1955 Chevrolet Aztec
Few show cars of the late 1950s attracted as much attention on the circuit as the Aztec, a 1955 Chevrolet convertible transformed almost beyond recognition by George Barris, his brother Sam, metalman Bill DeCarr, and owner Bill Carr.
The body incorporates quad headlights from a 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser set under hood scoops, a pancaked hood and decklid, Studebaker Hawk tail fins housing hand-formed Lucite tail lenses, and grille openings front and rear shaped from 1953 Studebaker pans.
Custom bumpers drew from 1957 DeSoto, 1957 Oldsmobile, and 1949 Chevrolet components.
Sam Barris chopped the windshield approximately 3.5 inches, and Carson Top Shop fabricated the two-piece lift-off top. Candy tangerine paint by George Barris and pinstriping by Dean Jeffries finished the exterior.
Under the hood sat a small-block Chevrolet V-8 (originally a 265 cubic inch unit), backed by an automatic transmission.
The Aztec debuted at the Portland Roadster Show in January 1958 and took the Custom Car d’Elegance at the National Roadster Show in Oakland the following month, going on to appear at the 1959 Detroit Autorama and across numerous magazine covers throughout its show career.
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