The full-sized Chevy Bel Air received all-new styling and new V-8 power for 1955. It was 15 feet long, and lower than most other vehicles on the road, with a sleek Sweep Sight wrap-around windshield. The wheelbase remained unchanged at 115 inches, and the overall design was tasteful and balanced for the day. Called the 'Hot One' in GM's advertising campaign, Chevrolet's styling was trendy and crisp, with an egg-crate grille, hooded headlamps, chrome spears on the front fenders, stainless steel window moldings, and full wheel covers. New features for 1955 included the 12-volt electrical system, improved brakes, and the Glide Ride suspension system. A new two-door wagon was added to the body style list, called the Bel Air Nomad, with a unique hardtop roofline.

Motor Trend magazine gave the Bel Air top marks for ride and handling, and Popular Mechanics reported acceleration for the V-8 Bel Air as being 0-60 MPH in 12.9 seconds, a tremendous accomplishment for a 3,300 lb. car.

1955 Bel Air body styles included a two-door, six-passenger sedan priced at $1,670, a four-door sedan at $1,930, a two-door hardtop at $2,065, a convertible at $2,200, and a six-passenger station wagon at $2,260. The two-door, six-passenger Nomad listed at $2,470. The addition of the eight-cylinder engine boosted the factory base price by approximately $100. The most popular body style on the Bel Air line was the sedan with 345,372 examples produced. The second most popular 1955 Chevrolet body style was the Two-Ten sedan which had 317,724 examples built.

Chevrolet produced 168,313 examples of the two-door Bel Air sedan and 185,562 of the Bel Air hardtop. A total of 41,292 examples were Bel Air convertibles, 24,313 were station wagons, and 6,103 were Nomad Wagons.