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1957 Chevy 210 ‘El Capitola’ Named 2024 Best Of Show – Concours De Sport In Greenwich

While the 1931 Cadillac 452A was chosen as the overall 2024 Best of Show at the 28th annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance earlier this month in Connecticut, the three-day event also crowned another Best of Show automobile, a stunning 1957 Chevy 210 nicknamed ‘El Capitola’.

Presented by Hagerty, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance attracted a record 12,000 attendees during its 2024 edition, featuring more than 120 vehicles on Saturday, June 1st, and another 120 vehicles on Sunday, June 2nd. On that Saturday, the Chevy 210 featured here took the crown as the 2024 Best of Show – Concours de Sport contest.

Rear three-quarters view of the 1957 Chevy 210 'El Capitola'.

This 1957 Chevy 210 is owned by Tim McMann. El Capitola was designed and built by Sam Barris in 1957 and 1958 after being commissioned by Don Fletcher, while the interior, the paint job and the glass were provided by Barris Kustom City in 1958. The final result is quite an evolution of the Chevy 210’s original design, though the car remains recognizable as a Tri-Five.

To create El Capitola, the 210’s body was chopped three inches up front and five inches at the rear. The door posts were removed, the side glass was butt-fitted and the body was shaved to rid of the door handles. The nose was reskinned with new chrome bumpers and the single-beam headlamps were replaced with twin stacked units. The rear wheels were covered while striking tail fins were added, incorporating detailed taillamps. Gleaming chrome covers said fins and the rear bumpers, below which we can observe four chromed and ribbed center-mounted exhaust tips. The body finished in a tasteful mix of white and fuchsia paint.

According to the owner, this 1957 Chevy 210 is clad with parts lifted from Chevy, Pontiac and Oldsmobile models, but also Studebaker, Lincoln and DeSoto. An extra 630 pounds of bodywork was added during the creation of El Capitola. The interior features four swiveling bucket seats and a television, while no changes were made since the cabin was crafted in 1958 by Eddie Martinez.

Under the hood, the 1957 Chevy 210 cradles a chromed-up 265 cubic-inch V8 engine, managed by a column-shift three-speed transmission.

El Capitola was named Best of Show – Concours de Sport by a panel of 50 judges, including a group of 24 youth judges that focused on design, style and elegance.

“Every year, the Tri-State area reaffirms its passion and dedication for celebrating automotive history at the Greenwich Concours,” Hagerty CEO said McKeel Hagerty “The custom, Barris-designed 1957 Chevrolet 210 and elegant 1931 Cadillac 452A celebrate not only the quality of cars in the region, but the diversity of cars as well. We are tremendously grateful for the support of our partners, sponsors, volunteers, judges and attendees who made this year’s event a success.”

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Mike is a seasoned automotive journalist that loves both old-school muscle cars and environmentally friendly EVs.

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Comments

  1. i can admire the craftmanship on this project, especially the era in which it was built, but i think i would have walked right by this and not even given it a second look.

    Reply
    1. I agree. Not my cup of tea either.

      Reply
  2. Not sure how I feel about this car – I love the craftsmanship, but the aesthetics leaves me confused

    Reply
  3. Love this old custom! But I would have liked to have seen pictures of that 1931 Cadillac that was mentioned as well.

    Reply
  4. Reply
    1. It was built before ‘ 57 Chevys became classics. Yes, it would be criminal to do this to a ‘57 Chevy today, or most 1957 cars for that matter.

      Reply
  5. It’s a Kustom and was a big thing back then. Wild kustoms were the talk of the day back in the ’50s and shops that specialized in reconfiguring cars to the owner’s personality were busy, as they are today. People still do wild kustoms nowadays, but the trend is more geared toward subtle customizing than extremely wild. My dad did kustom striping, louvers, and paint on many back in the 50s and 60s. I striped many during my 45 years in the pinstriping business. They were kool rides but often way over the top.

    Reply

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