Back in the spring of 2022 we brought you the story of the 1954 Shop Order 2151 Corvette. At that time, it was fresh out of an intensive restoration after having been lost for many years. Now, it’s surfaced again en route to Gooding and Co’s Pebble Beach auction on August 18th and 19th.
The car’s interesting history begins with Shop Order 2000 which created up to 2 pale yellow hardtop Corvette prototypes. That car and others traveled the country as part of the famous Motorama tour. Later, in 1954, it’s believed the body of this car was designated for use on Shop Order 2151 where it would be repainted Bermuda Green from its previous yellow and serve as a platform for future Corvette styling proposals. One of the neat features of this car is that it shows different styling features on each side of the car. This gave management 2 different options to choose from.
After its S.O 2151 duties were complete, the car disappeared until 1963 when it was sold to a dealership in San Jose, California. A year later in 1974 a Chevrolet dealer owner and Corvette collector in Novato, California, purchased the now basket case Corvette. While the paint and many of prototype features were missing, the car still retained its prominent fender vents, drivetrain, and riveted S.O. 2151 tag.
In 1975 the owner listed the car in Hemmings Motor News where it was subsequently purchased by a gentleman named George Campbell. He held the car for 40+ years while acquiring parts, researching history, and planning the intensive restoration. After Mr. Campbell passed away, the current owner was able to acquire the car and perform the 1,800-hour restoration.
During the restoration several early 1953 features were found like mesh cloth in the fiberglass body panels and the 1-piece body design. Jerry Heasley’s 2022 video points out several clues which also indicate that the body was the EX-129 show car.
We even stumbled across this car at Bloomington Gold in 2014 where it was being presented as 1953 VIN 009. Turns out, no one is really sure where that designation came from. What we do know is that, upon removing the body from the frame, a 1954 VIN and frame was found. Under S.O. 2151 the body from EX-129 was removed and placed on a 1954 chassis. Today the car once again sports its Bermuda Green paint that was first applied under Shop Order 2151. It’s also got a red motor instead of the usual Blue Flame 6. Outside we see big gills on either side of the front fenders with each side being slightly different than the other. There’s also a big chrome hood scoop and a wild “hump” on the trunk. The exhaust exits through the rear bumpers which is a feature that didn’t make production until 1956.
Since completion of the restoration, the car has been shown publicly just once at the 2023 Amelia where it claimed the prestigious Founders Award from Bill Warner.
You now have the opportunity to put this significant piece of Corvette history in your garage next month at the Gooding and Co Pebble Beach Auction where it’s consigned as Lot 61. Give your banker a call first as the pre-auction estimate is $1,500,000 – $2,000,000.
Source:
goodingco.com via The Drive
Related:
[VIDEO] 1954 Shop Order #2151 Styling Corvette Revealed After Lengthy Restoration
[PICS] Bloomington Gold 2014 – 1953 Corvette VIN 009
[PICS] 1962 Shop Order Styling Corvette at Amelia Island
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