See inspection report, full photos, videos and more at
classicpromenade.com. Chevrolet only made 300 Corvettes in 1953. Of
these, this is one of the most important in extant. This Corvette
is believed to be the lowest original mileage example in existence.
It has had three owners from new, a mere 5,800 documented original
miles and was restored and owned for over 50 years by the noted
Corvette authority, Lyle Hill. And to top it off, this has achieved
the coveted NCRS Top-Flight Award status. It simply doesnt get much
better than this! The 1953 Corvette was the sensation of the GM
Motorama which took the US by storm. Designed by the renowned
Harley Earl team of engineers and designers, it was a ground
breaking design that is the DNA basis of todays Corvette. This
Corvette has an almost idyllic provenance with three owners from
new. Lyle Hill was 20 years old when he acquired No.087 from Gerald
White in Orrville, Ohio on May 21, 1962. It was used by Mr. Hill
for four years and then was largely stored, awaiting restoration.
In the interim, Mr. Hill became a well known Corvette authority and
was also known as a source for rare and hard to come by parts.
Nearly four decades later, Mr. Hill had No. 087 restored by many of
the top resources for Corvettes for the 50th anniversary
celebration of Corvette in 2003 in Flint, MI. Mr. Hill passed in
2014 and No.087 found a new caretaker in its third and present
owner. The current owner enhanced the restoration even further by
hiring noted Corvette restorers Rex Marshall of Bountiful, Utah
with supervision by Corey Peterson. The quality and authenticity of
the restoration garnered 96.6 points and NCRS Top-Flight status,
the pinnacle of Corvette judging. Cosmetically, No.087 is beautiful
in its correct and nearly perfect livery of Polo White. The body
finish has the correct fiber and seams showing throughout and it is
as authentic as they come. The chrome is excellent and of top
quality throughout. The Corvette has its correct bias ply tires,
red painted wheels and the correct factory two-eared spinner
hubcaps. The exterior quality of restoration is excellent in all
regards, The paint and body preparation was done by John Salvio
from Astoria, NY. Understanding that the finish work on the 1953s
were not up to todays standards for mirror-like finished
fiberglass. Both the panel fit and body finish is representative of
the technology available to GM in 1953. The interior of No.087 is
terrific and finished to concours standards. The interior and black
convertible canvas top was done by John Kennedy from Bountiful, UT.
John was the long time technical advisor for tops and interiors for
the national NCRS. The Sportsman Red vinyl interior is complimented
with its correct two-tone white and red dashboard. The dashboard
has gorgeous design cues, with ample chrome bezels surrounding the
round gauges and tachometer and the Vd design for the speedometer
and radio speakers. The red carpeting is beautifully fitted through
the passenger compartment. It has its black canvas convertible top
in its storage compartment. The engine compartment is also in
excellent condition visually, with the beautifully detailed 235 CID
Blue Flame straight six-cylinder engine and its triple Carter
carburetors. We love the rumble of the engine from its chromed dual
exhaust tips that are stylistically exiting the body in line with
the rear bumper. We recommend you look through the photo gallery to
see the detailed photos of the engine compartment and its
accessories. GMs venerable two-speed Powerglide automatic
transmission is used to supply the power to the rear wheels. The
drivetrain is believed to be the original from new. Our detailed
inspection revealed that the tachometer is not functioning at
present and it is missing its cigarette lighter. All other
mechanical and accessory items work and function well. For more
information and details, please call, text or email Dan Shaffer at
1.716.704.0291 or
[email protected]. The Corvette is able to
be viewed in our showroom in Phoenix, AZ.