ChevyClassics - 1959/60 Intro Page

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"All New Again"

Here we go again....for 1959 and 1960 Chevrolet changed the body style from the 1958 line. The new cars were longer and wider than in previous years. We'll try to touch on some of the styling changes here in our intro to these years.

The 1959 Chevrolet will forever be remembered for it's front end "eyebrows" located on the leading edge of the hood. The next thing you notice about the tw0-door hardtop was the incredible all-around visibility made possible by very slim roof pillars. The rear of this auto sported fins that were later referred to as "gull-winged" and who can forget those large teardrop shaped taillights. Gone were the massive bumpers that the '58s wore, replaced by sleeker ones on the '59.

1959 saw Chevrolet moving into new markets with the introduction of the "El Camino" in response to Ford's introduction of its Ranchero two years earlier.

In '59 the Del Ray name was dropped and the Biscayne became the base line model. The Bel Air became the mid-range model and Impala became the top-of-the-line models.

The 1960 Chevrolet was the last full-size Chevrolet designed under Harley Earl's reign. The '60 Chevy was offered in 16 different models with Impalas still at the top of the list. The design changes were subtle from the '59 models. The rear of the vehicle were the efforts of Claire MacKichan, the swooping arc of the rear fins were replaced by a more geometric gull-wing design. Those large teardrop taillights were replaced by small round bullet type. Bob Cadaret styled the front end of the '60, gone were the "eyebrows" in favor of a smoother look.

1960 also saw the introduction of the Corvair, signaling a change of the way car manufacturers would be doing business for years to come. The car buying public was ready for smaller and less expensive cars and the Corvair was produced to compete with Ford's Falcon and Plymouth's Valiant.

Enjoy your exploration of these fascinating cars.

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