Hydrogen-powered 1957 Chevy Bel Air sells for $100,000 at charity auction
CRC Industries' hydrogen ICE hot rod crossed the block at Scottsdale on 21 January, raising $100,000 for skilled trades scholarships. The 500 hp Bel Air uses a converted Gen 3 HEMI that emits only water vapour.
A cherry-red 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air running on hydrogen sold for $100,000 at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction on 21 January. CRC Industries, which commissioned the build, is donating the full hammer price to TechForce Foundation to fund scholarships for students entering automotive, industrial, and welding trades.
The car uses a 5.7-litre Gen 3 HEMI V8 converted to run on gaseous hydrogen by Mike Copeland of Arrington Performance, a Michigan-based engine builder with a background in GM powertrain engineering. Paired with an Edelbrock 2650 supercharger, the setup produces 500 hp and sounds like a traditional muscle car - the only tailpipe emission is water vapour.
Chevrolet retrofitted with hydrogen combustion engine classic car. © Barrett Jackson
Copeland has been developing hydrogen conversion kits for existing petrol engines since 2021, when he built a supercharged LS3-powered 1948 Chevy truck as a proof of concept. The technology uses 350-bar compressed hydrogen storage (roughly half the pressure of fuel cell vehicles) and requires modifications to fuel injection, valve materials, and camshaft timing to accommodate hydrogen's faster combustion speed.
The Bel Air build was assembled by street racing figures Jeff and Jeffrey Lutz of Lutz Race Cars alongside NHRA Top Fuel champion Clay Millican, who documented the project on social media. The car was unveiled at SEMA 2024 before touring through 2025.
Chevrolet retrofitted with hydrogen combustion engine classic car. © Barrett Jackson
This is the second vehicle CRC Industries has auctioned through its Build for the Future programme, following a 2006 Pontiac GTO sold in May 2025. A hydrogen-powered 1977 Chevrolet C10 Pro-Street truck debuted at SEMA 2025 and will tour this year before auction in 2027.
The $100,000 sale exceeded the programme's $80,000 threshold, meaning additional funds will go toward extra TechForce scholarships beyond the standard 10 awards (five for automotive trades, five for industrial or welding careers, with three reserved for women). Each recipient receives between $2,500 and $8,000 depending on total proceeds.
