This 1955 Chevy Biscayne Concept Was Dismembered, Dumped, Then Made Whole Again

It's not unusual for an automaker to order the destruction of a concept car or prototype once it has served its purpose. For many concepts, that purpose is to pose sweetly at numerous shows, gauge public opinion on design and mechanical innovations, and then retire quietly. Such was the supposed fate for the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne concept, and in 1956, once it had served this purpose, General Motors dropped it off at Warhoop's junkyard in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and ordered its destruction. The bright, bold concept — designed to showcase GM's then-new 265-cubic-inch V8 — was cut into eight pieces and forgotten ... by, seemingly, all but one man.

That man is Joe Bortz, a former restaurant and nightclub owner from Chicago. See, Bortz has a fascination with old GM concept cars, and has been collecting and restoring them since the 1980s. He caught wind of a few such cars hiding away in Warhoop's junkyard, went there, and struck gold, finding and buying not only the dismembered Biscayne Concept, but also a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car concept and two 1955 Buick LaSalle concept cars.

No matter how determined Bortz was, restoring a one-off car that had been chopped into pieces and left for decades is no walk in the park, so the remains simply sat in his care for a while. That was until some of his trusted restorers let Bortz know they had the confidence to take the project on.

In most regular cases, restoring a car involves buying a number of books and manuals, trawling through old forums for advice, and picking the brains of others who have been through the same challenge. Bortz faced a unique challenge, though, as just one Biscayne concept exists, so there's no book or guide to refer to. What's more, his dismembered Chevy had no chassis, and many trim pieces were missing. In an effort to complete the picture, Bortz reached out to GM, which actually had kept documents referring to the Biscayne's design, despite having ordered the model's demise some decades prior.

Kerry Hopperstad of Hopperstad Customs was given the task of building the chassis using those original GM blueprints, while Fran Roxas played the part of restoration consultant, and Ruben Collazzo of Ruben's Upholstery Shop took control of the interior. Mel Francis squared the salvaged bodywork on Hopperstad's new frame, in addition to creating a mold for the missing windshield, and crafting many one-off trim pieces which had been lost to time.

In short, nothing was easy, and experts were drafted for all aspects of the incredible build, which wound up taking years. At least the power train was easy to source — a run-of-the-mill 265-cubic-inch GM V8, hooked up to a near-indestructible two-speed Powerglide transmission — although bizarrely its output was 215 horses, an output not shared by any other '55 265-powered model.

Once complete, Bortz displayed the revived Biscayne at the prestigious Amelia Island Concours D'Elegance, where it received much praise, including from Wayne Cherry, retired GM vice president of design. Cherry noted the Biscayne concept's vital influence in shaping a number of GM models that arrived in the following years.

When taking the Biscayne's design in as a whole, it might be tricky to see which models it influenced, but zoom in on the details, and it becomes clear. That rear-end design is oh-so-early Corvair, and those scalloped cutouts down the side scream early Corvette — both notable Chevy models, and both owing some small thanks to the Biscayne's bold design team.

The striking design might be tough to love for some, but there's no denying that it's eye-catching, especially in that green hue. And that was the whole point — to draw attention. Capturing the gaze of onlookers is surely no easy feat when surrounded by other wonderful creations, as this concept once was, under the bright lights of GM's Motorama new-vehicle shows. The Biscayne managed the feat perfectly, standing out as one of the great designs of the Harley Earl era. Heaving crowds would have been drawn in and given a chance to look over the Biscayne's real party piece — that 265-cubic-inch V8 — drumming up excitement for future production models that would also sport the new power plant.

Restoring this masterpiece of the '50s was no easy feat, but asked in 2011 by Motor Trend if it was all worth it, Bortz simply answered "Absolutely!" He added: "There's only one, there will never be another, and it was almost lost to history" — clearly outlining the importance of his, and his team's, work restoring this forgotten hallmark of '50s design to its original glory.