CHEVROLET EL MOROCCO CONVERTIBLE - THE RAREST OF THE 1957 CHEVYS

CHEVROLET EL MOROCCO CONVERTIBLE – THE RAREST OF THE 1957 CHEVYS

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The El Morocco is the rarest 1957 Chevy, known as the “Poor Man’s Cadillac.” It was a customized full-size car created by Ruben Allender, based on the 1956 and 1957 Chevrolet models. This car is special because it was the first time GM let an outsider design a custom Chevy. The result is a car that’s both beautiful and powerful.

Allender wasn’t a typical car builder. Instead, he was a customizer. The 1956-1957 El Moroccos were regular Tri-Five Chevrolets with standard engines and interiors. But the bodies were styled to look like the 1955-1957 Cadillac Eldorado models—Biarritz, Seville, and Brougham.

In late 1955, Allender realized there was a market for a cheaper version of the Cadillac Eldorado convertible, a car that many dreamed of owning. Seeing the trend of customizing cars, he decided to do the same, but instead of making one, he’d build multiple cars for customers who placed orders.

It was a smart idea, and surprisingly, General Motors helped him a bit. The 1956 Chevrolet had a design closer to a Cadillac than the 1955 model he originally planned to use.

In the fall of 1957, Allender asked Thompson, a skilled tool and die maker who had worked with him since 1955, to design a new El Morocco kit. This kit was for the 1957 Chevrolet, which looked like the newly introduced 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham.

For the 1956 models, Allender used Bel-Air cars as the base. But for the 1957 models, the two- and four-door hardtops were made using the more affordable Chevrolet Two-Ten. The convertible, however, still used the Bel-Air.

All the cars had the same features: a 283 engine with 220 horsepower, Powerglide transmission, power steering and brakes, a push-button radio, and wide whitewall tires. They were sold at Chevy dealerships and came with a full factory warranty, which was very unusual for modified cars.

Out of the 30 El Moroccos made, only a few exist today. These include one 1956 convertible and six 1957 models: two 4-door sedans, two 2-door sedans, and two convertibles.

All El Moroccos were repainted in 1957 Cadillac colors. This particular car was originally black with a black top. It has been fully restored and scored 994 points at the Chevy Nationals. It still has its original engine, transmission, and rear end, along with many original parts.

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