Photo: Mecum
Regarded by some as being one of the classiest-looking generations of the Chevrolet Corvette ever made, the C1 came out in 1953.
It was a two-door roadster, with front-engine, and rear-wheel drive, offered with several V8s under the hood, and a straight-six. Transmission options included two manuals, with three and four speeds, and a two-speed automatic.
Having lost momentum by selling only 183 copies in the first year of production, it was slightly upgraded for 1954, with the bowtie brand giving it longer chromed exhaust tips that reduced staining, additional colors inside and out and more power. The most popular configuration by far turned out to be white on red, with a beige top, followed by blue on beige, and red on red.
You might be wondering how many were sold from the factory with a black paint on top of a red cabin, with a beige ragtop, after seeing the one pictured in the gallery above, and the answer is four, according to Mecum. This makes it an automotive unicorn, but it is not the main selling point, because that would be the full restoration process that has brought back the shine everywhere you look.
Everything looks perfect, from the paint to the chrome accents, and from the classic wheels, wrapped in whitewall tires, to the cockpit. According to the vendor, some of the on-board gear includes courtesy light, heater, tachometer and gauges, and the original engine. Speaking of the latter, it is the straight-six, hooked up to the two-speed automatic transmission, so its future owner won’t be doing any racing in it.
This 1954 Corvette C1 will go under the gavel at the Glendale, AZ, auction event, set to take place between March 16 and 19. Depending on how much interest it sparks, it could go from anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000, the auction house estimates.
Having lost momentum by selling only 183 copies in the first year of production, it was slightly upgraded for 1954, with the bowtie brand giving it longer chromed exhaust tips that reduced staining, additional colors inside and out and more power. The most popular configuration by far turned out to be white on red, with a beige top, followed by blue on beige, and red on red.
You might be wondering how many were sold from the factory with a black paint on top of a red cabin, with a beige ragtop, after seeing the one pictured in the gallery above, and the answer is four, according to Mecum. This makes it an automotive unicorn, but it is not the main selling point, because that would be the full restoration process that has brought back the shine everywhere you look.
Everything looks perfect, from the paint to the chrome accents, and from the classic wheels, wrapped in whitewall tires, to the cockpit. According to the vendor, some of the on-board gear includes courtesy light, heater, tachometer and gauges, and the original engine. Speaking of the latter, it is the straight-six, hooked up to the two-speed automatic transmission, so its future owner won’t be doing any racing in it.
This 1954 Corvette C1 will go under the gavel at the Glendale, AZ, auction event, set to take place between March 16 and 19. Depending on how much interest it sparks, it could go from anywhere between $150,000 and $200,000, the auction house estimates.
Google News