Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 10867S107770
After eight years of continuous improvement the 1961 Corvette was
the most honed and refined model year of the first-generation
design. Those refinements included a refreshed body which removed
much of the chrome "gingerbread" that the Corvette accumulated from
1958 to 1960, while new rear styling with four tail lights echoed
the upcoming Sting Ray's design. Available powertrains remained the
same, including the famous 'RPO 354' 315 hp 283 cu-in V8 with
Rochester mechanical fuel injection. Even the outstanding
four-speed manual transmission received an aluminum case saving 15
pounds, a sign that Chevrolet was not resting on its laurels. No
wonder Corvette sales were increasing every year, to the point a
second shift had to be added at the St. Louis plant in 1961.
"Excitement is standard equipment!" declared a Corvette ad that
year. Even base 1961 models delivered a good measure of thrills,
but those 1,462 Corvettes ordered with the 'RPO 354' 315 hp engine
were downright exhilarating. Hot Rod magazine called the 315 hp
Corvette the "hottest thing on the road!" while Car Life magazine
recorded 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and a 128 mph top speed, truly
shocking numbers for that era.
Built in late April 1961, this fuel-injected Corvette is a twin of
the cars those magazines tested. The red vinyl interior is a
striking compliment to the Tuxedo Black paint and black soft top,
and the Sateen Silver two-tone paint scheme was another $16.15
(just 429 Corvettes that year received the Black/Silver treatment).
It features the $484.00 RPO 354 315 hp engine and mandatory $188.30
four-speed transmission. That engine also required the $43.05
Positraction rear axle. Adding the factory Auxiliary Hardtop and
whitewall tires (the last year for "wide whites"), plus the usual
heater and signal-seeking AM radio, brought the sticker price from
the base $3,934.00 to a fully loaded $5,174.00.
County Corvette of West Chester, Pennsylvania performed an exacting
restoration on this Corvette, which had been discovered by an NCRS
judge in California. The National Corvette Restorers Society
conferred its Top Flite award in 2014 with a 96.1 score before the
Corvette was freshened by the consignor, and Bloomington Gold
declared it Gold Certified in 2017, both confirming its
as-delivered condition.