Positive reappraisals and renewed appreciation for the beauty of Chicago have been some of the benefits of hosting friends in my long-time home city. Last month, a close friend and her other half came to see me for what ended up being a whirlwind forty-eight hours of fun. We saw comedian and television host Craig Ferguson perform at a theater (this man’s got stories), stood in the glass boxes of the Skydeck at the Willis (Sears) Tower and looked down at streets over one hundred stories down, ate delicious food, and just stopped whenever we felt like it to take pictures of the random, historic beauty all around us.
This included stopping into the Palmer House Hilton downtown, with the current building having celebrated its one hundredth anniversary last year. This had reminded me of having seen of this ’56 Bel Air sedan under the elevated CTA Loop tracks on Wabash a few years ago, right outside the eastern-facing doors of the Palmer House. Finished in two-tone Adobe Beige and Sierra Gold, this photogenic machine had all but beckoned me to it on that warm spring Saturday.
It had occurred to me at the time that this car was probably in use at the time for some special event being hosted at the hotel, like a wedding or some other kind of photo shoot. Still, it wasn’t hard to get lost in the feeling of this moment with this shiny, chrome-adorned classic parked in front of this gorgeous structure. It was almost like I and my Canon camera were being swallowed whole into a time-travel vortex.
The pillared Bel Air four-door sedan was the second-most popular Chevrolet sold in ’56, at about 269,800 units. Only about 13,300 more buyers had found the middle-tier 210 four-door sedan more to their tastes or budgets, with about 283,100 sold. The two Chevys that had seen the fewest sales that year were also the most and least expensive mainstream offerings from the make. The expensive Bel Air Nomad sport wagon, at around $2,600 to start, brought up the rear with just under 7,900 moved, followed by the hairshirt 150 Utility Sedan, which started at around $1,700. Our featured car had a starting base price of just under $2,100, which fell neatly between the two extremes.
Curiously, the Bel Air Sport hardtop sedan had sold about 38% of the pillared sedans number (at 103,600) for only about 7.8% more premium. The iconic Bel Air Sport hardtop coupe, for all of its cultural ubiquity as one of the most recognizable body styles of the Tri-Five generation, was actually the fourth-most produced ’56 Chevy, with about 128,400 sold. Including the Corvette roadster, of which just under 3,500 were produced, Chevrolet saw ’56 sales of over 1.5 million cars, leading the industry that year. (For comparison, Ford had clocked in at just under 1.4 million cars for ’56.)
The lobby of the Palmer House Hilton as photographed on Friday, November 5, 2021.
Getting back to the setting, the thing that struck me about both the Palmer House and this ’56 Chevy was just how drastically each thing stood out against their more modern counterparts. I’m by no means an architecture snob who will try to tell you that good design stopped around such-and-such a year. By the same token, there are some modern vehicles that I find genuinely attractive, with artfully executed surfaces and proportions as dictated by the needs and tastes of 2026. With that said, there will probably never be mainstream hotels as ornate and finely crafted as the Palmer House, nor will there ever again be mainstream passenger cars featuring the same level of decoration and attention to detail as what’s on display on this Bel Air.
I’ve seen the YouTube video of the crash test that had pitted a 1959 Chevy Bel Air (which is admittedly a very different-looking car than this ’56) against a 2009 Chevy Malibu, which had demonstrated how the ‘Bu, with its modern safety-oriented design and equipment, was the clear winner. I’m not trying to sell you on the idea that I wish everything could go back to the way it was in the ’50s, especially as a person of color. I’m speaking only of the high level and quality of the decorative details of both this car and this hotel which speak to the craftsmanship of another time in the last century.
If this Bel Air was a wedding car, I hope the couple is still happy and making it work almost three years after these pictures were taken. If anything, having done a mini-tour of Chicago with my friends last month has only whetted my appetite for experiencing more of the same. “History” didn’t stop happening at a certain point in time. It’s an ongoing process, and I’m ready to write more chapters of my own this spring, with Chicago’s beautiful, classic architecture looming overhead, at street-level, and almost everywhere else I look.
Downtown, The Loop, Chicago, Illinois.
Saturday, May 13, 2023.
I stayed at the Palmer House and saw the river turned green. It was a whirlwind tour also.
I’ve spent exactly two nights at the Palmer House, years ago, and the apparent grandeur is not an illusion. It’s an incredible structure.
One of my first times in Chicago (as a child), we stayed at the Palmer House. For a rube that lived way, way downstate in Illinois at the time, it was a grand experience. The ornate lobby, the phone in the bathroom, the hotel restaurant that served a wonderful (if eye-poppingly expensive at the time) meal. I can remember parts of that meal, and this was 40-odd years ago. The place had an elegance and charisma I had never experienced previously.
Speaking of elegance and charisma, I’ve never really thought about a ’56 Chevrolet as being either of those, but when viewed with its surrounding vehicles, such as that first-generation Chrysler Pacifica in front of it and that whatever parked behind, this Bel-Air is both.
Jason, I can identify with how your experience at the Palmer House had left an indelible impression on you. That was what Chicago did to me, as well. In fact, I had saved a napkin from Pizzeria Due for years as a memento before I got rid of it during some periodic decluttering. And the Bel Air is a visual feast. Light and reflections are everything to this photographer, and this car delivers in spades.
My dad had a yellow ’56 two door hardtop when he was dating (and married) my mom. She had a ’57 two door hardtop in turquoise and white. They met and married in the early 60s ; each bought this car lightly used. What’s interesting looking back is that both these cars were known now for their two tone color schemes. The ’56 has that lovely stripe that extends along the sides and the ’57 has those fins! Yet, both of them had their cars repainted to be a solid color. Mom explained that by then, it was out of style to have a white top on that blue car. She also said that the car always had transmission trouble. As for the cars, her dad traded in my mom’s car to give her a baby blue Galaxie 500 four door when she got married. I vaguely remember my dad’s car. I remember the upholstery feeling itchy and the front seat folded in kind of a floppy way to get to the back seat. I don’t remember ever being driven in it. He sold it around 1969 when he bought a lightly used Pontiac Le Mans coupe in gold over gold. The Bel Air was stolen from the people who bought it just a couple of days after they took it home.
Lori, I love that both of your parents had owned iconic Tri-Fives when then were dating. I wonder if their Chevys were a topic of conversation during their courtship? That’s really cool. I like that you mentioned the way the front seat folded forward in a floppy way – I’ve been watching old car commercials for free on YouTube and have wondered recently when seatback safety latches / locks became a thing.
My dad always worked on cars and he had a part time job in a mechanic’s shop. My grandpa bought my mom’s car when she turned 18 and it would have been two years old. They met in junior college at a dance. We’re in Southern California so definitely they went cruising before and after they met. Johnnie’s Broiler was popular. It’s now the Bob’s Big Boy in Downey.
Dad made sure that my brother and I knew how to take care of cars… we helped wash and wax from a young age. He did the repairs on my first car and I had to be there to hand him all the tools, like doctor and nurse. Today’s cars are so complex… we’ve lost something there.
I was probably in kindergarten when they sold the ’56. It was just more convenient to get two toddlers in the back of the Galaxie, and it had air conditioning.
My mom jokes that she wish she had kept her car… but the point is at the time, these cars were nice but they didn’t have the iconic status they have now. They were good used cars for young people, and definitely they were attainable.
So much of this is awesome. Your reference to car culture-rich southern California, learning to work (or assist) on cars, classic Midcentury restaurants like Johnie’s Broiler *and* Bob’s Big Boy (I’m a huge fan of the architectural works of Armet & Davis), etc.
It’s also so true that we never know at the time just how popular certain cars will be later.
So glad they told you this. These are the kind of stories that need to be passed down to the generations to come, otherwise we become just names in the family tree.
About 25 years ago, I had a business trip to Chicago and stayed (at my employer’s expense) at one of the old, classy hotels. It was a great experience, and is actually the only thing I remember from that trip. If I had stayed in a modern hotel – no matter how nice – that trip would have probably completely slipped from my memory by now. It’s hard to beat the panache offered by these stately hotels. Great photographs here, as usual!
The lucky couple who likely rented this car & hotel venue combination did it right. Neither are over the top, but instead have that classic uniqueness that makes things memorable. While I’m not a big Tri-Five fan, there’s something about this particular car (maybe it’s the root-beer color two-tone) that I find greatly appealing. I’d prefer this as a wedding car, to something more grandiose like a Rolls-Royce.
And speaking of this car, I’m pretty sure this is it: Looks like it’s available as a chauffeured rental in the Chicago area through a classic car rental service. Looks good in wedding decorations too:
Eric, thank you for doing that bit of research! I’m also sure this is the same car.
I love these grand, old hotels. For years and on business travel to Des Moines and Omaha, I had made it a point to stay in some of the older, beautifully renovated properties. The Hotel Fort Des Moines downtown took my breath away the first time I stayed there in 2012, and that was before being acquired and renovated by a major hotel chain.
I switched only to places like Embassy Suites only because they offer a free breakfast, which is no joke when you have to start your day early.
I’m also with you in that I would vastly prefer a vintage classic than something expensive – or even an originally expensive classic.
I owned my ’56 150 2 door sedan for 20 years. The STUPIDI$T car move I ever made was to sell her in 1990! That ol ’56 took me to ACCD almost every day for 8 semesters, and then became the tow vehicle for all our possisions when I graduated from Art Center College of Design and moved back to Wisconsin for my first job as an Industrial Designer in Spring 1974. That old girl with the ’66 275 hp, 327 I put in her never let me down! SIGH…:) DFO
She’s (present tense) a beautiful, ol’ gal and this is a great picture of her. Cars that both are reliable and play some significant part in our life stories are well to remember with fondness!
Caveat Emptor.
It seems to be the week for Brady Bunch car references 🙂
Oh, snap! And there have been “Brady Bunch” reruns on Saturdays on Antenna TV! I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen this particular rerun for probably ten years or so.
That is a grand hotel. Every time I walk past it, I feel like something important is happening there. That’s just the kind of feeling and excitement that these beautiful old hotels convey. To me at least.
I think you’re spot-on about how the decoration of the Chevy and the Palmer are equivalent and are simply things that our modern world will never recreate. For better or worse, that’s just how it is.
Lovely color on the Chevy. I don’t know that I’ve seen that brown before.
Thanks, Jeff. Come to think of it, there was some kind of Little Bo Peep convention there last month when my friends and I had sucked in. I kid you not – so many people were dressed literally like LBP. 🐑🐏. There were no live sheep in the lobby, thank goodness. But even so and cleanliness aside, that might have been cool.
“some kind of” Little Bo Peep convention…which implies that there’s more than one kind. 🙂 🙂
I can only imagine. (Actually, I suspect that this was what you observed – https://thegreatlace.com/ – although I have to say that after reading the website, I continue to have no idea what that is, although they do have an acronym.)
The Great Lace! Yes! That was exactly the thing. And it was a whole thing. No judgement here, but I hope others can understand why I thought it was a Little Bo Peep convention.
Whenever traveling cross country through Chicago on Amtrak, we scheduled an overnight. We would arrive at mid-afternoon and depart next evening. Invariably our hotel was the Palmer House. It is a longish walking distance from Union Station so we could avoid the testy Chicago cabbies who would be pissed if they did not get a fare to O’Hare (one actually refused us). There are many newer hotels and less expensive ones on the way but save one visit when it was booked up, it was always the Palmer House.
We had our favorites for dinner, too: Miller’s Pub around the corner, or the Berghoff a few blocks away. We went to both, often.
I cannot say the same about the 1956 Chevrolet. Between our family and relatives, I rode in three 1957s. But never a 1956. I always have preferred the 1956 styling among all the Tri-Fives, though.
I love this. It is a little bit of a walk from Union Station to the Palmer House, but totally doable. I’m also a huge fan of Miller’s and the Berghoff, the latter of which has one of my favorite bratwurst plates in this city.
I like that you have a preference for the ’56, the “middle child” of the Tri-Fives, so to speak.
Spent a few days in Chicago about 6 yrs ago, staying in a townhouse B&B in a bohemian but gentrifying neighborhood (forget the name, but near some neat pubs) and while there we took the river tour specializing in the city’s architecture, a great experience that gave us a real feel for it. Really like it much better than NYC where daughter lived for 5 years, a very different feel, both from the residents and the city-scape. I really liked the mid-Western flavor and the people, and as big cities go, a very nice place to live I’d imagine for those choosing that kind of milieu.
As far as the architecture of automobiles goes, it doesn’t get better than a Tri-Five Chevy. If the US makers had stuck to that formula of sensible size, durability, and functionality they’d have been far better off than enlarging to the swollen dinosaurs they became, much as I love them.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip to Chicago. I like NY a lot, but Chicago is my dream city for many of the reasons you cited, and so many more.
It seems like vehicles are getting taller and boxier in the idiom of the Tri-Fives, so it looks like things are going back in that direction.
The ’56 Chevy has the All-Time piece of curb appeal; the gas cap behind the tail light. How many times have I been tempted to grab that little chrome handle and see how it works? Then I went to a classic car show about ten years ago, and some over-eager kid had done exactly that… and the piece came off in his hand. The owner was apoplectic, naturally. I believe, in legal terms, that is what is known as an “attractive nuisance”.
Walter, I can’t even imagine. Actually, I would feel bad for both the owner and the kid. I wonder if what happened had put a damper on that kid’s car enthusiasm amd for how long afterward. I hope everyone got over it. If I was the owner, I probably would have stewed and stewed for at least a couple of days. Or maybe not, depending on what my finances looked like.
It’s certainly a lovely-looking building, Joseph. So many lovingly-crafted details. You can tell that the builders cared. Staying at a place like this, you really appreciate the beauty, especially if you have time for a wander around. You are left with the sense you can see where your money is going; you feel an affirmation that you have made the right choice.
When my wife has gone to speak at nursing conferences, often attendees are booked into what’s regarded as a ‘top’ hotel – and sometimes I just have to wonder. Much modern architecture seems so plain that the visitor is left wondering whether they’re being played for a sucker financially; there seems to be little that’s ‘premium’ about the experience except the bill. On the other hand, when you do experience first-class service in first-class surroundings, you appreciate it all the more. You can tell the real thing from the pretentious fake.
The Chevy looks so nice it’s hard to imagine this was just an average cheap family car in its day. Well maybe not exactly cheap, but as with older architecture, you could see where your money was going; you could see what your money was buying over a Two-ten or (shudder) One Fifty. That’s something often lacking in cars today; they may have more toys and electro-nannies inside for the owner to see, but little to tip off the spectator as to the car’s position in the range.
You nailed it. The whole idea of premium U.S. brands having to pivot from being ostentatious and somewhat obvious, which had been their respective calling cards for years, to offering more tastefully restrained designs inspired by Europe or Asia, which are also loaded with tech, makes it a whole lot harder at first glance to tell what’s supposed to be a luxury car in 2026.
Although I stayed at the Palmer House a few times during my career at UCLA, it was always a quick professional visit, too busy to deeply explore or appreciate the hotel. However, my first major experience with the Palmer House and downtown Chicago as a 15-year old was memorable.
Growing up in northeastern Indiana, our small school conducted one-day field trips and Chicago, thanks to the Indiana Toll Road, was one destination. The Museum of Science and Industry and the Aquarium were favorite visits.
In the winter of 1965 our high school band went to Chicago to see Oliver! (on national tour) at the majestic Schubert Theater. A memorable trip because I was 15, it was my first big theater experience, and downtown Chicago was exciting. It was freezing cold (February IIRC) so the nearby Palmer House’s enclosed and beautiful shopping arcade (does it still exist?) was a natural stop on our brief walk around the area. Our seats at the Schubert were impossibly low budget (my view partially blocked by a column) but I’ve never forgotten the fun and excitement of seeing my first big theater experience.
And as a longtime docent at a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Los Angeles (Hollyhock House, one of eight Wright properties with UNESCO inscription as World Heritage sites) I am constantly reminded of just one aspect of Chicago’s diverse cultural capital (theater is another – Steppenwolf has produced so much talent!). l’ve returned to explore Robie House, the Oak Park sites, and sample the other stunning architecture but need to take another look at Palmer House.
My great aunt bought one of the new 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air four-door sedans in two-tone white and Dusk Plum. These cars were very popular when I was growing up; I remember seeing far more of the 1956 models than the 55s. The full width grille and extra chrome hit the right notes with middle class buyers.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
You’ve inspired me to get out to see some of these other sites, including the FLW homes out in Oak Park. That has always been in the background of my mind to go and do on one of my periodic expeditions around Chicagoland, but for whatever reason and decades into my living here, it hasn’t happened yet.
Reading your comment made me just think about what a magical time and place Chicago must (also) have been back in the ’60s. I’m still searching for a(nother) photo book that captures the Loop in all of its glory from that time period.
When I was a little kid, my mother had a friend who owned one of these in this very color combo. I didn’t know it was a 56 Chevy at the time, but I recognized it from having seen others that were still driving around.
My mother also talked of accompanying her aunt to Chicago and staying at the Palmer House. This probably would have been in the early to mid 50s.
It’s funny how things in our visual memory banks can sometimes later be recognized years later as the things they actually are. I wonder sometimes if things I have had a positive reaction to with no obvious prior experience might have been things I had experienced or observed on some level before I was old enough to process everything.
Great catch, Joe. The ’56 was always my favorite among the Tri-Fives.
I too “rediscovered” my town when a childhood friend came to visit last year. He’s a museum freak; I forgot how wonderous our Houston museums are. We also hit up an outlier in Port Arthur, Texas, where we visited the Museum of the Gulf Coast. It was pretty fascinating and I never realized the wealth of modern culture that sprang from that area.
Gotta get to Chi-town!
Dave, Chicago waits for you and by the same token, I’ve been curious about Houston and visiting there since learning that your fair metropolis is set to overtake Chicago as the thirdmost-populated U.S. city in the not-too-distant future.
It can sometimes take others to open our eyes to what’s right in front of us! It sounds like you had a recent experience similar to mine.
As far as the Tri-Fives, I honestly can’t pick a favorite. I like the bold, rectangular, Ferrari-inspires grille of the ’55, the popular “rightness” of the ’57, and the stylish tweaks of the ’56.
Way late to the party Joe, as I’ve been way too busy at work to check in. I’m so far behind in my CC reading. I should’ve known, however, to ALWAYS check in on Tuesdays for a Joseph Dennis Post!
Anyway, beautiful old building there… we have a few gems in Baltimore like that. I’ll have to get up to Chicago sometime.
As to the ’56 Chevy, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in that color combination. It looks really nice.
I’m always fascinated by how you are able to produce the production stats in your posts. I think you cited an encyclopedia that you have.
Anyway, I had no idea that my Dad’s first car was one of the most produced versions of this car. His is pictured below. It kind of makes sense though, as sedans are more practical than coupes, and a bell curve would suggest that the middle model would be the most popular.
I don’t remember this car, but I was brought home from the hospital in it; my first car ride ever. ;o)
Rick, it has been busy at work for me, too! My theory is that people have settled / leaned back into work after having been away for spring break, and this is just the wave of many workers playing catch-up. It is what it is.
My Encyclopedia Of American Cars from the editors of Consumer Guide (mine is a 2003 edition) is the source of many of my production stats. It’s great reading by itself, but for the nitty gritty, that book never fails.
Thanks for attaching that picture of your parents’ ’56. Others’ firsthand experience with cars like the subject vehicles is always super cool and adds some context.
Here’s hoping work lets up a little for both of us next week. LOL
A lovely car well paired with The Palmer House Hotel .
Ad followed by good commentary and great replies .
For some reason the ’55 Chevy has always been my favorite .
-Nate
Thanks, Nate. The ’55 was the original of this design cycle, and for that reason, I’m sure it had left the strongest impact of the Tri-Five years for some.
My wife and I stayed in the Palmer House over this Easter weekend. It’s my favorite Loop hotel. This time I sprang for an upgrade that put us on the top floor with a private elevator. Ahhh!
Amazing! The private elevator puts it over the top. I’d be curious to see a list of celebrities and dignitaries who have stayed there over the last century.
I pass this grand hotel on the way to work and back to the train literally four days a week. I often find myself casually glancing at its external details and sheer size.
I have a couple of Tri-Five stories:
My mother bought a new 1955 Chevy 210 Delray club coupe 6-cylinder (which explains my avatar) about a year after my dad’s untimely death from leukemia. She said she couldn’t adequately manipulate the clutch pedal on the ’53 Chevy my dad had purchased, but the ’55 had better ergonomics in that regard. (No, she didn’t spend extra for Powerglide!)
It was resplendent in India Ivory (roof only) over Skyline Blue. The interior was all-vinyl, with a neat waffle pattern upholstery in matching light blue and white. She kept it until 1961, at which point she sold it to my uncle, who ultimately passed it down to his son, my cousin. The last time I recall seeing it was in 1964,when I was in the 6th grade. It was a wonderful car, and I feel lucky to have experienced it.
The second was a striking 1956 Bel Air sedan like the one you posted, except it was red and white. It was owned by an older couple in our subdivision when we first moved into our house in Charlottesville in 1992. As I recall, they didn’t drive it at the time, but it was kept in great condition in their garage and brought out occasionally for washing. My understanding is it was the first car they purchased as a married couple. It was sold later in the 90s to a much younger person.
Thank you for this. I have really enjoyed reading of others’ firsthand experience with Tri-Fives, and I also like knowing the backstory behind your avatar. I’d also like to think that your Charlottesville neighbor’s former ’56 was well taken care of by the purchaser.
Also, a nine-year-plus run of extended family ownership for your mom’s original ’55 seems like an extraordinary length of time for a car of this era. Very cool.
There was a lady in our church that had a 1956 Bel Air in the same color combination as the one in the picture. She was a single woman who still lived at home to care for her elderly parents. She had purchased the Bel Air brand new in 1956 and it had just about every conceivable option on it except whitewall tires and wire rims. Instead, she opted for the standard blkackwall tire with the Bel Air deluxe hubcaps. Inspiringly enough, the car was equipped with factory air conditioning which in itself was a rare option found on a car in the price point of the Bel Air. She had the car serviced regularly at the dealership where she originally purchased it. The salesman that sold her the car originally was also a member of our church. When this woman decided it was time to trade in the Bel Air, she went back to this same Chevrolet dealership and purchased a new Chevrolet Impala from the same salesman who sold her the ’56 originally. (Long story, but the salesman that sold her both cars had the distinction of working for the same dealership for 50 years during his employment. General Motors honored this gentleman when he retired as he had the distinction of being the longest contiously employed salesman with one dealer for the entire 50 years of his career. This man had sold literally hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles at this dealership. Anyway, I digress here – this is a store for another time!) I don’t know how many miles the 56 had when she traded it, but I would venture to say that it probably was no more than 50,000-60,000 miles if that much. I can attest to the excellent care she took of the vehicle as I had the opportunity to ride with her one Saturday morning to a meeting that we both attended. She came our house and picked me up and off we went! I just remember that the Bel Air had tinted glass, power windows, factory air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes, along with the famous Chevy 265 Super Turbo Fire engine, and of course the ubiquitous 2-speed Power Glide Automatic Transmission. And it was immaculate! That was quite a treat to be able to ride in that car.She sold the Bel Air to one of the mechanics at the dealership where she took it for service. The Impala she bought to replace the Bel Air was her last car before was unable to drive anymore. Talk terrific memories = something that this 18 year old guy (at the time) would never forget!