Chassis No. E59S106836

Engine No. F4I4CS

In just six years the Corvette evolved from a country club cruiser into General Motors' flagship; a genuine supercar when ordered with the right options. Rochester "Ram-Jet" mechanical fuel injection made 290 horsepower and all the headlines that year, with one of those injected Corvettes, driven by Jim Jeffords, winning the SCCA B-Production National Championship. In addition, the 1959 Corvette lost the excessive chrome trim and non-functioning louvered hood of the 1958 model, giving it a more elegant yet sporting flair. Relocated interior door handles and window cranks, and a passenger side parcel tray for greater convenience, were interior improvements that year. As Sports Car Illustrated magazine discovered of the fuel-injected '59, "Acceleration... is tops for pushrod (engine) equipment, and at the top end, quite similar to the 3.0-liter Ferrari 250 GT tested last year."

Delivered new to Grody Chevrolet Co. of West Hartford, Connecticut, this 1959 Corvette was ordered in Inca Silver over a boldly contrasting red vinyl interior. Regular Production Order (RPO) 579D, the 290 horsepower fuel-injected engine, was an expensive $484.20 option, as was the $188.30 Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual transmission and $48.45 Positraction differential. The only other equipment on this lean performance machine were Chevrolet's required "options" including the signal seeking radio and heater/defroster system. This "Fuelie" was formerly of the noted Leonard Nagel collection, which contained one Corvette from each year between 1953 and 1967, all properly restored and documented. Bloomington Gold certification was conferred on this Corvette in 2002, then it began the rigorous process of earning the coveted Duntov Mark of Excellence Award through 2006 from the National Corvette Restorers Society which included three NCRS Top Flight awards, fully meeting its "as manufactured" standard.

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.