This 1955 Chevy Corvette Could Be the Most Expensive Model Auctioned
Serena Aburahma
· 3 min read
A glorious Gypsy Red exterior with a pristine light beige and rich red interior, 62 miles on a recent engine refurbishment, and a fascinating and historic provenance…
Classic cars
like this one are especially rare, so is it any wonder that this 1955 Chevrolet Corvette 265 3-Speed was expected to set an automobile auction record?It's the complete package with its outstanding looks, exceptional condition, and extreme rarity. Some lucky bidder will be taking their dream car home when this auction ends—as long as their pockets are deep enough!
A classic Chevrolet beauty
This vintage Chevy Corvette looks brand new with its fully restored fiberglass body and eye-catching red paint job. Highlights that add to its exterior appeal include chrome bumpers and trim, headlight grilles, and a beige soft top with matching side curtains.
Points of interest in the interior include bucket seats and door panels of light beige upholstery with red stitching, a matching red dash pad and carpet, and a two-tone steering wheel with chrome details.
The dash features a heater, clock, dash-mounted mirror, and a recently rebuilt AM radio. The Corvette also proudly displays Chevrolet fender badging with an exaggerated gold "V" to proclaim its 265ci V8 engine.
This gorgeous car won a prestigious
NCRS Top Flight award
at the Northwest Regional Meet on June 29, 2002, for its originality and outstanding condition. The judging sheets and the award itself were included in the auction.Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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A Corvette with an intriguing past
MORE: Rare, Mint Condition, Classic Cars Sold at Monterey Car Week
According to
Motoring Research
, the Corvette that launched in 1953 was available with a totally underwhelming engine and transmission combo. In an attempt to change reluctant buyers’ minds, Chevrolet upgraded the engine from a straight-six to a more powerful V8.Now they just needed a three-speed manual transmission that would work in tandem with the V8. This particular car is believed to be the prototype of that combination. The car was manufactured in June 1955 and came with a 140-mph speedometer, a five-digit odometer, and a 6k-rpm tachometer.
A Californian bought the prototype sometime in the 1960s and it moved on to Oregon in 1988. Along the way, it underwent several refurbishments, including bodywork, a complete electrical system overhaul, a brake master cylinder rebuild, new wheel cylinders, and more.
Would this Corvette set an automobile auction record?
There was a lot of interest in this auction, with a total of 20,939 views and 1,312 people watching. With the previous auction record for a C1 Corvette being $153,000, could this exceptionally rare model top that figure? Definitely.
With everything it had going for it, this rare beauty attracted 47 bids before it sold for a whopping $209,000. That's what a buyer using the name dinobaby paid for this gem when the auction ended on September 15, 2021.
Hopefully, the lucky owner of this very special Corvette used licensed insurance broker
Jerry
to find affordable car insurance befitting their stunning new purchase.
