Shared by @grunty_diecast (Instagram)
This is a '55 Chevrolet Bel Air. Introduced in 1954 for the 1955 model year, the '55 Chevy is often considered a huge turning point for Chevrolet and one of their major successes. Noted as the first successful Chevrolet with an optional V8, the '55 Chevy also offered many firsts for its kind, such as new options like air conditioning, power windows and seats, power steering and power brakes. The V8 that would come to be used in this model would later be very well known in numerous different iterations as the Chevrolet small-block engine, by far one of the most popular, if not the most popular engine for engine swaps. Numerous different body styles were also available. Production ended in 1955 when the acclaimed '57 Chevrolet began production. 1,775,952 total '55 Chevys were produced, with the '55 Chevy and '57 Chevy being immortalized as automotive icons.
Now this casting was designed by Brendon Vetuskey and introduced in 2013; this casting has since become Vetuskey's most iconic work. With thirty-seven known releases and more on the way, this casting is sure to remain in the lineup for years to come.
The above casting features a slightly different tooling for the Bel Air Gasser, featuring a front axle with a slightly different stance, making the car sit lower. It also features a new highly-detailed base. Compare this to your normal Gassers and you will see a difference. This tooling was first used for the RLC Exclusive Black Gasser and has been used ever since for future RLC releases; not even the coveted Candy Striper uses this tooling (it uses the regular mainline Gasser tooling).
