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• Auction House:
  Mossgreen
• Sale Name:
  Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia
• Sale Date:
  30 Apr 2017 ~ 2.30pm
• Lot #:
  19
• Lot Description:
  1958 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C1 ROADSTER WITH HARDTOP
  Chassis no: DR254426Engine no: V1089311. This vehicle will be sold unregistered.
• Notes:
  By the early 1950s, General Motors held a vast conglomeration of businesses including automotive brands Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Oldsmobile and Pontiac. GM built over half the cars sold in the US, but not a sports car that could compete with the hailed British sporting cars flooding in to the country after the war. Mr. Harley J. Earl, GM’s chief designer, the man who conceived the 1938 Buick Y-Job, was one of the corporation’s more ambitious and abstract thinkers. In 1951, Earl began conceptualising an open sports car that would sell for around $2,000, the price of a mainstream American sedan at the time. He handed his notions over to Robert F. McLean and a new concept car emerged. This car was to be part of GM’s Motorama exhibit at the 1953 New York Auto Show until the recently appointed chief engineer, Ed Cole, who was developing the world-changing 1955 “small-block” V8, literally jumped for joy at the prospect of its development. And so, the 1953 Corvette, virtually identical to the Motorama prototype, entered production on June 30, 1953, in Flint, Michigan and the Corvette C1 series was born. GM has been making this famous marque ever since. The 1953 fiberglass bodied Corvette was undeniably gorgeous, but its output was lacklustre until 1955 when Chevrolet introduced the small-block V8. Even so, the 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission limited performance until the 1956 model established the sexy two-seater as a legitimate performance machine with a three-speed manual transmission and the 265ci V8 motor. The 1957 model was virtually identical to the ‘56, but now a four-speed manual transmission (the great T-10) was available for the first time. This was the year that either Carter dual-quad carburettors or optional Rochester mechanical fuel injection was available which itself marked a legendary moment in time for petrol-heads. In 1958, this outrageous, dreamy sports car was significantly restyled and became undeniably flashy. The chassis was lengthened by 9ins and the addition of dual headlights, faux hood louvers, chrome spears to the boot lid and superfluous side coves made the ‘58 Vette unique. The dashboard was redesigned placing all the instruments, including an 8000rpm tachometer, directly in front of the driver and seat belts were now factory-installed. Four variations on the 283 small-block were optional with the basic model being the single four-barrel version making 230hp, and the dual quad versions making 245hp and 270hp. The big “fuelie” injected engines produced either 250hp or 290hp. There were 9,168 examples built overall and purportedly GM made a profit with the Corvette for the first time. This striking Panama yellow 1958 Corvette with white coves is a modified and re-invigorated example using modern Corvette technology. The vendor embarked on this project by first acquiring a rather tired 1958 left hand drive model he found in Ballarat to supply a sound base for the special build he had in mind. He appointed Jeff Milson with a mandate to preserve the Corvette’s classical good looks and to leave the 1950s technology in the past. The brief was to create a sporting car that looked like a 1958 Corvette but performed like an early 1980’s C4. The objective was to create an enjoyable and usable classic to be driven regularly, with thoroughly modern running gear inside its captivating fibreglass body. The car underwent a full rotisserie restoration and conversion to right hand drive. After removing the 1950’s running gear it was fitted with a 1985 C4 rear-end and a new front end was constructed to fit and then all the C4 suspension hung to that with coil-over shock absorbers and springs fitted all-round. A C4 power steering rack and updated C4 brakes with four-pot pistons, big pads and 13” discs were fitted, power assisted by a Holden Gemini booster; a 350ci Chevrolet V8 enhanced with forged pistons and a genuine GM performance cam; a 4-barrel Holley carburettor; HPC ceramic coated 2.5in mandrel-bent twin system exhaust matched to the newly posted heads resulted in 265kW peak power (48kW more than the production 1958 Corvette ever achieved) driven by a 5-speed transmission from a twin turbo Toyota Supra. To accommodate the massive disc brakes, the wheels were custom designed and built based on the style of a Corvette racing wheel turned out of solid 45mm thick solid billets and pressing them on to spun 8 x 17in aluminium rims. This exceptional modified sports car boasts quality tan leather trim and Mercedes Benz carpets. The original gauges have renewed reproduction faces and lenses. A sensitively styled three spoke steering wheel, smaller in diameter than standard, has been fitted for better leg room and the seats reconstructed for improved driver comfort. The original hardtop has been restored while the soft roof and bows were reinstated with new reproduction items. Boasting the best of both old and new, this stunning car hit the road in 2003 after a carefully considered three year restoration, having only covered 5,070 miles (approx.) since then. This late 1950s C1 Corvette is recognised as a twentieth-century American design icon.
• Estimate:
  A$100,000 - 130,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Automobiles & Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.