Vehicle Description
This 1958 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is a gorgeous C1 Corvette
sporting performance upgrades and finished in the ultra rare Panama
Yellow! When Chevrolet displayed its 2 seater Show Car then known
as the EX-122 at the 1952 Motorama, it was a quite a novel idea.
First of all, a 2-seat American-made sports car was unheard of in
the day with the genre dominated by European imports. Second, the
EX-122 was a fiberglass-bodied car which further added to the car's
uniqueness. While it's extremely rare for show cars to be placed
into production, Chevrolet bucked that trend and actually began
producing an EX-122 successor in 1953. That car was named the
Corvette and became one of Chevrolet's greatest successes and
became one of the greatest American made cars of all time. The
earliest Corvettes had the looks of a sports car but were pretty
modest in terms of performance, sporting inline 6 cylinder engines
under the hood, automatic transmissions, and minimal options, and
it wasn't until a few years into Corvette production that they
began to garner their performance-oriented reputation. By 1958, the
Corvette had solidified itself as American's sports car and
outfitted with the engines, transmissions, and rear ends to stand
up to the European cars it was designed to compete with. Many
contend that the 1958 Corvette was the pinnacle of C1 Corvette
styling! The '58 Vette's look was more jazzed up than any C1
Corvette before it, or even after it, and that was exceedingly
evident from nose to tail. Up front, the most quintessential
upgrade was made to the faux-louvered hood, a one-year 1958 only
hood for the Corvette. Additionally, the front end treatment got a
brand new look with the shift from single headlight on each side to
a pair of headlights on either side of the iconic, albeit updated,
sawtooth grille now with 4 fewer vertical "teeth". Looking from the
side view, the 1958 Corvette saw the addition of 3 chrome
horizontal strips incorporated into the side coves that added even
more panache to the 'Vette. From the back, the 1958 Corvette is
unmistakable, outfitted with a pair of chrome bars running down the
trunk lid-another 1958 one-year only feature. Moreover, the front
and rear bumpers were enlarged from previous year models capping
off the pizazz-filled Corvette. But it wasn't just the exteriors
that got updated; in fact, the interiors were significantly updated
as well. The dash and instrument clusters were considerably
upgraded, giving the cockpit a modern racing-inspired look and
feel. On the passenger side, the '58 Corvette also saw the addition
of the famous grab bar that would also be carried forward in the
years that followed. The seats were also modernized, replacing the
old waffle patterned upholstery with a more contemporary pleated
look that would be carried forward for many years. With all of the
updates, both inside and out, 1958 saw a huge bump in sales for the
Corvette, representing an approximate 30% increase in total
production during the '58 model year. Nonetheless, less than 10,000
Corvettes were produced in 1958, which makes this 1958 'Vette quite
a rare car in the grand scheme. This particular example comes to us
from a southern-based collector who stewarded the car for the past
10 years. Under the louvered hood of this '58 Corvette is an
upgraded 350 cubic inch V8 fed by a single 4 barrel carburetor. The
ignition system has also been upgraded to an electronic ignition
system resulting in more reliable performance above the stock
points and condenser setup. The small block Chevy V8 is backed by a
4 speed manual transmission that is shifted with a Hurst
floor-mounted shifter, making for a super fun car to take on a
summer drive. Exhaust exits via a dual exhaust setup that generates
a terrific throaty sound out of the thru-bumper tailpipes. The
chrome driver's side mirror is a wonderful and welcome addition on
any 50's convertible since it improves the overall driving
experience and makes it much easier to squeeze into a tight parking
space at the local car show. Riding on a set of new wide whitewall
radial tires mounted on steel wheels and accented with 1958
Corvette spinner-style full wheel covers, this '58 'Vette has a
fantastic look and even better ride while cruising down the road.
The black vinyl top is in fantastic condition and is easily raised
and lowered by a single person. This 1958 Corvette has been
refinished in beautiful rare Panama Yellow paint accented with
white painted coves, that completes the exterior look of this
fantastic first generation Corvette. The interior of this 1958
Chevrolet Corvette is equally gorgeous! The black bucket seats have
been reupholstered and provide a fantastic contrast to the exterior
appearance of the car. The black carpeting, black upholstered door
panels, black padded dash and grab bar, along with the steering
wheel all show particularly well and appear to remain in their
stock configuration. The instrument cluster comes equipped with a
160 MPH speedometer, 6,000 RPM tachometer, oil pressure gauge,
battery gauge, temperature gauge, and fuel gauge. The interior
cabin of this Corvette is finished off with a dash-mounted
rear-view mirror, clock, defroster and lighting controls, and a
Wonderbar AM radio. Whether you're buying your first classic car or
you're a Corvette enthusiast seeking to add another to your
existing 'Vette collection, this 1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Convertible would make an excellent choice. Give Ellingson's a call
today at 763-428-7337!
*Upgraded 350 Cu. In. V8
*Single 4 Barrel Carburetor
*4 Speed Manual Transmission w/ Hurst Shifter
*Great Sounding Dual Exhaust
*Brand New Wide Whitewall Radial Tires
*1 of 9,168 Corvettes in '58
*Rare Panama Yellow Paint w/ White Coves
*Black Bucket Seat Interior
*Black Vinyl Convertible Top
*Push-Button AM Radio & Clock
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 96,154 Miles
