Bruce Springsteen fans looking for the ultimate Christmas gift are in luck: The Boss’ 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible is up for grabs.
The door is open, but the ride, it ain’t free. The car — famed for being the inspiration for as well as the very place where he wrote his signature songs “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road” and “Backstreets” — is up for auction courtesy of BlindedByTheLight.com. The current bid for the automobile is set at just over $50,000 — which is $48,000 more than the Freehold native originally paid.
The organization — founded by fan and Springsteen historian Michael Crane — is also tossing in the original vehicle registration, temporary insurance card and Allstate insurance card issued in Springsteen’s name and address.
“In ’70s New Jersey, the car was still a powerful image,” Springsteen wrote of the vehicle. “That summer I bought my first set of wheels for $2,000. It was a ‘57 Chevy with dual, four-barrel carbs, a Hurst on the floor and orange flames spread across the hood.”
From October 2008 to January 2010, the Chevy was featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in New York City. It was then moved to the main Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, where it became part of the largest Bruce Springsteen exhibit ever.
The electrical and mechanical systems have been overhauled and body and frame are untouched.
Also included in the sale: a color book compiled by Crane called Out in the Street: Bruce Springsteen’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible. The book documents ownership, history of the vehicle, the appraisal and rare photographs.
The auction is currently live on eBay.