Impala helped put Chevrolet back on the automotive map in the late ’50s, but Corvette had a place of its own in the hearts of both the GM brand and customers in the States.
Chevrolet tried to address most criticism with the 1959 model year, so the company dropped part of the chrome abundance and focused on the sporty look. Everything paid off brilliantly, as giving up on the chrome allowed the Corvette to become lighter, hence benefiting from improved performance figures.
The interior received subtle but important tweaks, once again, in an attempt to address the complaints received by the previous model. Chevrolet repositioned the door handles and the armrest, and the Corvette now came with a storage compartment as well.
One particular change that helps distinguish a ’59 Corvette from its predecessor is the tachometer. Starting with the new model year, the Vette indicated up to 7,000 rpm, so it also sported a redline and everything.
This 1959 Corvette I recently came across on eBay is a small piece of Chevrolet history, as it continues to be complete and features unmolested everything. The vehicle is a barn find, meaning it’s been sitting inside for a long time. At least, that’s what the seller claims, adding that the chassis also exhibits no rot.
The current metal condition isn’t at all as bad as you’d normally expect on a car this old. It requires fixes, but the rust cancer hasn’t yet produced the gigantic holes that normally require new floors or trunk pans. Sure enough, a full restoration is still required, but the car seems to check most of the essential boxes for a solid candidate.
Unfortunately, we get little to no information about the engine. We do know the powerplant no longer starts, but it’s impossible to tell if it’s stuck or not. The VIN code doesn’t help either, as the 1959 model year numbers only reveal basic data, such as the production year and the assembly plant (the Corvette came to be at the St. Louis, Missouri facility).
Unsurprisingly, the vehicle has already attracted everyone’s attention from the moment it reached the web looking for a new owner. The battle is already fierce, as 24 people have joined the race for taking this Corvette home, most likely to give it the exquisite treatment it deserves.
mastersfred’s auction is set to expire in a little over one day, so this Corvette is projected to find a new owner by the end of the weekend. There’s one major shortcoming, though. The top bid at the time of writing is a little over $29,000, and the bid is yet to be reached. Unless someone sends a higher bid (I suspect the reserve is set to $30,000), the Corvette will stay where it is for a little longer.