For Sale at Auction: 1961 Chevrolet Corvette in Auburn, Indiana

From the very start, those at Chevrolet involved in the Corvette program were striving for continual improvements and for those working with "America's Sports Car", they kept pushing the envelope as far as they could. 1961 saw some notable improvements to the already superb styling of the car. While the front-end design got a mild facelift of a look born in 1958, it did lose the heavy toothy grille for a lighter weight steel mesh that allowed a better flow of cool air into the engine bay and slightly reworked front bumpers. A new crossed flag emblem adorns the front panel with the word Corvette spelled out in chrome letters below. There were major revisions to the rear-end design that looked like it had been directly lifted off Bill Mitchell's XP-700 "Stingray" show car. It would prove to be a preview of next generation Corvettes that would be seen a couple of years down the road. Missing were the exhaust ports coming through the ends of the massive chrome bumper as they were now channeled under the car while with rear-end protection was now relegated to a pair of wraparound nerf-like bumperettes. 1961's new taillight design also predicted the future with two small round units on each side that blended into the lower portion of the rear panel. A number of items that had been extra-cost options up to 1960 were now standard equipment for Corvette including courtesy lights, parking brake warning light, and dual sun visors. Sales saw a slight increase from 1960, posting Corvette's best year to that point at 10,939 units sold. Offered here is one of the more recognizable automobiles from the early '60s, a 1961 Corvette Convertible. The recipient of a body-off-the-frame restoration completed in 2021 by a Chevrolet specialist, it's finished in the eye-catching color of Satin Silver. Believed to be its original color, it's 1 of just 747 examples to be painted in 1961, which was the least produced color for the model year. A joy to drive, this example is equipped with a numbers-matching 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine that's paired with a three-speed manual transmission. During the restoration, the engine, transmission, and rear end with 3:36 Positraction were rebuilt, and front disc brakes were added for extra stopping power and safety. Accompanying the sale of this Corvette is an extra set of Ridler wheels wrapped in Landsail LS388 tires. Today, this Vette stands as a well-sorted example of Chevrolet's iconic early-'60s sports car, offering the look, sound, and feel that made the 1961 Corvette so special. With under 500 miles driven since the completion of its restoration, it remains ready to be enjoyed by its next caretaker on the road, at a cruise-in, or simply be admired in one's garage. * Numbers-matching engine and manual transmission
* Body-off-the-frame restoration completed in 2021
* 1 of just 747 factory Satin Silver examples in 1961
* Classic and impressive American sports car appeal

From the very start, those at Chevrolet involved in the Corvette program were striving for continual improvements and for those working with "America's Sports Car", they kept pushing the envelope as far as they could. 1961 saw some notable improvements to the already superb styling of the car. While the front-end design got a mild facelift of a look born in 1958, it did lose the heavy toothy grille for a lighter weight steel mesh that allowed a better flow of cool air into the engine bay and slightly reworked front bumpers. A new crossed flag emblem adorns the front panel with the word Corvette spelled out in chrome letters below. There were major revisions to the rear-end design that looked like it had been directly lifted off Bill Mitchell's XP-700 "Stingray" show car. It would prove to be a preview of next generation Corvettes that would be seen a couple of years down the road. Missing were the exhaust ports coming through the ends of the massive chrome bumper as they were now channeled under the car while with rear-end protection was now relegated to a pair of wraparound nerf-like bumperettes. 1961's new taillight design also predicted the future with two small round units on each side that blended into the lower portion of the rear panel. A number of items that had been extra-cost options up to 1960 were now standard equipment for Corvette including courtesy lights, parking brake warning light, and dual sun visors. Sales saw a slight increase from 1960, posting Corvette's best year to that point at 10,939 units sold.

Offered here is one of the more recognizable automobiles from the early '60s, a 1961 Corvette Convertible. The recipient of a body-off-the-frame restoration completed in 2021 by a Chevrolet specialist, it's finished in the eye-catching color of Satin Silver. Believed to be its original color, it's 1 of just 747 examples to be painted in 1961, which was the least produced color for the model year.

A joy to drive, this example is equipped with a numbers-matching 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine that's paired with a three-speed manual transmission. During the restoration, the engine, transmission, and rear end with 3:36 Positraction were rebuilt, and front disc brakes were added for extra stopping power and safety. Accompanying the sale of this Corvette is an extra set of Ridler wheels wrapped in Landsail LS388 tires.

Today, this Vette stands as a well-sorted example of Chevrolet's iconic early-'60s sports car, offering the look, sound, and feel that made the 1961 Corvette so special. With under 500 miles driven since the completion of its restoration, it remains ready to be enjoyed by its next caretaker on the road, at a cruise-in, or simply be admired in one's garage.