Thursday, February 12, 2015

So, what's a Biscayne? Where did Chevy get that name?




I thought the Biscayne was easily identified by the 2 taillight per side design... But maybe this has an Impala trunk lid.


According to Wikipedia, the name Biscayne isn't very common, and is some place in Belize  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Biscayne

And yes, I know there is a Biscayne Bay in Florida... but you see that they didn't call the car a ******** Bay? Or a ******** Beach? So, I see that they named the car one word, and that seems to be a Biscayne, same as the place in Belize. When you figure out what the hell a Camaro and a Chevelle are, then tell you can tell me all about the Biscayne Bay. Cool?

FWIW, several of you were helpful and told me about the Biscayne Bay in southern Florida, south of Miami. And Delray Beach, Florida, in Palm Beach County, is where they got the name for the Del Ray.

Well, Chevelle isn't even in Websters... and doesn't seem to have any other reference online except the car name... but it too sounds Spanish (seville - Chevelle)

Nothing shows us on Google Maps as a town or city named Chevelle. So maybe Chevrolet invented the word

The Biscayne and the Del Ray were the cheapest cars Chevy made... intended as taxi, fleet, or simply cheap transportation. Baldwin got ahold of some, and tossed in 427s and 4 speeds, and called them BisQuick

6 comments:

  1. I had always figured it was from Biscayne Bay,in Florida IIRC. Man, they were the poverty spec cars growing up Most had 6 bangers and powerglides... And the ones I remember were the nasty old GM gold. That color did not weather well.
    Jesse in DC

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  2. Named after Key Biscayne and Biscayne Bay just south of Miami Fla. The Biscayne was one step up from the Del Ray...

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    1. No, it wasn't one step up, it was a step down, according to Wikipedia "the Biscayne was the least expensive model in the Chevrolet full-size car range (except the 1958 only Chevrolet Delray)" unless you generalize 13 years of being less expensive, but one year more expensive, as one step up

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  3. Hah!
    It was 1958 that I was thinking of! Ah, well....

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    1. Good enough. I was generalizing due to the 12 to 1 ration of less to more expensive

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  4. I think it has a French meaning...like get a shovel and start scooping up the horse manure. Try it with a French accent. chevelle. Just kidding

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