Photo: Canepa
Soon after the introduction of the Corvette in 1953, it didn’t take carmaker Chevrolet long to realize that the model would become an icon for the American auto industry. That’s why ever since the model’s early years Chevy has tried its best to gift it with the latest hardware.
Starting 1957, for instance, the carmaker began offering, for a steep price, the option of fuel injection. It started small, delivering just a little over 1,000 units of the car with this technology, but that was enough to give this particular Corvette the nickname Fuelie and propel it to the status of one of the most valuable Corvettes ever, and a real gem for car collectors.
Despite the slow beginnings, fuel-injected Corvettes soon became more commonplace, and by the time the C2 came to be, the system was no longer seen as exotic.
The 1963 Fuelie we are here to talk about hopes to capitalize on the icon status of the original fuel-injected Vette, but also throws into the mix an all-original package that is extremely rare to find.
This car’s story begins in 1962, when it left the assembly lines and got in the garage of someone in Seattle, Washington. It seems its first owner loved it beyond words right from the start, and tried to protect it as much as possible, as for the duration of the car’s first 43 consecutive years of ownership, it was only driven for 23,000 miles (37,000 km).
When purchased by the current owner in 2016, the car was subtly upgraded to become a real showstopper at events across America. All the mechanical issues were fixed, a complete cleaning operation was performed, and an Ermine White (the car’s original color) refinish was performed.
But what’s most important is that nothing was changed. The car packs the original 5.4-liter V8 engine and 4-speed manual Borg Warner transmission it left the factory lines with; the interior is original as well, down to the glass that surrounds the cabin.
This Washington Fuelie gem is for sale. The selling dealer, Canepa, does not say anything about the asking price, but you should not expect such a rare find to come cheap.
Despite the slow beginnings, fuel-injected Corvettes soon became more commonplace, and by the time the C2 came to be, the system was no longer seen as exotic.
The 1963 Fuelie we are here to talk about hopes to capitalize on the icon status of the original fuel-injected Vette, but also throws into the mix an all-original package that is extremely rare to find.
This car’s story begins in 1962, when it left the assembly lines and got in the garage of someone in Seattle, Washington. It seems its first owner loved it beyond words right from the start, and tried to protect it as much as possible, as for the duration of the car’s first 43 consecutive years of ownership, it was only driven for 23,000 miles (37,000 km).
When purchased by the current owner in 2016, the car was subtly upgraded to become a real showstopper at events across America. All the mechanical issues were fixed, a complete cleaning operation was performed, and an Ermine White (the car’s original color) refinish was performed.
But what’s most important is that nothing was changed. The car packs the original 5.4-liter V8 engine and 4-speed manual Borg Warner transmission it left the factory lines with; the interior is original as well, down to the glass that surrounds the cabin.
This Washington Fuelie gem is for sale. The selling dealer, Canepa, does not say anything about the asking price, but you should not expect such a rare find to come cheap.
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