GM's small-block V8 debuted in the 1955 Bel Air, an engine still in production decades later in wildly different displacements.
Median 83 hp across 123 similar cars
Lead trim: Biscayne 235.5 Blue Flame I6 · up to 250 hp
Chevrolet BiscayneBISCAYNE-1958 · 1958–1958
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Chevrolet Biscayne yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactGM's small-block V8 debuted in the 1955 Bel Air, an engine still in production decades later in wildly different displacements.
At its introduction for 1958 the Biscayne was a two- or four-door pillared sedan (in 1958 there was also the even lower-priced Chevrolet Delray, discontinued for 1959, including a 2-door Delray Utility Sedan). The Chevrolet Biscayne was a series of full-size cars produced by Chevrolet (General Motors) between 1958 and 1975 (model years 1958–1972 in the US, 1958–1975 in Canada), named after a show car displayed at the 1955 GM Motorama (the Biscayne XP-37) and after Biscayne Bay near Miami, and the least expensive model in the full-size range (except the 1958-only Delray), a step below the Bel Air, Impala and Caprice; it was produced primarily for the fleet market, though also for buyers wanting low-cost, no-frills transportation with the room and power of a full-size car. Most were sold with a six-cylinder engine through the late 1960s and the V8 was more popular by the early 1970s (76,800 V8 against 16,700 six-cylinder cars in 1970–72). The exterior lacked most chrome trim (two taillights per side except in 1959 and 1972, against three on the Impala) and the interior trim was spartan, yet customers could order any of Chevrolet's high-output big-block V8s and performance transmissions including a floor four-speed with Hurst shifter and low-ratio final drive; few were built and they are highly sought after, and Baldwin Chevrolet of Long Island became famous for the 1968 "Street Racer Special" Biscayne coupe with a dealer-fitted 427 and heavy-duty suspension, the high-performance Biscayne being nicknamed "Bisquick" by enthusiasts (a nickname tagged "citation needed"). Wheelbase 117.5 in (2,984 mm), length 209.1 in, width 77.7 in; engines: 235.5 cu in (3.9 L) Blue Flame I6, 283 cu in (4.6 L) V8 and 348 cu in V8, with a 3/4-speed manual, 2-speed Powerglide or 3-speed Turboglide. The page gives no power figures for this generation.
Collectors Spotted in the Chevrolet Biscayne Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Chevrolet Biscayne yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biscayne 235.5 Blue Flame I6 | 1958–1958 | 3.9 L Inline-6 | 145 hp | 215 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Biscayne 283 V8 | 1958–1958 | 4.6 L V8 | 185 hp | 275 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Biscayne 348 V8 | 1958–1958 | 5.7 L V8 | 250 hp | 355 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Chevrolet quietly dropped the Biscayne from US showrooms after 1972, selling it only to fleet buyers — but the nameplate kept going strong in Canada all the way through 1975.
Chevrolet built the Biscayne as its cheapest, most stripped full-size model — which didn’t stop a Long Island dealer from turning a 1968 coupe into a 427-powered drag racer.
Chevy's cheapest full-size car hid a secret weapon: a handful of 1961 Biscaynes got the brand-new, 142-built 409 V8 — dropped into the bargain-basement trim purely to go drag racing.
Chevy sold a Biscayne with no back seat at all in 1959 — a two-door 'Utility Sedan' built as a disguised delivery van for fleet buyers, not families.
GM's small-block V8 debuted in the 1955 Bel Air, an engine still in production decades later in wildly different displacements.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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