The 1953 Chevrolet 240 Bel Air rose to meet the challenge posed by the changing tastes of American auto buyers. Instead of mere transportation, increasingly affluent families sought cars that reflected their upscale lifestyles.

1953 Chevrolet Bel Air sales proved a market existed for a low-priced uplevel car.

As city dwellers gravitated from cramped apartments to ranch houses in the growing suburbs, a stripped-down vehicle seemed increasingly out of place.

Like several other American automakers, Chevrolet had an answer for these social shifts. The Bel Air -- which was formerly offered only as a hardtop coupe -- now became a full four-model top-line series, easily identified by their unique two-toned spears on the rear fenders.

In addition to the two-door hardtop, now called a Sport Coupe, the series included a convertible and two- and four-door sedans. Why buy a lower-priced sedan, customers apparently wondered, when a Bel Air commanded only $113 more than its Two-Ten equivalent, and just $204 more than a spartan One-Fifty.

A Sport Coupe and convertible were also included in the Two-Ten lineup, but neither body style would last beyond this year in mid-range form. Like its less-costly mates, Bel Airs had a clean new dashboard but wore more lavish trim and heavy chrome.

New center-fold seatbacks swung in toward the center, allowing more room for entering and leaving the front seat. Crank-type regulators, similar to those that rolled windows up and down, now operated the front ventipanes.

Chevrolet asserted that the Bel Air stood "in a class all its own," and plenty of customers agreed. A total of 514,760 were produced, including nearly a hundred thousand alluring Sport Coupes and better than 24,000 convertibles.

Bel Airs thus accounted for more than 38 percent of total sales, pleasing dealers who'd wondered whether a line of upmarket Chevrolets really would catch on. Sure, Two-Tens sold better yet, but the One-Fifty series trailed its more glamorous siblings by a wide margin.

The 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe boasted a 108-horsepower standard engine.

1953 Chevrolet 240 Bel Air Facts

Model	Weight range (lbs.)	Price range (new)	Number built
240 Bel Air	3,230-3,470	$1,820-$2,175	514,760

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