Nobody is immune to the Corvette bug, it can bite at any time, leaving victims afflicted for the rest of their days. Not even members of European royal families are invulnerable to the magnetism of America’s Sports Car.
Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, a member of the Swedish royal family whose royal resume also includes family ties to the Queens of Denmark and Greece fell prey to the ‘Vette allure in 1955 when he ordered a custom ’56 model.
Prince Bertil’s enthusiasm didn’t stop there either. One of his other Corvettes, this time an example from 1964, is currently for sale on Bring a Trailer with a high bid of $26,000 and two days left to bid.
The Prince’s Daytona Blue 1964 Corvette was brought back to the US from Denmark in the 2000’s. The car was born with an L75 327 and is currently powered by a 350ci V8 with a Holley 6104-3 Carb, Edelbrock Torker intake, Pertronix coil, and shorty headers all mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The convertible top is dark blue and the accompanying red removable hardtop, sourced from another car, creates a patriotic look. The custom wheels are 15 inch American Racing Torq-Thrusts wrapped in Falken Sincera tires dated 2017.
The Bertil ’64 has been the recipient of several resprays and appears to have been red at some point. It has also been repaired multiple times after accidents in the front and rear of the vehicle at points in its life.
The Duke of Halland’s 1964 Corvette has a great story but the next owners should have no hesitations about driving it as much as they want. It is far from concourse ready; the odometer and water-temp gauge don’t work and there is plenty of oxidation, paint chips, and stress fissures on both rear quarter panels and near one of the headlights but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mechanically, it has been taken good care of to the tune of $10,000. The rear leaf springs, trailing-arm bushings, rear strut-rod bushings, rear shock absorbers, power-steering hose, and power-steering fluid were all replaced in 2014 and during a recent service, the oil was changed and the engine’s operating temperature was checked by laser.
If you ask us, this is far cooler and will likely be a better buy than Princess Diana’s Rolls Royce that sold in March. But buyer beware! If this is your first Corvette, Prince Bertil’s condition is contagious and his old ’64 won’t be your last ‘Vette!
Source:
BringaTrailer.com
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