After World War II, most of the big auto manufacturers opted to change the style of their cars. They elected sleeker lines with a lower sitting body. The exception to this rule was Chevrolet, who chose to keep their designs current until 1949.

This classic sled remained largely unchanged for the next several years. However, in 1955 a hero was born. This year brought the Bel Air a brand new body style, engine and everything else in between. The model years from ’55 to ’57 would go down as some of the most popular cars to restore and modify in history.

This is likely why Ron Pratte picked this ’56 Bel Air to begin with. Stunning lines already plague this classic Chevy, and the amount of work that Boyd’s garage performed on this “junkyard dog” up the ante even more.

Photo Credit: Barrett Jackson

Where do we start? Ah, yes. The big block 502…

When you install a $10,000+ big block into your car, you’re bound to turn some heads. By the way, the “plus sign” is in there because it costs that much just to have GM Performance Parts ship that big arse motor to your front door. Once you start polishing the components, BOOM! The price goes up even further.

Big block Chevy’s are known as powerhouses. However, this particular one produces one horsepower per cubic inch. Let me word it a little differently, that’s 502 horsepower. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the scant 565 pounds of ground thumping torque, don’t hurt either.

Photo Credit: Barrett Jackson

I guess now’s a good time to say buh bye to those ZR rated Goodyear’s on the back axle. Because there probably won’t be much left after the new owner gets ahold of the gas pedal.

Obviously, you need a strong transmission to get all of that power to those skimpy little rubbers out back. So, the Richmond 5 speed manual (yes, it’ll actually be fun to drive) and heavy duty clutch route all of that power to the Ford 9 inch rear end.

Of course, what good is driving at the speed of sound if you can’t stop? To help this beauty queen come to a halt, the best name in disc brake stopping power -Wilwood – has been used on all four corners.

The cabin has been tastefully done, without any of the gaudy eccentricities that you might have thought would be present. In fact, a lot of the original interior styling design has been kept intact.

Photo Credit: Barrett Jackson

Every inch down to the smallest detail has been touched in some way. The body is straight and classy, and the paint is flawless. This is the type of car you’d expect to see in Mr. Pratte’s collection.

How much will Ron Pratte’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air go for at auction? I’m sure we’ll all be glued to the tube this January as Barrett Jackson, Scottsdale gets underway. However, with the amount of money thrown into this ride, I’m sure it’ll fetch a pretty penny. Here is a list of other Ron Pratte cars going to be auctioned off as well.