80k Mile Unrestored 1952 Chevrolet Bel Air
Well sir, here’s an interesting one and timely, since trick or treat season is just around the corner. The seller doesn’t share a lot about this pumpkin orange 1952 Bel Air. Only seven photos and a brief description: unrestored, good original condition, driven 80,000 miles, automatic transmission, exterior color: orange, interior color: white, and has had 3+ owners. This beautiful Bel Air hardtop coupe, located in Hamilton, Ohio is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for an asking price of $24,000. A shout out to our pal, Phil K (the Great Pumpkin), for sharing this tip with us.
1952 would be the fourth and final year of Chevrolet’s major 1949 redesign. For ’52, the grill grew teeth, the parking light lenses increased, and Chevy’s advertising touting more color options, color-coordinated interiors (“Brilliant New Color Harmonies Inside and Out.”) and safety features including “Jumbo-Drum Brakes with Dubl-Life Linings.” Even though Ford introduced an all-new design for 1952, Chevy was still the sales leader by a large margin with 827,317 vehicles sold, including 74,634 Bel Air hardtops. If this Bel Air is as advertised, then this is one well preserved, well-optioned bowtie. I found a color chart online and this particular two-tone combination is #492: Bittersweet and Beach White. And if that’s the original paint, trim, chrome, and glass, it all appears to be in very good condition for its age. I also found a ’52 Chevy Accessories brochure and the exterior is blinging with front fender shields, a gas tank filler guard, rear fender mounting units, backup lights, plus front and rear fender guards and a trunk guard attached to the bumpers. This is one well-dressed Bel Air.
The two-tone “coral and white” theme is carried inside as well with an interior that looks remarkable for a 69-year-old car. There are a few stretch marks in the orange fabric of the bench seat, but that’s about all I can spot from the two photos. It’s even sporting the De Luxe Steering Wheel which was described as “ultra-modern with a medallion center,” an electric clock mounted in the center of the dashboard, and a tissue dispenser. There are no photos of the rear seat or headliner.
Under that orange hood, you’ll find a clean engine bay, an orange firewall, of course, and a 235 cubic-inch, 105 horsepower six-cylinder engine that’s said to have been driven 80,000 miles. The 235 was the larger of the two engines offered in ’52 since this Bel Air is equipped with a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. Top speed was listed at about 85 mph. So, what do you think? We wish more information, photos, and documentation was provided, but if this is as advertised, you’re looking at a real time capsule that has lived a very pampered life. And probably one of the nicest surviving ’52 Bel Airs out there.
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Comments
The asking seems high but I agree that this is one of the nicest ‘52 Chevys I’ve ever seen. Never saw one in that color either. My parents had an used dark green ‘52 2dr sedan with the smaller straight 6 and 3 speed manual for several years when I was little. They added two seat belts in front like this seller. My dad paid $300 for it in about 1960 in Denver, CO. It took us across the country twice and survived being rear ended in Columbus OH in 1962; my mom got whip lash and had to wear a collar for awhile but my brother and I in back weren’t hurt. It was stolen from my dad’s job In Norwalk CA in January 1965 and never recovered. Dad then bought a used 1955 two tone Olds 88 4 door ht for $350. Unfortunately the auto trans went bad after a few months and he bought a brand new white 1965 2dr Plymouth Valiant 100 2dr sedan for $2k in early June 1965.
Why do I have a hankering for an orange creamsicle right now? This find is a beauty, and if I had the room (which I don’t), and the funds (which I don’t), and my wife would let me (which she won’t), I would really consider it…great find!
Flmikey
My problems exactly.
I had a two door tan and brown my senior year in high school.
I am interested in buying the 52 Chevy if it’s still available ? Thanks
This color option also offered the
“Jack O’ Matic” transmission…
Very rare color
I saw this or something close to it at Back to the Fifties in St Paul. This model and these colors certainly are smile invoking. ✓
The writer keeps calling it orange except where it says “coral” in quotes. It’s somewhere between Coral and Salmon, not really what anybody who knows color would call orange.
Slow as molassas, but beautiful. Stay of the Texas 85mph interstates, in fact, all interstates, except in the big cities like LA and the “parkways” in NY and DC which were designed for 55 mph, and where the actual speed , much of the time, is about 25 mph.
I love the colors.
What is the filter next to the windshield washer container ?
Cooling system filter
A GM accessory back in the day
Perfect candidate for a hemi and make it “Low Rider”…🙄
For a second there I thought you were serious! . . . 🙄
an uncle of mine worked at a chevy dealership and had the same one except visors and skirted back wheels this engine looks like a 216 to me … acorn nuts on top of the valve covers …? i had a 54 235 valve cover bolted around it
In 1968 I went with my dad to the local Rambler dealer, JC Bednar in Bridgeport and bought a used 1952 Chevy, 4 door, two-tone light and dark green. We took it to the transmission shop because, unlike the family’s previous 1954 Chevy, this one didn’t shift between the 2 speeds. The tranny shop said those early PowerGlides had to be shifted manually. It was pretty comfy though and having a car at t little Franconia College was a boon for midnight runs to the all-night diner or a several hour drive to the always-open LL Bean store. Mine also had optional turn signals, I think the option was $10 or $12. It also offered my first auto mechanic lesson when a burned exhaust valve needed to be addressed.
I’m not nostalgic enough to consider this offering though, almost lost the whole thing because of the marginal brakes. GLWTS.
This brings back my age…. I remember in the 60’s a neighbor had a 52 Chevy deluxe just like this model, black with whitewall tires and moon hubcaps, glass pack dual exhaust and a 283 with a 4- barrel carb, converted to a 4- speed on the floor….. what a beautiful car….all of us rug rats would run to the street when we heard him coming down the hill, to listen!!!
Ron, at 69 years old we all have a few stretch marks!
Beautiful car, though, that color. Is it really a factory color? Someone wanted to be noticed.
My father bought dozens of these back in the late 50s eRly 60s. None as fancy as this, but I remember a boatload of these cars passing through the property. He’d buy them cheap, fix them, sell them.
In 1963 dad bought a 50 2 door Chevy hardtop no post with a brim over the windshield black red interior 100.00 dollars .WOW !
If you look at the dash clock closely, you’ll see that it has a winding stem at the bottom. It’s not electric.
I had one of these, though in nowhere near this good a condition. The clock worked, though. You had to wind it every two days.
Back in the ’50’s my father would complain about the $1 clocks in $1500 new cars (the 1950 Studebaker) and $2000 cars (the 1956 Chevy), none of which ran for more than a year. On the other hand, my uncle’s ’40 Ford clock was still working in 1949 when he traded it in, my father thought it deserved to be in a museum. My current fleet, a ’93, an ’05, and ’14 each has a digital clock that still works. The “good old days” were not always that good.
Back in the ’50’s my father would complain about the $1 clocks in $1500 new cars (the 1950 Studebaker) and $2000 cars (the 1956 Chevy), none of which ran for more than a year. On the other hand, my uncle’s ’40 Ford clock was still working in 1949 when he traded it in, my father thought it deserved to be in a museum. My current fleet, a ’93, an ’05, and ’14 each has a digital clock that still works. The “good old days” were not always that good.
I’m not sure a stem means it’s not an electric clock. One still needs a way to set the time on ANY clock.
Is that price USD or CAD?
My ’53 210 sedan had the wind-up clock. Wasn’t working when I bought it in ’69 but the family jeweler took it apart and had it running for about $5. About a 30-36 hour movement.
Wanted to say for Dave that the earlier 235s did indeed use the the 2 acorn nut style valve covers. And for David, both the hand wound & electric clocks had the winding stem, it’s just that for the electric clock it used the stem for changing the hour & minute hands. Naturally the electric clock was supposed to self set as well as self wind. Had a nice 1951 sedan that I never should have sold!