Classic Chevys Gather For The Smoky Mountain Tri-Five Reunion

By Tommy Lee Byrd

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May 21, 2026
Family reunions tend to be polarizing—you either love them or hate them. But when it comes to automotive families, there aren’t many groups tighter than =396&model_id=5916&model_id=10478&model_id=5927&mo del_id=5963&min_year=1955&max_year=1957&distance=5 0&per_page=30]Tri-Five Chevy enthusiasts. The three most popular years of Chevrolet production (1955, 1956 and 1957) stand tall as the quintessential classic American car at car shows all over the country, but there are a few occasions each year where these cars gather in great numbers. A favorite among Tri-Five enthusiasts is the Smoky Mountain Tri-Five Chevy Reunion, an event that’s been going on for decades in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Although the event has moved venues a few times in years past, the 2026 show took place at a familiar venue for some of the long-time attendees. The Music Road Resort once again offered its parking lots as an excellent space for the event, as well as great lodging and lots of fun for the kids. The event sold out of swap meet spaces and met its capacity for show cars, packing the parking lots with a wide variety of 1955, 1956 and 1957 Chevy cars and trucks, but there are plans in place to secure more space for next year.

We spotted a few survivors with all-original parts, many restored examples and a great collection of custom builds. Among the crowd were several gassers, including tributes to the famous Two-Lane Blacktop 1955 Chevy and the “Badman” 1955 Chevy from the Monogram 1:24 scale model kit. Other standouts included show-winning custom builds, including Joe and Josh Bailey’s immaculate 1956 Chevy 210 Sport Coupe, which houses a beautifully detailed big-block Chevy power plant. We also noticed some creative four-door sedans and station wagons, giving credence to these lesser-appreciated classics. Take a look at some of the Chevys that jumped out at us during our time at the 2026 edition of the Smoky Mountain Tri-Five Chevy Reunion.
Matt Cline came down from Indianapolis, Indiana, with his killer 1957 Chevy 150 two-door sedan. It sits low over a set of wide whitewall tires and chrome reverse wheels, and features a slick paint job, accompanied by a 1955 Chevy Del Ray interior.
The black paint is a mile deep on this 1955 Bel Air convertible, owned by James Morris of Attica, Michigan. The car has some cool vintage touches, including a louvered hood, which covers a 348 cu.in. W motor with Tri-Power induction. Although it isn’t an original color, the Candy Brandywine paint on Paul Meek’s 1956 Bel Air grabbed our attention, in addition to the beautiful roof line of the Sport Sedan body style. The family-friendly four-door came all the way from Austin, Texas, to participate in the Smoky Mountain Tri-Five Chevy Reunion.The Abbott family lives within a half-hour from Pigeon Forge and has a few cool 1955 Chevys in their family collection. The rowdiest of the bunch is Scott Abbott’s “Two Timer,” a ‘70s style drag car, which sports fiberglass body panels, radiused wheel openings and a stout small block. Paul Wells came down from Kentucky with his ultra-slick 1955 Bel Air hardtop, which features a host of modern components, including dual EFI throttle bodies in place of carburetors, big disc brakes and beautiful Schott wheels. He parked next to his hot rod mentor David Grigsby in an equally cool Chevy.
With a 495-horsepower LS3 under the hood, and a long list of accompanying parts, this modernized 1956 Chevy Nomad is the ultimate street cruiser. David Clutter from Webster Springs, West Virginia, brought it out to display, and it has a cool look with 17-inch wheels, a lowered stance and Regal Turquoise and India Ivory paint. Shiny paint isn’t necessary on Steve Shell’s bad-to-the-bone gasser. The fiberglass front end flips forward to reveal an aluminum-headed big-block Chevy, backed by an M22 rock crusher four-speed and 4.56 gears. The iconic sheet metal scoop, American Racing 200S wheels and gray primer are major throwbacks to Two-Lane Blacktop.
An Art Morrison chassis is combined with big-block horsepower on this immaculate 1957 Chevy 150 two-door sedan. Larry and Lori Craft own the slick two-tone sedan, which sits low over a set of beautifully polished Billet Specialties wheels, with Wilwood brakes visible between the spokes.There is no shortage of horsepower under the hood of Donny Dalton’s two-tone 1955 Bel Air two-door sedan. The paint is showing some age, and it rolls on Radir style mag wheels, but don’t let the nostalgia flavor fool you—this old school shoebox is powered by a turbocharged big-block.