Tag Archives: C1

Corvette Auction Preview: Four More Corvettes to Make You Drool at Mecum Kissimmee 2022

December 23, 2021 admin

Photo Credit: Mecum Auctions

Welcome back to our look at Mecum’s upcoming 2022 Kissimmee auction. The countdown to opening day is just about 14 days now. Perusing the Corvette docket, we currently see 360 Corvettes listed which is more than double the number of consignments from 2 weeks ago. Expect a few more to be added as the date draws nearer.

Past previews focused on the Corvette Super Sport, Gulf One, and the C2 Z06 equipped Corvettes from Mecum’s Once in a Lifetime Corvette Offering. This time we’re going to focus on a diverse quartet of first and second generation cars ranging from a pilot line 1966 L88 to an ultra-rare 1957 airbox fuelie.

Lot F158: 1960 Race Rat Tanker – When we think of big tank or “tanker” Corvettes, we generally think of C2’s. However, tankers were available to savvy buyers and racers on C1 Corvettes as well. In 1960, 10 big tank Corvettes were built. This 1960 fuelie was ordered through Nickey Chevrolet by George Reed to complete in the 1960 Sebring 12 hour race. In addition to the 315hp engine, Reed selected heavy duty suspension, heavy duty brakes, and a 4-speed transmission. Upon delivery to Sebring, Zora Arkus Duntov himself assisted with the final race prep. The car went on to win its class and finish 16th overall. Today the car is in excellent restored condition and has been displayed at top events such as the 2004 and 2014 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the 2009 Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance, the 2010 NCRS 50th Anniversary display, and the 2013 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. It’s also an NCRS American Heritage Award recipient.

Lot F164: 1957 Big Brake Airbox Fuelie – This well-known straight axle is one of 44 produced with RPO 579E, the fresh airbox intake. It’s also 1 of 54 with heavy duty brakes and suspension. Other options include a fuel injected engine, 4-speed transmission, and wider 5.5″ wheels. The car was raced in SCCA events across the country throughout its early life. Since that time, it’s been restored back to stock form and lays claimed to our hobby’s top awards including multiple NCRS Top Flights, Bloomington Gold, and 2 Bloomington Special Collections. It’s been featured in Vette Vues magazine and participated in the 75th anniversary Monterrey historics. It’s being offered from the John Justo collection with copious documentation, awards, and restoration photos.

Lot S113: 8,500-mile unrestored 1967 427/435 Coupe – We first saw the “Vault Find” 1967 Corvette at the 2017 Mecum Indy auction where it sold for $675,000 from the original owner’s family. The Marina Blue on blue 435hp coupe remains in unrestored, original condition with just 8,533 miles on the odometer. The option list includes the 435hp engine, M21 4-speed, F41 suspension, and 4.11 rear end. It’s never been shown or judged and comes documented with the window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, and car shipper.

Lot S237: 1966 Pilot Line L88 Coupe – This Sting Ray is one of the “Four Kings,” 1966 Corvette factory racers. It’s the first known Corvette factory-prepared for Luigi Chinetti’s NART team, the first built with shoulder harnesses, and the second to be fitted with the cowl-induction fresh air hood. The intent was to test aluminum cylinder heads and other racing bits in the 1966 Sebring 12 hours. Pedro Rodriguez and Mario Andretti were to be the drivers, but they ended up in one of Chinetti’s Ferrari’s instead. Future pilots included Harold Whims, Don Yenko, John Finger, and John “Sam” Henderson. They completed at many notable tracks such as Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte Motor Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Marlboro Motor Raceway, and Road Atlanta among others. The L88 engine sports a 1965-dated intake manifold and January 1966 dated aluminum cylinder heads. Other track-spec options include heater and defroster delete, radio delete, F41 suspension, Positraction rear axle, heavy-duty brakes, transistor ignition, M22 4-speed, and a 36 gallon gas tank. It’s extensively documented and has been shown at numerous national events over the last decade including 2014 and 2020 Bloomington Gold Collections, 2016 MCACN Corvette Legends Invitational, and the 2014 Corvettes at Carlisle Race Car Reunion.

Mecum’s monster 2022 Kissimmee auction will take place January 6th-16th at the Osceola Heritage Park. MotorTrend TV, MotorTrend+, and Discovery will have live coverage Wednesday, January 12th – Saturday, January 15th. Approximately 3,500 cars are expected. Keep an eye here and on the Mecum website as new additions are being added daily.

Source:
Mecum Auctions

Kansas Highway Patrol Seizes 1959 Corvette from ‘Innocent Owner’ and Now Wants to Destroy It

August 29, 2021 admin

When Richard Martinez bought a 1959 Corvette for $50,000 from an Indiana dealer in 2016, the Kansas man didn’t realize he still wouldn’t have possession of the vehicle five years later.

After buying the car, Martinez took it to a Kansas Highway Patrol station for a mandated inspection, but the KHP seized his classic Corvette because of vehicle identification number issues, including an issue with a VIN plate located in a non-public, “secret” location visible to the KHP only by looking under the car with a mirror.

The government concedes Martinez did nothing wrong, that he “was not aware of the [VIN] issues and defects,” and that there is “no question” he is “an innocent owner.” Instead of returning the car, though, the government has spent years trying to destroy it.

That’s where the Kansas Justice Institute, a non-profit, public-interest litigation firm committed to defending against government overreach and abuse, stepped in.

A trial in the case Kansas Highway Patrol v. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette started before a court instead of a jury on July 21, and KHI subsequently filed an amicus brief on Aug. 18 in the District Court of Johnson County, urging the court to protect the private property rights of a vehicle owner, someone recognized by the KHP as innocent.

“Asset forfeiture is when the government takes a person’s property without a criminal conviction. In some cases, the person is never even charged with a crime, as was the case with Mr. Martinez,” KJI Litigation Director Sam MacRoberts said.

MacRoberts says asset forfeiture is bad enough, “but it’s especially bad in this case because the government admits Mr. Martinez did nothing wrong.”

Even though the KHP acknowledges Martinez’s innocence, they still argue that the Corvette must be taken from him as “contraband,” based on Kansas laws.

“When the government knows someone is innocent, they shouldn’t use their power and resources to take their property. Kansas’ forfeiture laws are to blame. The United States and Kansas Constitutions do not permit the government to acknowledge a person’s innocence, on the one hand, and then with the other, declare the innocent person’s property ‘contraband’ and take it,” MacRoberts said.

The Kansas laws to which he refers say that every motor vehicle with a VIN that has been destroyed, removed, abused, or defaced is automatically deemed contraband and subject to forfeiture.

“The government should not get to destroy an innocent person’s car,” MacRoberts said.

In the brief, the KJI pointed out a warning to Congress from former U.S. Representative Henry Hyde that “our civil asset-forfeiture laws are being used in terribly unjust ways,” that Representative Deborah Pryce of Ohio “recognized that civil asset forfeiture laws, at their core, deny basic due process, and the American people have reason to be offended and concerned by the abuse,” and that in recent decades civil forfeiture has “become widespread and highly profitable,” with the practice becoming “a veritable addiction for federal, state, and local officials across the country.”

Source:
Kansas Justice Institute via WIBW.com

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Corvettes on eBay: Highly Optioned 1956 Corvette with 225-HP Dual Quad V8

July 5, 2020 admin

While the 1956 Corvette is considered to be a C1 or first-generation model, it still marked the first reskin of Chevy’s fiberglass sports car, with several mechanical improvements as well.

Though only 3,467 Corvettes left the St. Louis factory that year, that number represented a huge turnaround for Chevy, which had managed to sell just 700 Corvettes in 1955 and was close to pulling the plug.

But the ’56 saved the Corvette with many improvements, including a new body design, roll-up glass windows with power windows optional, external door handles and locks, exposed headlights with chrome surround bezels (except painted bezels on the very early cars), and the iconic sculptured side cove that has come to symbolize the Corvette.

With so many updates and its relative rarity, it’s no surprise that a highly optioned 1956 is currently drawing lots of attention on ebay right now. With 30 bids placed and the auction not ending until Wednesday at 9 p.m., the offer has already climbed to $35,500, with the reserve still not met, however.

Hagerty says a #1 Concours condition ’56 is worth $105,000, with a #2 Excellent car worth $73,300, a #3 Good $42,500, and a #4 Fair $30,600.

Based on the current owner’s admission, the car “looks much better in pics the black paint is not that nice in person.” By the way, this Corvette’s original color of Cascade Green was the rarest that year, with just 290 receiving that attractive color. We think it would look nice with a repaint in that shade.

But despite that self-degradation by the seller, this Corvette does have a long list of optional equipment going for it, including Dual Quad 225 HP Engine, Powerglide Automatic Transmission, Power Windows, Power Folding Top, Auxiliary Hardtop, AM Radio, Windshield Washers, and Parking Brake Warning Light. The power windows are the rarest option, with just 547 so equipped, but the other options weren’t too rare as 3,070 had the Dual Quad Engine, a surprising 2,682 had the Power Folding Top, 2,717 had the AM Radio, 2,815 came with the Windshield Washers (with the reservoir being a simple blue bag made of vinyl and vinyl-impregnated cloth, according to the Corvette Black Book), and 2,685 checked the Parking Brake Warning Light. Hard to believe those last two were options, but the ‘50s were a much simpler time, weren’t they.

The ’56 marked several firsts, including the auxiliary hardtop, seat belts as a dealer-installed accessory, transistorized radio, dual point distributors, and dual four-barrel carburetors.
Unfortunately, the seller can’t say for sure that the car came with dual quads, though he believes the fuel line location and three-bolt exhaust would seem to verify that. Currently, however, the car has been converted to a single carburetor.

Having all those options doesn’t necessarily translate into working condition today, however. “The car runs and drives,” the seller says, “but is NOT roadworthy” as the tires need to be replaced and the brake lights don’t work but come on when the headlight switch is pulled. Likewise, the headlights and turn signals aren’t operational, and the front is missing the wiring harness.

The interior of the car is its strong suit, with the seats, door panels, and dash already redone in tan, along with new carpet in place. Since the car has wiring problems, it wouldn’t be surprising if the gauges, though intact, weren’t operational.

What’s your opinion of this highly optioned Corvette that helped save the model for future owners?

Source:
eBay Motors via BarnFinds.com

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Tag Archives: C1

Corvette Auction Preview: Four More Corvettes to Make You Drool at Mecum Kissimmee 2022

Kansas Highway Patrol Seizes 1959 Corvette from ‘Innocent Owner’ and Now Wants to Destroy It

Corvettes on eBay: Highly Optioned 1956 Corvette with 225-HP Dual Quad V8

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