Chassis No. VE55S001055

Engine No. 0II8304 F55FG

The original Corvette was one of several "dream cars" featured in General Motors' Motorama extravaganza for 1953 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. With only minor changes from the Waldorf show car, 300 1953 models were produced, all Polo White with red vinyl interiors, later followed by a larger run in 1954 available in three additional colors. They were powered by a 150 horsepower "Blue Flame" inline-six and two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, a combination which even Road & Track praised for its power and smoothness.

The first major milestone in Corvette history occurred in 1955 with the introduction of the 265 cu-in "Turbo-Fire" V8 engine. The new powerplant, an upgraded version of the V8 that powered Chevrolet's new "Hot One" Bel Air sedan, generated 195 horsepower yet weighed 41 lbs less than the six. "Quite naturally the more powerful V8 gives vastly improved performance..." is how Road & Track now extolled the improved Corvette. Most were equipped with the two-speed Powerglide automatic, as does this example, since a new three-speed manual would not be ready until very late in the model year. But with many 1954 models still sitting on dealer lots, just 700 were built in 1955, the lowest production of any Corvette outside the initial 1953 run.

This 1955 Corvette was added to the noted Corvette collection of Leonard Nagel in 1984. Some years later Mr. Nolan performed a complete body-off restoration to the scrupulous standards of the Corvette community. First came Bloomington Gold certification, where just 65 points out of a perfect score of 7980 were deducted, indicating it is 99.25 percent of "Typical Factory Production." Then two Top Flight awards from National Corvette Restorers Society regional shows, and a third from their National Convention, all between 2001 – 2002. The best score from those events was a deduction of just 12 points from 4510 total: 99.9 percent. Then in March 2002 this 1955 Corvette passed the NCRS Performance Verification test for mechanical function with no deductions. Lastly, it was honored with the coveted Duntov Mark of Excellence Award from NCRS in August 2002. It has since been faithfully preserved by the consignor since 2012. With greater power and Motorama style, the great Corvettes to come all trace their lineage to this, the first V8-powered American production sport car.

A MINIMUM PRICE GUARANTEE: Consignor has been guaranteed a minimum price for this lot, or a collection including this Iot, by Broad Arrow. Broad Arrow may benefit financially or incur a loss depending on whether the lot is sold and the final hammer price.