Corvettes for Sale: 1953 Corvette Offered on eBay

It’s always big news whenever one of the first 300 Corvettes ever built goes on the auction block.

After all, these are the cars that started it all.

One of those rare 1953 Corvettes is now being offered on eBay, where bidding is scheduled to end next Saturday morning. The seller is asking for an opening bid of $100,000, but at the time of this writing, no one had stepped forward to make that first bid.

The listing shows the Corvette’s VIN to be E53F001076 which means it was assembled earlier in the limited model year run.

Every one of those first-year Corvettes left the factory looking pretty much the same — Polo White with a red interior and powered by Chevrolet’s 235 “Blue Flame” inline-six.

This example has been repainted in the original-style white and features the unmistakable early Corvette appearance, including its curved windshield, chrome grille, wire mesh headlight covers, three-piece rear bumper and dual exhaust outlets exiting through the rear valance. A black convertible top provides some contrast to the white fiberglass body.

Those first Corvettes weren’t exactly tire-smoking muscle cars, of course.

The Blue Flame six used three Carter YH side-draft carburetors and was rated at 150 horsepower and 223 lb-ft of torque when new. Like all 1953 Corvettes, power was routed through a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.

Red-finished 15-inch steel wheels add another splash of color and wear polished covers with faux knock-off spinners. They’re wrapped in 6.70-inch Firestone Deluxe Champion tires.

Underneath, the Corvette uses independent front suspension with hydraulic shocks, while a live rear axle rides on semi-elliptical leaf springs. Four-wheel drum brakes handle the stopping duties.

Inside is perhaps the classic color combination most Corvette enthusiasts immediately associate with the car that launched America’s sports car, a combo that continues to inspire owners even on today’s C8 models.

The bucket seats are covered in red vinyl, complemented by a matching dash pad and door panels. There’s also a dash-mounted rearview mirror, analog clock, floor-mounted shifter and polished door sills. Based on the photos, the car appears to be in excellent condition inside and out.

But one number in the listing is particularly eye-catching: 94.

That’s what the five-digit odometer currently shows. But before anyone starts dreaming about discovering a 94-mile 1953 Corvette, the seller makes no claim that the figure represents the car’s actual mileage. Total mileage is listed as unknown, so we figure the 94 represents how far it’s traveled since the restoration.

The seller says he’s owned the car for more than five years and describes it as being in great condition.

Of course, a six-figure opening bid is a substantial starting point, even for a first-year Corvette. But only 300 were built in 1953, making any surviving example an important piece of Corvette history.

And that’s really what makes this car special.

It isn’t just an old Corvette.

It’s one of the 300 cars that started a story that’s still being written by Chevrolet more than seven decades later.

Source:
eBay Motors

Related:
Corvettes for Sale: 1969 Corvette Convertible with a 427 V8 and 4-Speed Transmission on BaT
Corvettes for Sale: 59-Years-Family-Owned 1965 Corvette Coupe with a 396/425 Offered on BaT
Corvettes for Sale: SEMA 1963 Corvette Pro-Touring Coupe with a 427 and a 6-Speed Manual on Hemmings

Subscribe Now: