Vehicle Description
The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette is often the ideal collector car for
most early enthusiasts. With a nearly identical appearance to the
original '53s, but offering more choices, and today has a much more
obtainable price. This meticulously restored and numbers-matching
example captures all of the '54's history perfectly in a driving
experience like no other.
When the black body looks this good, you know there was serious
time and money invested into creating the ideal first-generation
Corvette. This is a rare model with only 3,640 examples built, and
plenty didn't survive the last 60+ years. You can count on one hand
how many were painted black. We don't believe this was the original
factory color (or else you'd be taking out a second mortgage to
purchase it.) Instead, this is a shining example (literally) of
what 1954 represented perfectly - the birth of the Corvette and
long list of choices that the car offers, considering '53 only came
in white. Also, these early cars were far from perfect when they
left the factory. So addressing the body not only made for an
amazing canvas for the paint, but now the doors shut with
authority, the toothy grille has a mirror shine, and the wraparound
trim has that precision-straight line that you know the factory
wanted to do all those years ago. You'll love how even the details
are correct on this one, from the mesh headlight covers to the
artful hubcaps with the turbine slots painted red to match the
wheels. The overall package is a shining example that was carefully
re-crafted to make a scene wherever it goes.
The Corvette was the American interpretation of the best that came
from Europe, and the interior is a great reminder of this heritage.
The red leather buckets seats look like they could almost have come
from a Jaguar XK. But the body-colored waterfall in-between that
gives it a seamless interior/exterior appearance is pure American
style. This also did a fantastic job of hiding the manual
convertible top. The dual cowl dash is a Corvette hallmark, and you
see the infancy of it here. Auxiliary gauges were arrayed in the
center of the dash, adding to the pleasing symmetry of the design.
The extra space of the interior was a great reminder of how the
Corvette held an advantage over its European counterparts. Plus,
with a real trunk, this rare classic is actually practical for
grand touring weekends.
More investment in the restoration is evident the moment you open
the hood. That's the original, numbers matching, Blue Flame six
sitting in the engine bay. It looks fantastic with all the
brightwork looking it s best against the bold blue block. The
addition of triple side-draft carburetors this year raised the
horsepower to 150. This is all part of the great original Corvette
history. It was built to be part of the sprightly European crowd,
and that's why the Chevrolet developed the lightweight fiberglass
body. The total package gives these early C1s a different feeling
on the road than all the rest of the Corvettes. Backed by a
PowerGlide automatic transmission, it's easy to drive and has a
low-slung, nimble feel that is entirely appropriate. You can see
more evidence of the restoration investment in the pristine
undercarriage photos. These even show how the split-manifold dual
exhaust snakes its way to exit out of the rear bumper.
Complete with a photo book documenting the restoration, you can
really understand what a top-quality presentation this early C1
Corvette has. It is for the enthusiast who loves to drive, show,
invest, or all three. This '54 is waiting for a true connoisseur,
but it won't wait for long. The un-restored hardtop is also
included to complete the car! Call now!!