1954 Chevrolet Corvette

Estimate: $50,000 - $70,000

status

Unsold

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At a Glance

Location
Wixom, MI
Vehicle Make/Model
Chevrolet Corvette C1
Vin No.
E54S001111

Exterior
Polo White
Interior
Sportsman Red
Mileage
67,000 miles
Engine
Blue-Flame Inline-6

Transmission
2-Speed PowerGlide Automatic
Suspension
Independent Front Suspension, Live Rear Axle with Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
Brakes
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

The 1954 Corvette

The 1950’s brought heavy demand for American sport cars, prompted by the post war enthusiasm of American GI’s returning from the war looking for cars reminiscent of the small British roadsters they had seen overseas. Influenced by those cars and the European road racing circuits they campaigned on, Harley Earl came up with the initial design and concept, and then had the General Manager for Chevrolet, Ed Cole, develop the project that eventually became the Corvette.

The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette offered here comes from the first full model-year that Corvettes were finished in Polo white with a red interior, powered by the Tri-Power Blue Flame straight six, and two-speed automatic transmission. Recording just three owners to date, this Corvette remained with its first owner for 28 years before selling the car to Marshall Robbins, owner of Robbins Seatbelt, in April of 1982. Mr. Robbins kept the car in his collection until it was sold to the current owner in 2020.

Today, this 1954 Corvette presents beautifully in original form, with no modification or change from stock specification. The seller states that the polo white exterior and red upholstery are original to the car, having never been restored, while the drivetrain and suspension were refurbished sometime in the late 1970’s. Over the last 40 years, less than 7,000 miles have been put on the chassis. While true mileage is unknown, it’s believed that this Corvette has travelled roughly 67,000 miles since new. The car also retains its original spare tire, jack, and comes with the correct owner’s manual.

Exterior

The stock Corvette body is, of course, molded fiberglass, painted here in Polo white, one of four colors available for the Corvette from the factory in 1954. The paint itself is believed to be all original, with great patina while showing remarkably few blemishes or imperfections. On the nose, there are some minor scratches on the front valence panel below the passenger side headlight, and a couple of minor chips, but is mostly clean.

Interior

The red interior of this Corvette is in very presentable survivor condition. The seats are original, and show some sign of use, and the passenger seat stitching is separating at the seam, along the piping at the leading edge of the seating insert. Other than that, the interior is straight and clean. The dash top is straight and free of cracks, and the gauges are all present and functioning. The chrome trim has some minor pitting, but is straight and correct, with no modifications.

Drive Train

The only powertrain available for the Corvette in 1954 was the 3.9-liter, 239 ci Tri-Power Blue Flame six-cylinder engine, and the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. This example received a through mechanical restoration in 1976, with the odometer reset to zero at that time, and has only driven 8,555 miles since that work was performed.