Chevrolet 150

Chevrolet 150
1955 Chevrolet One-Fifty 4-Door Sedan
Overview
Manufacturer	Chevrolet (General Motors)
Production	1953–1957
Assembly	Oakland Assembly, Oakland, California North Tarrytown Assembly, Tarrytown, New York Flint Assembly, Flint, Michigan Norwood Assembly, Norwood, Ohio St. Louis Assembly, St. Louis, Missouri Arlington Assembly, Arlington, Texas Oshawa Assembly, Oshawa, Ontario Canada
Body and chassis
Layout	FR
Platform	A-body
Chronology
Predecessor	Chevrolet Special
Successor	Chevrolet Delray

The Chevrolet One-Fifty, or 150 was the economy/fleet model of the Chevrolet car from 1953 to 1957. It took its name by shortening the production series number (1500) by one digit in order to capitalize on the numerical auto name trend of the 1950s. The numerical designation "150" was also sporadically used in company literature. It replaced the Styleline Special model available in previous years. This model was dropped following the 1957 model year and replaced by the Delray.

The One-Fifty was mainly conceived as a fleet model and little effort was spent marketing it to the average car buyer of the day, although sales weren't limited to fleets. It was most popular with police, state governments, small businesses, economy-minded consumers and hot rodders. Chevrolet sold substantially fewer One-Fifties than Two-Tens or the Chevrolet Bel Air in every year of its life.

True to Chevrolet's vision, the 150 was no-frills basic transportation. It had limited options, stark trim, solid colors, plain heavy duty upholstery and rubberized flooring. Small things like ashtrays, cigarette lighters and even mirrors were extra cost options. Compared to the mid-level Two-Ten or premium Bel Air models, the One-Fifty was stark and bland. However, the model became a little more stylish in the last years of existence with previous year's Bel Air stainless steel side trim and an improved interior, due to more standard equipment being included in all Chevrolets.

Body style choices were also limited to sedans, Handyman wagons (four-door in 1953–1954, two-door in 1955–1957) and (until 1955) the club coupe. The only body styles specific to the One-Fifty were decidedly fleet oriented — the sedan delivery (a 2-door wagon without rear windows and the rear seat removed) and the business sedan — a 2-door sedan with immobile rear windows and back seat removed. Powertrain choices were limited to manual transmissions and low output engines until 1954. In 1957, a full race-ready version was also available, commonly known as the "Black Widow" for its black-and-white paint color. It was equipped with 4-wheel heavy-duty brakes, 6-lug wheels and dual shock absorbers.

In general, One-Fifties are less valuable than the sibling Two-Ten and Bel Air models on the collectors' market, but the rare surviving sedan delivery or Utility Sedan can command premium prices, particularly the 1957 model when equipped with a fuel-injected engine. V8 One-Fifties are popular with hot rod enthusiasts, due to lower curb weight and lower prices. As many One-Fifty models saw use in law enforcement, this model often serves as the basis for latter-day modification into a 1950s-era police car.