If you think it’s exciting to see the first all-wheel drive electric hybrid Corvette for 2024, take a trip back to 1957 when Chevy unveiled a couple of equally as exciting developments for the time – a Rochester fuel injection system and a four-speed manual transmission.
These two options may not be nearly as sophisticated as the new C8 E-Ray, but they still represented quite a leap in performance for Chevy’s fledgling sports car.
In case you weren’t around for that unveiling some 66 years ago, a bright red “Fuelie”’57 Corvette that rates as a nice survivor is being offered for sale at no reserve on Hemmings.com.
Only 713 of these 283/283 horsepower fuel-injected Corvettes were chosen by buyers that year, at a cost of $484.20. It’s not known whether this is the original engine because the VIN wasn’t stamped into the block by Chevy that year, but based on an appraisal of the car back in 2007 for an owner of nearly 25 years, it appears that the fuel injection unit has a good chance of being the correct one.
Nowadays, the car “starts up very easily” after the fuel injection unit has recently been rebuilt, according to the seller. Just press the throttle once, turn the key, and it starts.
As for the four-speed manual transmission, it’s said to be from a 1960 model and “shifts well with nothing unusual detected,” the seller notes.
It’s not known whether the car has ever been repainted, as it does have various chips and blemishes, but it still shows well in photos.
The matching red vinyl interior is described as being in “good condition” with “some wear and tear.” “The seat adjustments are in working order, and (a) piece of chrome trim is missing from the storage area between the seats,” he says. While the gauges and heater are functioning, the same can’t be said for the clock and Wonder Bar AM radio.
The frame, meanwhile, shows “some minor surface scale” but “components have been maintained and/or rebuilt over the years,” though he is not sure when or if any recent suspension work has been tackled. The bushings and shocks are rated “good,” and the brakes “operate well.”
With 13 days left in the auction, the current bid is $21,000 – well below the 2007 appraisal value of $150,000!
Source:
Hemmings.com
Related:
Corvettes for Sale: Slash’s Former 1966 Corvette is Up for Grabs Once Again
Corvettes for Sale: Fuelie 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible Hits Bring a Trailer
Corvettes for Sale: ‘Picture-Perfect’ Black 1998 Corvette Coupe on Craigslist
Subscribe Now:
-
