This 1956 Chevrolet promotional film shows events in September, 1955 as the 1956 Chevy Belair races up Pike’s Peak in Colorado. The car was equipped with a new V-8 engine that would be released in the 1956 model line. None other then Zora Arkus-Duntov was at the helm of a well camouflaged Chevrolet Belair and Bill France of Nascar fame was present with his timing crew. At 1:20 the film flashes back to 1954 as the prototype car is initially tested at a proving grounds. At 1:49 the car makes a jump and crashes into another vehicle to prove its structural integrity. At 2:00 it pulls 16 other cars from a dead stop. At 2:05 it races in a stock car race at NASCAR. At 2:34 Colorado Springs is shown and the camouflaged Bel Air. At about 3:00 the ascent of Pike’s Peak begins.It ends at 6:15 as the electronic timer reveals that the car and driver broke the previous world record by more than two minutes!
Zora Arkus-Duntov (December 25, 1909 – April 21, 1996) was a Belgian-born American engineer whose work on the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname “Father of the Corvette.” He is sometimes erroneously referred to as the inventor of the Corvette, whereas that title belongs to Harley Earl. He was also a successful racing driver, taking class victories in 1954 and 1955 24 Heures du Mans.
The Chevrolet Bel Air was a full-size car produced by Chevrolet for the 1950–1981 model years. Initially only the two door hardtops in the Chevrolet model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950 to 1952, as distinct from the Styleline and Fleetline models for the remainder of the range. With the 1953 model year the Bel Air name was changed from a designation for a unique body shape to a premium level of trim applied across a number of body styles. The Bel Air continued with various other trim level designations until US production ceased in 1975. Production continued in Canada, for its home market only, through the 1981 model year.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
