The Space Age Hits the Road: Visionary Car Designs in America

1954 Chevrolet Bel-Air

Model Jane Ohnstad poses next to a Chevrolet Bel-Air at Griffith Park Observatory. The iconic landmark, which was closely associated with space exploration, was an ideal setting for marketing futuristic automobiles. The Bel-Air featured an advanced two-speed automatic transmission touted by the brochure, “The mighty ‘Blue-Flame 125’ engine teamed with Powerglide is the most powerful in Chevrolet history!” Interestingly, these early transmissions used a P-N-D-L-R sequence, which created safety problems. Drivers could easily overshoot the low gear and accidentally shift the car into reverse. 

This page has paths:

This page references: