you drive the Bel Air, everything just slows down, it’s like another time entirely.
“I really love it when I drive past older people and they just stop, stare and then smile. It’s a car that definitely brings out the best reactions; it’s nostalgia, it’s the style and it’s the massive batwings,” Sahil said with a smile.
