Vehicle Description
Thank you for taking your time to view another one of the Basil
family's beautiful classic cars. Our most recent endeavor, Basil
Classics, represents our continued quest to provide our fellow car
enthusiasts with the finest quality vehicles, now including a full
line of classic automobiles. We consider this to be a journey of
continued excellence our family has strived to faithfully provide
since 1951. General Motors has been producing quality cars and
trucks for the purchasing public beginning in 1908 with the merger
of Buick and Oldsmobile. After a short stint on his own, Louis
Chevrolet joined General Motors in 1918 and the Chevrolet name and
automobile line was retained. In 1927, Harley Earl was hired as
General Motors design engineer and with Earl at the helm,
production design concepts began to noticeably change and many
one-off concepts came about. Within his first year as design
engineer, Earl released the Cadillac LaSalle which was intended to
fill a gap in the GM automotive line. With the success of the
LaSalle, additional concept ideas began to emerge under Earl's
direction. By the 1950s, Harley Earl was well trusted and
established with his design advances and had turned his attention
to the smaller two passenger roadsters now being produced by
European companies such as Porsche and Jaguar. 1951 brought about a
secretive Earl design dubbed the Opel project, a two passenger
roadster meant to compete with the European companies. Three
concept cars sprang from the Opel project but only one went into
production, and in 1953, the Corvette was born. Only 300 units were
sold in 1953, all being assembled with hand laid fiberglass bodies,
a full steel frame and powered by a six cylinder engine using three
side draft carburetors with a two speed automatic transmission. All
1953 Corvettes had six volt electrical systems, its body color was
available only in white with red interior. Corvette number 003 was
sent to the ''cold room'' at Harrison radiator in Lockport New York
where it was put through and passed a series of grueling tests. The
1953 model Corvette was produced in Flint Michigan but by December
1953, General Motors moved the Corvette production to St. Louis
Missouri. With increasing public interest in the new fiberglass
Corvette design, production was dramatically increased in 1954 to
3,460 units and made available in four colors, Polo white, Pennant
blue, Sportsman red and black. Several engine upgrades were made in
1954 to increase horsepower and reliability, also improved were the
wiring harness and top frame. Though the new Corvette had excellent
appeal, it was not a performance vehicle, so changes in that
direction were soon to begin. In 1955, a Belgian born race car
driver by the name of Zora Arkus Duntov was hired by General Motors
to move the Corvette into the performance arena. Duntov submitted a
hasty redesign that fitted a 265ci V8 engine into the original C1
chassis boosting the horsepower rating from 155 to 195 @5000rpms,
an increase of 40 horsepower. Only 700 Corvettes were produced in
1955 causing General Motors executives to call for the
discontinuation of the Corvette production. Duntov however was
successful in convincing GM that the Corvette would sell very well
as a two passenger performance vehicle, something not yet available
in the American car market and Corvette production was allowed to
continue. Zora Arkus Duntov is credited for the inclusion of many
performance upgrades in the Corvette over the following years to
include fuel injection, performance suspensions, multiple four
barrel carburetion and four wheel disc brakes to name a few. His
many successful performance contributions to the Corvette changed
its image dramatically and caused it to become a world-renowned
sports car. Duntov's years of dedication to the Corvette earned him
the accepted title of father of the Corvette. The Basil family
proudly presents this 1955 Corvette to you which is in correct
original condition. Of the 700 units produced in 1955, it is
estimated that little more than 100 remain in roadworthy condition.
Though this car is cosmetically restored, the engine and
transmissions are the correct original units to the car. The 265 V8
has been mechanically rebuilt and performs as intended. It retains
its stamped vin, identifying it as being a matching numbers engine.
The correct chrome distributor cover and wires are present as are
the chrome air cleaner and mechanical tach drive generator. The
paint and chrome on this Corvette are in excellent restored
condition though the underside of the body shows minor repairs on
its four corners common to these cars due to the flush mounted
bumpers. The factory wire grid antenna which is integrated into the
underside of the trunk lid is intact and operational. Also in near
new condition are the side window curtains and storage bag a last
year accessory on the 1955 model. A review of the foldaway
convertible top finds it to be in near new condition as well. The
interior is correct, all gauges work as they should and the
speedometer shows 59,661 miles. The tube radio and mechanical
tachometer are also in correct working condition, and appearing
only slightly dated, the overall appearance of the interior is
exceptional. For more than 25 years, this 1955 Corvette was loved
and driven by its senior adult owner up until its purchase by the
Basil family. It represents the last year of the Harley Earl body
design and the first year of the 12 volt electrical system as well
as the Duntov inspired V8. A complete documented history of
ownership has been retained and will be included in the resale of
this fine automobile. Stop and see this stunning example of rare
Corvette history, you may never see another in such well kept
condition
