BY BILL ENGAR

UPDATE LATE JUNE, 2026:  THE FIRST RUN OF THIS KIT HAS SOLD OUT!!!  THIS IS A POPULAR ONE, FOLKS!  DON'T WORRY; ATLANTIS IS MAKING MORE KITS!

TEST DRIVE:  SUPER-DETAILED CLASSIC KIT REWARDS AND CHALLENGES THE MODELER -- VINTAGE TOOLING WITH PARTS THAT WILL NEED SOME CLEAN-UP AND FIT-CHECKING

ATLANTIS H1374 -- 1/25 1955 CHEVY BEL AIR -- UNASSEMBLED KIT MOLDED IN WHITE STYRENE PLASTIC ALONG WITH CLEAR AND CHROME-PLATED PARTS -- NEWLY TOOLED ONE-PIECE SOFT VINYL TIRES -- PAINT AND GLUE REQUIRED FOR ASSEMBLY (NOT INCLUDED) -- MRSP $32.95 -- MADE IN USA

Atlantis has gone all-out with this kit creating new box art!

Atlantis Models has re-released the former Revell USA 1955 Chevy Bel Air, a 1/25 car model kit.  The original tooling for this kit dates back to 1964.  The kit had some tweaks along the way and has not been available in this form for some time.

This kit includes phenomenal detail!  Two complete, intricately appointed engines -- doors, hood and trunk open -- separate chrome body detail parts!  Build as factory-stock or a racer!

Revell took a unique approach with this kit.  Competitors offered kits with many optional parts giving the builder the option to personalize and customize their build.  Revell's approach with this model and the other "Tri-Five" Chevys released during the same period was to include an unprecedented amount of detail.  There are a few options that will allow the builder to choose between a pair of engines and create a racing version but Revell provided extra details such as internal engine components and separate chrome pieces to a level not done before or since on other model cars.

There's a fully-molded crankshaft inside both engines.

Clear headlight lenses have realistic etching.

Those are valve spring assemblies molded into the top of the heads.

Engine block tops are molded in halves with pistons depicted at correct depths

Most model cars dating back to the 1960's include a separate hood to allow viewing of the engine in the finished model.  Far less common are opening doors and trunk and Revell's Tri-Five Chevys include these features.  The kit comes with two engines, your choice of a stock 265 V8 or blown 409 can be installed in the model.  Each of these engines has unprecedented detail for a 1/25 model kit.  The blocks are molded in three parts.  The block-bottom of each engine has a fully-formed crankshaft molded in.  The top half of the block has cylinders with pistons at their correct depths.  Cylinder heads have valve stem tops and spring retainers molded-in.  Perhaps a few Revell kits used this engine tooling, but we've never seen such a level of engine detail in another manufacturer's 1/25-scale car kit.  This is truly amazing!

Here's a closer look at the chrome parts sprue.

This even closer look shows chromed steel wheels with knock-off spinner lock-rings at top or factory-stock wheel covers below.  Detaling is crisp and chroming is gorgeous!

These engine details will be covered up and not visible on the built model.  Obviously the crankshaft will be hidden by the oil pan on the bottom and the pistons will be covered by heads and in turn, valve covers.  But since the kit has two engines with these details, you could build and paint the second engine block as a standalone display with the oil pan, cylinder heads and valve covers separate as a display-engine out of the car.

Both front and rear door interiors have nicely molded-in detail.

The "glass" is crystal-clear.  Note that the windows are separate components, not a "tray" like those in most car models.

The brake drums are even detailed!  That's the fan to the 265 engine.  It has the stamped reinforcement ridges molded in!

The 409 V8 engine was not an option for a factory '55 Chevy.  In fact, the 409 wasn't available until the Impala SS package that came along in late 1961.  By 1962, the 409 was available as a crate motor.  It was not at all uncommon for hot rodders and racers to drop a 409 in a 1955 Chevy body, which would have been a common, economical used car by the 1960's.  By the time Revell tooled their 1955 Chevy in 1964, the "Tri-Five" (55-57) Chevys had already become legendary racers with hopped-up motors that came with the cars from the factory or drop-ins like the 409.

The back sheet of the instructions shows the other Tri-Five Chevy models that Atlantis has available.

This sheet shows construction steps for both engines.  This is vintage Revell artwork.

The side-chrome pieces on this kit are separate parts on the chrome parts tree.  Most such model cars have these molded into the body.  It's common for racers to remove the chrome.  If you want to build a racer version of your Atlantis '55 Chev, you can easily leave these parts off.  Most 1955 Chevy parts have a separate chrome "jet-bird" hood ornament, but this kit also has separate chrome emblem pieces for hood and trunk lid.  Add a little transparent red and blue paint in the appropriate places on these parts and you'll have very realistic-looking Chevy emblems coming and going for your model.

(Atlantis Photo of built 1955 Chevy Bel Air). Some modelers actually open up doors and trunks to detail their model cars.  This model comes with this feature right out of the box!

There are several ways that expert builders execute the chrome parts on their car models.  The simplest way is to clean up the parts and touch up any sanded edges and sprue attachment points with silver paint such as Molotow Liquid Chrome.  This stuff is amazing!

Other modelers use bare metal foil chrome, shiny metal foil with an adhesive back.  The trick here is to cut the foil with a fresh #11 X-Acto knife blade, particularly if the part or trim is already on the model.  Scissors would probably work for a straight piece of chrome stuck to the chrome trim but not yet on the model.

Our favorite method is to clean up the chrome parts (trim/sand off all traces of flash and sprue attachment points).  If needed, I'll prime with a glossy primer (I like to airbrush Testors enamels thinned down to the consistency of milk, mix white with a little black to get a thin gray primer).  Spray the cleaned-up-to-perfection part with a glossy black finish such as glossy Testors Enamel.  After that's dry, spray on a thin coat of Alclad II Chrome finish.  If you can get your glossy paint smooth-as-glass, this product will produce a chrome part just as shiny as any on the chrome sprue, and it'll be all cleaned up.

These pages show suspension, interior and final assembly steps. We forgot to mention that the front wheels are steerable!  As car kits go, this one is fairly complex thanks to the level of detail it has.  You'll want to be a confident car modeler with at least intermediate experience to get the most enjoyment out of this model kit.

Atlantis recommends this model kit for ages 14 and up.  We'd also like to let our readers know that we strongly recommend that the purchaser has experience successfully building at least a few glue-kits before attempting to build one of Atlantis' Tri-Five Chevys.  The parts have a fair bit of flash that will need cleaning up.  Careful test-fitting of the moving components (doors, hood, trunk) is recommended and some trimming and shimming might be needed to get the doors to close and fit correctly.  The kit will need some work to get nice results but it will be rewarding and fun for modeler equipped to deal with the many small parts nestled into this vintage tooling, now over 60 years old!

The body has some reinforcement sprues that will need careful removal.

You'll have to glue on the (included) side-chrome trim if you want a factory-stock car.  You could just leave it off for a racer.  Note the small logo is molded in just behind the door.

One set of tires comes with the kit.  These are skinny factory-stock and newly molded by Atlantis.  Note that they don't have whitewalls; if you want whitewall tires, you'll have to find aftermarket decals.  If you want to build a racer with wider tires out-of-the-box, we recommend ordering Atlantis' H1276, the "X Parts Garage" version of the 1955 Chevy.  Conversely, you can 't build a factory-stock '55 Chevy from H1276.

Here's an underside-view that shows the chassis bottom.  It's nicely detailed.

The scalloped heads identify this sprue as holding the parts to the Chevy 409 V8 engine.

This model is phenomenally detailed.  You simply can't find another 1955 Chevy kit with as many features.  However, to get everything to fit together will take some work.  With this said, this kit is not a liesure "weekend build" trip down memory lane.  In the description for their similarly detailed 1955 Chevy Nomad, Atlantis states, "Not an easy build by any means".  We believe this applies here as well.

However, this author built this same 1955 Chevy Bel Air as a teenager and found it to be a favorite.  If you like intricate detail requiring a steady hand, this is the kit for you.  If you want a leisure build, there are other Atlantis kits you'll enjoy more.  That said, we are absolutely thrilled that this old favorite has returned and we give it Four Enthusiastic Thumbs Up!

SPECIAL THANKS TO ATLANTIS MODELS FOR PROVIDING THIS REVIEW KIT!

BONUS FEATURES

​THE "TRI-FIVE" CHEVYS

"Tri-Fives" is a term that fans of the '55, '56 and '57 Chevrolets invented some time after the cars were first made.  The 1955-56-57 Chevrolets were well-designed, relatively economical, durable and could easily be modified into excellent racers and hot rods.  To this day, the 1957 Chevy is the most iconic passenger car of the 1950's.

The 1949 Ford featured a number of innovations.  The slab-sided "shoebox" aesthetic and aviation-inspired front grille set trends for the 1950's.

Chevrolet's "new" 1953 Bel Air retained a number of pre-WWII design philosophies but was the first Chevrolet to offer power windows and power brakes.

World War II brought progress of the American passenger car to a screeching halt.  After the war, the USA transformed much of its massive wartime production capabilities back to consumer products.  Instead of building tanks, airplanes and other military vehicles, Ford and GM were able to design new cars for returning soldiers and their families.  Postwar, Ford built what it considered the Car of the Future, a new-from-the-ground-up design in 1949 which ushered in many features that became common on cars of the 1950's.  GM/Chevrolet took a more cautious approach, tweaking what were considered tried-and-true prewar components and concepts.

There were some hits and a few misses when it came to finalizing body designs for the 1955 Bel Air.

The 1955 Chevy introduced a new, very rigid frame and a V8 engine.  While not specifically intended for racing, these items certainly helped.

Some automotive experts refer to the 1955 Chevrolet as the first truly modern car.  Perhaps the biggest innovation was the available V8 engine, all new in its 265 cubic-inch incarnation.  A stiffer chassis and modernized suspension improved handling.  Factory-installed air conditioning was a new option (at least on the V8 cars).  A curved, panoramic windshield eliminated the distracting center divider.  The original Chevy Small-Block V8 design of 1955 was tweaked over the years increasing eventually to a displacement of 350 CI or 5.7 liters and sold well over 100 million units during its nearly half-century lifetime!

The 1955 Chevy is easily identified by its Ferrari-inspired loop-grille.

A new full-width rectangular grille distinguishes the 1956 Chevy Bel Air.  It gives the car a wider look. 

For the first time, seat belts were offered as an option with the 1956 Chevrolets.  The V8 had several options. the most powerful for 1956 was a stout 225 horsepower option.

The 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air appears ready to fight the Cold War with bullet-bumpers, fins, rockets in the hood, and a new oval-shaped grille which to us resembles the intake on the supersonic F-100.

This 1957 Chevy 150 is missing the features of the higher-trim Bel Air.  It's the Black Widow, a factory-built racecar.

During the third year of the "Tri-Five" Chevy's, 1957, the Bel Air received its iconic fins and grille embellishments that helped make the car one of the most famous icons of the 1950's.  Interestingly, however, the 1957 Fords outsold the 1957 Chevrolets.  Ford redesigned its passenger car line for 1957 and more buyers were enticed by the longer, lower, wider body style.  So how did 1957's Second Place Sales Winner become the icon that it is today?

The Tri-Five Chevys were excellent racers and hot rods.

The 1957 Chevy in particular became an iconic racer.

Chevy's 1957 "Black Widow" was the result of taking a bare-bones Chevy 150 (the most basic 1957 Chevy) and adding a 283 CI V8 engine with fuel injection.  This powerful engine combined with a frame that was already optimized for V8 power created an unbeatable monster on the track causing NASCAR to ban it.

Tom Daniel's Badman (1969) was based on the Monogram 1955 Chevy kit first released in 1963.  Not many Daniel customs were based on existing kits.

Modelers (including this author) enjoyed Revell's '55 Chevy kit that was available during the 1970's!

Automotive styling evolved at a breakneck pace into the 1960's.  In 1958, Chevrolet introduced the all-new Impala.  Every year afterwards, the Impala received an updated look and by 1962 it was mostly straight lines and hard edges along with most other passenger cars of the era.  Dome-paneled cars of the 1950's quickly seemed dated and the "Tri Fives" became low-priced used cars.  While the Impala had some spirited versions with the new "409" engine option, it was a lot less expensive for a hot rodder or racer to modify one of the lightweight Tri-Five cars to create a potent racing machine or street hotrod.  The basic robustness of the design lent itself well to the modifications needed for drag racing or oval tracks.  With nearly five million Tri-Fives produced, there was a large supply and prices were low.  We recall acquaintances buying tired but driveable Tri-Fives for less than $100.  Many became first cars for new drivers in the 1960's and many hotrods and racers were built during the decade.  The car became a beloved secondhand phenomenon.

AMT's '57 Chevy didn't have nearly the level of detail as Revell but they included some rather goofy customizing parts

Revell '57 Chevy plastic in racer form with Moon tank and rollbar

This version of Revell's '57 is a hotrod with a lift and chrome "steelie" wheels as included with the '55

If Mom 'n Dad preferred the new Ford in 1957 instead of the Chevy, kids loved model kits of the Tri-Fives in the 1960's and beyond.  Thanks to its reputation as a racer and hotrod, several model kit makers tooled up Tri-Five Chevy kits in the 1960's years after the Tri-Fives left new-car dealer lots.  It seemed that interest in these cars didn't dip much during the 1970's and 1980's as the re-releases kept coming with new box art and parts.

Here's a 1970 release of the '56 Chevy.  Just fifteen years had passed yet the '56 was considered a "Street Classic."

Wearing an overall red finish with all the window chrome painted over, Revell's '55 Chevy is also a "Street Classic" in a 1971 box.

By the mid-1970's, many of the original boxtop artists received pink slips and photographs were used instead.  This is a 1973 release of Revell's '56 Chevy.

Movies influenced the public's memory and affection for the Tri-Five Chevys.  1973's American Graffiti featured a black 1955 Chevy street-racer driven by antagonist Bob Falfa, played by Harrison Ford.  1987's Dirty Dancing featured an aging black 1957 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe driven by Johnny Castle, played by Patrick Swayze.  While these movies were very popular and certainly piqued interest in these cars among the general public, it seems there was never a time when the Tri-Fives weren't an important part of Car Culture.

Revell's '57 Chevy has a full set of flame decals in this 1980's release

Those are wheels from a 1984 Corvette on this '57 Chevy Hardtop model kit from the late 1980's

Revell's "Mr. Gasser" used a caricature of a 1957 Chevy in 1963!

Atlantis Models has a growing line of model kits featuring the Tri Five Chevys.  We'll cover them in our article/review of the Atlantis 1956 Chevy!

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