1959 Corvette Fuelie*
The Chevrolet Corvette (C1) is the first generation of Corvette Sports Car produced by Chevrolet. It was introduced late in the 1953 model year, and produced through 1962. It is commonly referred to as the “solid-axle” generation, as the independent rear suspension did not appear until the 1963 Sting Ray. The Corvette was rushed into production for its debut model year to capitalize on the enthusiastic public reaction to the concept vehicle, but expectations for the new model were largely unfulfilled. Reviews were mixed and sales fell far short of expectations through the car’s early years. The program was nearly canceled, but Chevrolet decided to make necessary improvements.
The 1959 Corvette featured slight changes from the previous model. The new edition boasted clean, pure styling, due to the loss of unneeded chrome and hood louvers. It was overall, mechanically unchanged from 1958. Several other design changes were introduced including new Magic-Mirror acrylic lacquer finish to keep it looking brilliant for years to come, and a luxurious cockpit that was designed for navigator comfort. A new instrument panel with glare-reducing, concave instruments was introduced. The seats and door panels were redesigned, and the addition of a shelf under the dash was new for 1959. The ’59 offered a variety of power teams engineered for driving fun.
This car had a complete body-off restoration and was judged a 98.0 point NCRS Top Flite award winner in 2000. It was powered by a Fuel Injected 283-290 HP motor with T-10 4 speed Transmission. It had a red exterior with white coves, and red Interior.
Other factory options included a White convertible top, Heater, Transisitorized Wonderbar Radio, Windshield washer, Sunshades, White wall tires and Fuel Injection Rebuilt by Jack Podell.
This car was featured in several magazines around the world, which explains the model in some of the photos!
