1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1

The Corvette C1 offered today is a 1959 model and features the 4.6-litre V8 engine with a desirable four-speed manual gearbox. The car is presented in white bodywork over red leatherette interior and is in generally solid original condition, though it will require some recommissioning works before it can be driven on the road.

The Corvette on offer is presented in white bodywork, which is most likely the original colour in which this example left the factory in 1959. The paint has suffered over time and is cracked in various locations. Please consult the picture gallery to get a full picture of the damages. The chrome trim on the other hand is in decent condition without notable rust or very bad spots of tarnish. In order to get the chromes looking like new again, they should probably be disassembled, at which point the new owner might also want to consider a partial or complete respray of the body. It will depend on your personal preferences. The lights all around appear to be in nice condition and do not need any works or replacing. The same can be said about the glass surfaces of the vehicle. The wheels show the same amount of patina than the bodywork, but are in decent condition. We would advise you to mount new tires before putting the car back on the road as we do not know how old the ones currently mounted are.

The interior of our Corvette is in nice original condition overall with some normal traces of wear. The seats, in red leatherette, are well presented and appear to have been recently re-upholstered. The carpets are clean and without damages. The door panels are most likely original and are very well preserved and do not need anything apart from good care for the years to come. The dashboard and instruments, also in very original condition, have a nice amount of patina and present well. Some tarnish is visible on the chrome trim around the tachometer. An interesting aspect of the interior is the service sticker inside the left-hand door sill: it dates from 1963 when the car was only four years old and should definitely be preserved! The only notable defect that we could spot inside the car is that the rubber surrounding the gear-lever has decomposed of the years, an easy fix.

From underneath, the C1 makes a solid impression. There is some grime and dirt a bit all over the undercarriage of the Corvette, but the chassis does not appear to be attacked by rust. The suspension and brakes probably need some attention before the car is driveable or MOT presentable, but that should not require major interventions. The engine bay does not appear to have been subject to many modifications, though we cannot confirm whether the engine is the original unit or not. The radiator has been recently overhauled or replaced. We would encourage any potential buyer to inspect the car in person to confirm the impression you get from the pictures and the video in the gallery. A definite plus of these vehicles is that their engines are very robust and easy to maintain with spare parts readily available.

Little is known about the early history of our C1, but the car was delivered new to the USA and in 1984, it was purchased by James F. Morgan Jr from Florida. It appears that Mr Morgan would keep the Corvette for a total of 26 years before selling it in the USA in 2010. The car has since found its way to Europe and is now being offered from a German collection. It is presented in its elegant colour combination of white over red and is in generally very original condition.

The Corvette C1 is a legendary performance car and has really put the US on the map as sports car producer in the 1950s and 1960s, becoming a symbol of the post-War economic upswing in the United States of America. The C1 featured a very recognizable and unique design complemented by lots of chrome and impressive engine performance. The example on offer is a 1959 example fitted with the desirable manual gearbox. The vehicle is presented in original condition and would only need a bit of love and mechanical attention before it can roar again on European roads. An opportunity not to be missed.

We estimate this car to fetch between €65,000 - €75,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in 40699 Erkrath, Germany. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.