Vehicle Description
Chassis No. J59S108205
Engine No. F518CU
Within its first six years, the Corvette evolved from a country
club cruiser into General Motors' flagship - a genuine sports car
when ordered with the right options. Chevrolet advertising in The
New Yorker called the 1959 Corvette a "precision instrument at work
- a superb vehicle created solely to serve the art of driving."
Rochester mechanical fuel injection made all the headlines that
year but enthusiast magazines discovered the 270-horsepower version
(RPO 469C) with twin four-barrel carburetors was nearly as fast,
more practical, and also an impressive performance value as well;
$182.95 versus $484.20 for fuel injection.
Produced in June 1959 at GM's St. Louis, Missouri plant and
delivered new to Chevrolet dealer J.B. Hartman Inc. of Salamanca,
New York, this 1959 Corvette received a complete restoration in the
early 1990s by its then-owner, a physician from Cumberland, Maine.
Post-restoration, it earned Bloomington Gold certification,
receiving 970 out of 1,000 points, which was further verified by
the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) with a 99.5 point
score and subsequent Top Flight award. Its major components are
judged by Bloomington Gold and NCRS to be correct with a block
casting date (B79) decoding as 7 February 1959. Additionally, the
"F518CU" engine serial number stamp denotes a Flint completion date
of 18 May and the "CU" suffix indicates its 270-horsepower, manual
transmission specification, with the mid-May completion date nicely
lining up with the early June chassis number production sequence,
indicating by all accounts it is likely the original engine. After
a few years of climate-controlled care, it was sold in 1995 by the
owner's estate, moving to arid Arizona for the next 15 years. When
it was last offered for sale in 2010 it showed just 39,800
miles.
As a long-term member of the Academy of Art University (AAU)
Automobile Museum, this striking Corvette displays just over 40,000
miles at cataloging and is resplendent in its original shade of
Frost Blue, one of 1,024 ordered in this color for 1959.
Accentuating the rarity of this color, it is just one of 351 Frost
Blue Corvettes ordered with "Two Tone" Snowcrest White coves.
Complementing this hue is a factory fiberglass hardtop, finished in
matching Frost Blue, an expensive $236.75 option, and a matching
Blue upholstered interior. The optional four-speed manual
transmission and Positraction rear axle confidently deliver the
famous 283 cu-in V8's power. Amenities include the Wonderbar
signal-seeking AM radio, deluxe heater, and parking brake alarm.
Lovingly cared for since its restoration, this museum-quality,
award-winning Corvette is ready to continue the art of driving.
