The Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe was new for 1950. (Chevrolet)
Chevrolet’s exterior styling of the 1950 Bel Air Sport Coupe was revolutionary and set a pattern for decades. According to ClassicCars.Fandom.com, “The Bel Air Hardtop (on the DeLuxe line) was styled as a convertible with a non-detachable solid roof.”
The redesign followed the 1942-1945 shutdown of vehicle production during World War II. And even as production restarted, the “new” 1946-1948 models were mildly updated carryover models from years earlier.
New for 1950
According to Hagerty.com, Chevrolet overhauled its entire lineup in 1949 and moved from prewar designs to new cars. The modern styling emphasized full-width bodies and pontoon fenders.
The exterior two-door hardtop styling might have been new, but visual changes were minimal from 1949.
Special and Deluxe models were offered in Fleetline and Styleline series. According to Hagerty’s “History of the 1949-1952 Styleline,” a bare-bones business coupe cost as little as $1,300. Pricing rose to $2,200 for an eight-passenger station wagon.
The only powertrain available was a 216-cubic-inch six-cylinder engine. It was mated to a three-speed manual transmission. However, cars with the automatic received the 235-cubic-inch truck engine.
Bel Air Sport Coupe
The model is named for the city of Bel Air on the west side of Los Angeles.
According to Wikipedia, the Bel Air Sport Coupe name was used only from 1950 to 1952 for the two-door hardtops. The first-year production reached only 76,662.
