1955 Chevy Cowl Tag Information
by Rob WagnerThe 1955 Chevrolet cowl tag provides specific data about the automobile, including its model year, production number, as well as body and interior information. The cowl tag is a separate plate unrelated to the vehicle identification number, or VIN, usually found in the driver's side doorjamb. The 1955 model's cowl tag is a metal plate affixed to the firewall under the hood, on the passenger side.
Cowl Tag Identification
A cowl tag, also called a "trim tag" or "Fisher body tag," is a metal plate fastened to the firewall with two rivets. If the tag is missing, it is virtually impossible to identify the vehicle's original interior colors and body color, which are not identified on the VIN plate. If the owner must remove the plate for repairs or to install an aftermarket part, it's vital that the owner returns the plate to its original location, or as near as possible to the original location. Owners should consider that a missing or reattached cowl tag might affect the value of the car. Cowl tags are the same for 1942 to 1957 Chevys. The top of the tag states "Chevrolet Division General Motors Corp" followed by the statement "Correspondence pertaining to the body must bear these numbers." At the bottom of the tag is "Body by Fisher." Chevrolet and numerous online sources provide decoding data for Chevy cowl tags.
Style Number
The style number identifies the type of Chevrolet body. The first two digits should read "55" for the 1955 model year, followed by a hyphen and four digits. For example, "55-1211" identifies the vehicle as a 1955 Series 150 two-door sedan.
Body Number
The second line for the body number identifies the manufacturing location and production sequence. The first letter, for example "F," identifies the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan; "N" stands for Norwood, Ohio. A sequence of numbers follows, giving the production sequence of the vehicle.
Trim Number
The trim number provides information about the 1955 Chevy's interior. There were numerous interior color combinations produced: For example, the number "526" denotes the car was a convertible with a dark green/light green color combination of imitation leather; "607" stands for a convertible with medium blue/light blue color combination of imitation leather; a Nomad station wagon would feature "542" for a beige and blue leather interior.
Paint Number
A three-digit number next to "Paint No." identifies the body color of the 1955 Chevy. For example, "585" identifies the car as painted Onyx Black with matching wheels, while "630" denotes a Harvest Gold paint job with matching wheels belonging to a Sport Coupe. The number "610" identifies a convertible with the top portion of the body painted Glacier Blue and the lower body and wheels painted Skyline Blue.
Top/ACC
The last line of the plate features "Top" and "ACC." It provides data on options and accessories, such as "AC" for air conditioning, but this portion of the plate is often left blank.
References
Writer Bio
Rob Wagner is a journalist with over 35 years experience reporting and editing for newspapers and magazines. His experience ranges from legal affairs reporting to covering the Middle East. He served stints as a newspaper and magazine editor in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Wagner attended California State University, Los Angeles, and has a degree in journalism.
