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If ever there was a classic from the word "Go", it was the '57 Chevy. The third in the trilogy of "Shoe Box" Chevrolets, the 1957 was, in my opinion, the beauty of the bunch. The sculpt was second to none with just the right amount of everything - Chrome, trim, fins and size. Though it came in many configurations (2-door, 4-door, station wagon, Nomad and convertible), The Bel Air was the bell of the ball. The trim level was top-notch and the interior options were well suited for the day. There was also a variety of colors from conservative to pastels. With the optons, colors and configurations available, you could build a '57 Chevrolet to suit just about anyone!   Not only could you make your new Chevrolet look and feel the way you wanted, you could make it perform to your taste as well. With 8 engine options ranging from a 140 horsepower 235 cubic inch in-line six to a fuel injected 283 horsepower 283 cubic inch V-8 (That's right! One horsepower per cubic inch!), you could make your way down the road in whatever fashion you saw fit. Transmission choices included a column shifted 3-speed manual, 3-speed overdrive, 2-speed Power Glide or Turbo Glide. Not all transmissions were available with all engines but you could mix and match. In April a dealer-installed 4-speed became available. They would install the transmission with a floor shifter, of course, remove the column shifter, change the collar and add a decorative plate around the floor shifter with the boot.   For it's day, The '57 Chevy was a movin' machine that was able shut down a lot of the heavy hitters of the day. Unless you had over 300 horsepower, you didn't look at a '57 sideways unless you wanted to look at the tail lights while it was gettin' second gear rubber in your face! If you really wanted a mover, the 270 horsepower 283 (2-4 bbl carbs) with a 4-speed and posi-traction was the best bang for the buck. Throw in a set of four-eleven gears and you could really get lost!   The 1958 Chevrolet was a total redesign that many people liked but it just didn't have the magic of the previous 3 years. So, the 1957 Chevrolet was really the end an era in American automotive design as far as General Motors was concerned. The '58 sort of stood alone and the "Bubble Top" design of '59 would take styling in a whole new direction for the 1960's insuring that the "Shoe Box" look would never return. I'm not sure if the '57 Chevy could be deemed a car that was ahead of it's time, but the fact that it still turns heads in the 21st century kinda makes you think that maybe the car that was a classic from day one, will be a classic for all time.   - Dan Davis.