The early example of “America’s Sports Car” will be offered by Worldwide Auctioneers on September 2.
Bobbie Baer, courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers.looming, General Motors beat its peers to the punch with the Chevrolet Corvette, debuted at the Waldorf-Astoria in January of 1953 to an avalanche of praise from press and public alike. Its groundbreaking shape, by GM’s head of Styling, Harley Earl, was a sensation, although a mere 300 examples were made that year.
GM engineer Ed Cole and his team developed the 265 ci small-block engine that GM’s marketing mavens called the “Turbo-Fire” V-8, which made 195 hp—45 hp more than the “Flame.” Though leisurely today, its 8.5-second zero-to-60 mph time shaved two seconds off its six-cylinder predecessor. While Euro-exotica boasted of 120 mph, 130 mph, and even 150 mph top speeds , the Corvette hit a legitimate 120 mph.
The car is from the first model year that the Corvette features a V-8 engine, in this case a 265 ci small-block mill that makes 195 hp.With an MSRP of $2,909, the 1955 Corvette came in Polo White, Pennant Blue, Corvette Copper, Gypsy Red, or Harvest Gold. A variety of colors for the interior and vinyl top—replacing the canvas—were on the menu, and in the 1955 production run, a three-speed manual transmission was made available.
A multiyear, body-off restoration has kept this car true to its original color scheme, inside and out.Chevy’s 1955 entry in the Pikes Peak race set a record, as did an entry into the Daytona Flying Mile. By 1956, the “Father of the Corvette,” as Arkus-Duntov became known, was in charge of high-performance vehicle design and development for Chevrolet. Production in 1956 rose to 3,467 units, and the C1 series continued until 1962.
Since Chevrolet debuted the Corvette at the Waldorf-Astoria in January of 1953, the model has progressed through eight iterations.The 1955 Corvette Roadster being presented by Worldwide Auctioneers is one of 180 examples produced that year in Gypsy Red, and has benefitted from an extensive multiyear, body-off restoration by Russ Corvette Restoration, LLC in Mount Holly, N.J. This little red Corvette will be offered through the auction house in Auburn, Ind., on September 2.
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