Chevrolet Bel Air Instrument Panel Bulb Size

Additional Notes

• The Chevrolet Bel Air instrument panel draws from six distinct ANSI-standard bulb types across its 1950-1975 model range: the 168, 194, 1445, 1895, 1896, 57, and 257.
• The 168 and 194 are both T10 miniature wedge bulbs operating at 12V, though they differ in wattage. The 168 draws 4.9W while the 194 draws 3.78W, making them physically similar but not electrically identical.
• The 1895 and 1896 are both T5 miniature wedge bulbs rated at 12V and 0.9W, sharing the same physical form factor and electrical characteristics across their respective ANSI designations.
• The 57 and 1445 both use a BA9s bayonet base, though they differ in wattage. The 57 is rated at 1W while the 1445 draws 2W. The BA9s base is a small single-pin bayonet fitting common in instrument panel applications.
• The 257 is specified for the Chevrolet Bel Air from 1958-1962 and accommodates either a festoon or BA9s base configuration, indicating that the physical mounting arrangement for those model years allowed for more than one base type.
• The 1896 bulb is specified for the 1950-1954 model years, while the physically and electrically identical 1895 covers 1964-1966 and 1969. Despite sharing the same T5 form and 0.9W rating, these carry separate ANSI designations and are not listed interchangeably in the specifications.
• The 1973 Bel Air is the only model year specified with the 1445 bulb, which at 2W and a BA9s base stands apart from the T10 wedge types used in surrounding years.
• T10 wedge bulbs, represented by the 168 and 194, account for the instrument panel fitment across the 1967-1972 and 1974-1975 model years, making them the most frequently recurring bulb format in the later portion of the Bel Air's production span covered by these specifications.