For Sale at Auction: 1960 Chevrolet 1 Ton Pickup in Las Vegas, Nevada

This second-off-the-line 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie convertible is no ordinary classic. It has long been regarded as a pilot car. Bearing VIN 002, this early-production Fuelie retains its original frame with the chassis number still present. The VIN tag, reading 00867S100002, has been examined by Terry Michealis of Pro Team and by Kevin McKay, a leading Corvette authority who restored one of the Briggs Cunningham Le Mans cars. Power comes from a correct CZ-suffix 283ci fuel-injected V-8 rated at 315hp. The CZ block is believed to be original to the car. During the comprehensive restoration, the engine was fitted with a set of the extremely limited-production experimental aluminum cylinder heads (Casting No. 8772895, date code 6-24-59). These lightweight heads never hit regular production and were part of a project tied directly to Zora Arkus-Duntov's performance vision. Only a handful of these aluminum heads were ever manufactured. The Rochester fuel-injection unit carries serial number 1006 and part number 7017320. John DeGregory, who worked at Rochester Products and is regarded as a leading authority on the system, has confirmed this as the correct type for the high-performance 1960 Fuelie engines. Specialists, including the Nabors brothers and Pro Team, have long believed this early car may have served as a Rochester Fuel Injection pilot or test vehicle before being released as a Brass Hat employee car. Dave McClennan, who worked at GM beginning in 1959 as a predecessor to Zora Arkus-Duntov, described it as a "very significant car." The same experimental aluminum heads were part of the performance development work that supported the Briggs Cunningham Corvettes at the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the team scored the model's first-class victory. In 1967, 16-year-old Dana Kuhl purchased the car on his birthday for $900. He held it for 55 years before it changed hands. A recent comprehensive and fully documented restoration, complete with photos and binder, has brought the car to its present condition. It has traveled only about 5 miles since the work was completed and is presented in Ermine White with a white soft-top and a red interior. Options include a heater, defroster, clock and radio. Color-matched steel wheels wear small-diameter chrome crossed-flag hubcaps. It is equipped with a four-speed manual transmission, finned aluminum valve covers and a 7,000-rpm tachometer. This second 1960 Corvette, produced as a pilot car, sits at the intersection of Chevrolet's early high-performance engineering efforts and the model's first international racing success.