The 1956 Chevrolet boasted both design and mechanical upgrades

The “Hot One” got even hotter. Overall styling was subtly revised with a sharper looking grille and more polished stainless trim decorating the sides of the car. The restyled grille and integrated parking lamps resulted in Cadillac-like good looks. The 262 cube Turbo-Fire V8 was rated at 170 hp (when equipped with the automatic transmission, 162 hp when equipped with a manual), and the optional 4-barrel Turbo-Fire V8 with dual exhausts was rated at 205 horsepower. Even the Blue Flame 232 cubic-inch six-cylinder was beefed up, now boasting 140 hp. The three familiar series– Bel Air, Two- Ten and One-Fifty, were now offered in 19 models. One was a new body style this year– the four-door hardtop. It was called the Sport Sedan and was advertised as “Embodying the youthfulness of a convertible, the practicality of a hardtop and the convenience of a sedan”. Customers at the time were demanding bigger, brighter cars with more power and performance, and they got it with the new ’56 Chevrolet. General Motors knew that if a car was to sell well it had to look new, even if it wasn’t entirely. Though 1956 was a transition year, the model did bring about a number of firsts.