1954 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette is often the ideal collector car for most early enthusiasts. With a nearly identical appearance to the original '53s, but offering more choices, and today has a much more obtainable price. This meticulously restored and numbers-matching example captures all of the '54's history perfectly in a driving experience like no other.

When the black body looks this good, you know there was serious time and money invested into creating the ideal first-generation Corvette. This is a rare model with only 3,640 examples built, and plenty didn't survive the last 60+ years. You can count on one hand how many were painted black. We don't believe this was the original factory color (or else you'd be taking out a second mortgage to purchase it.) Instead, this is a shining example (literally) of what 1954 represented perfectly – the birth of the Corvette and long list of choices that the car offers, considering '53 only came in white. Also, these early cars were far from perfect when they left the factory. So addressing the body not only made for an amazing canvas for the paint, but now the doors shut with authority, the toothy grille has a mirror shine, and the wraparound trim has that precision-straight line that you know the factory wanted to do all those years ago. You'll love how even the details are correct on this one, from the mesh headlight covers to the artful hubcaps with the turbine slots painted red to match the wheels. The overall package is a shining example that was carefully re-crafted to make a scene wherever it goes.

The Corvette was the American interpretation of the best that came from Europe, and the interior is a great reminder of this heritage. The red leather buckets seats look like they could almost have come from a Jaguar XK. But the body-colored waterfall in-between that gives it a seamless interior/exterior appearance is pure American style. This also did a fantastic job of hiding the manual convertible top. The dual cowl dash is a Corvette hallmark, and you see the infancy of it here. Auxiliary gauges were arrayed in the center of the dash, adding to the pleasing symmetry of the design. The extra space of the interior was a great reminder of how the Corvette held an advantage over its European counterparts. Plus, with a real trunk, this rare classic is actually practical for grand touring weekends.

More investment in the restoration is evident the moment you open the hood. That's the original, numbers matching, Blue Flame six sitting in the engine bay. It looks fantastic with all the brightwork looking it s best against the bold blue block. The addition of triple side-draft carburetors this year raised the horsepower to 150. This is all part of the great original Corvette history. It was built to be part of the sprightly European crowd, and that's why the Chevrolet developed the lightweight fiberglass body. The total package gives these early C1s a different feeling on the road than all the rest of the Corvettes. Backed by a PowerGlide automatic transmission, it's easy to drive and has a low-slung, nimble feel that is entirely appropriate. You can see more evidence of the restoration investment in the pristine undercarriage photos. These even show how the split-manifold dual exhaust snakes its way to exit out of the rear bumper.

Complete with a photo book documenting the restoration, you can really understand what a top-quality presentation this early C1 Corvette has. It is for the enthusiast who loves to drive, show, invest, or all three. This '54 is waiting for a true connoisseur, but it won't wait for long. The un-restored hardtop is also included to complete the car! Call now!!