The Chevrolet Bel Air first appeared as a model name in 1950.
Chevrolet initially used Bel Air for the stylish two-door hardtop in its full-size range. The name referred to a body style rather than an entirely separate mechanical platform, and the early car shared much of its structure with other Chevrolet passenger cars.
The Bel Air became especially famous with the redesigned 1955 model. That generation introduced the small-block V8 and a more modern, lower-looking design, helping establish the Bel Air as an icon of 1950s American motoring.
A common mix-up is dating the Bel Air to 1955, because that is the year most associated with the name. However, Chevrolet had already used the Bel Air designation five years earlier. The model continued through 1975 in the United States, although later versions were far less glamorous than the classic 1950s cars.