1954 Chevrolet Corvette in St. Louis, Missouri

Vehicle Description

Full body-off-frame restoration in 2010 with all new paint, interior, rebuilt drivetrain and driveline! Coming out of California originally, this no-hit & rust free example was protected in a dry Tacoma, WA garage for 30 years before the restoration began! A great investment and driver! In 1951, the initial seed was planted at GM by the legendary Harley Earl, creator of the GM Art and Color department which was the predecessor to automobile styling departments around the world. Although essentially classified as a Harley Earl design, the first Corvette was actually sketched up by a young stylist named Bob McLean for the 1953 Motorama. Over the next several months the Corvette quickly took shape in the form of a clay model in late 1952 and shortly thereafter, a running prototype finished just in time for the show. By the end of 1953 the first production Corvettes rolled off the "line" in Flint, Michigan, essentially hand built cars, the 1953s are the rarest of all Corvettes with only 300 units produced. In 1954, production moved to St. Louis, Missouri to a new facility capable of building hundreds of cars per month. Although people loved the new Corvette, 1954 sales were slow and more than 1,100 units still sat on showroom floors at the end of the model year! Faced with sluggish sales, GM's top brass panicked and almost ended Corvette before it had a chance to get started. The introduction of the V-8 in 1955 saved the Corvette and breathed new life into the model, sales rocketed and the legendary automotive milestone was assured a bright and prosperous future. Finished in Sportsman Red with Red interior, this late production classic 1954 Chevrolet Corvette features a 1954 date-coded 235ci Blue Flame 150 Tri-carb 6-cylinder, heater, full instrumentation, parking brake alarm, turn signals, courtesy light, windshield washer, Power Glide automatic transmission, 6.70-15 whitewall tires with full wheel covers, front license plate bracket, cowl vent, and correct Deluxe Electromatic signal seeking radio in the stock locataion (new Custom AutoSound Secret Audio FM radio hidden under dash). This Corvette survives remarkably from the west coast where it spent the better part of its life in California. Our records start in San Anselmo, CA with owner Hollis Burton in 1973, who later moved the car to Sunnyvale, CA. He finally sold the car in 1979 to Frank Morris when it was still factory polo white with a custom black interior. Mr. Morris was based in Tacoma, WA who had sincere intentions of restoring the car one day. He only got as far as removing the exterior chrome and trim before electing to sell the car to local Corvette enthusiast Dave Ferrando in early 2009. In body-off fashion, Mr. Ferrando spent the next 2 years properly restoring the car in nut-and-bolt fashion! He took great care is providing a binder full of pictures of the process, and another with parts receipts from Corvette Central, Classic Corvette Parts, and Grossmueller Classic Covettes. It was finished in late 2010 with a PPG base coat/ clear coat finish and all new Al Knoch interior, all new chrome & bright work, all new wiring, new weather stripping, rebuilt drivetrain, suspension, and fuel system! It was enjoyed for several years, then sold back to a Los Angeles, CA collector in 2015. It continues to show very well today, and start and drive exceptionally well! Having been correctly restored, this classic Corvette shows well in person with a very original appearance! Because these first generation Corvettes were essentially hand built at the factory, they were known for cosmetic flaws and body panel alignment imperfections. Today, many of these cars have been "over-restored" which, according to many, is a detraction from the collector value and visceral hand built character that has made these early Vettes so desirable. This one is no exception featuring a solid no-hit body, and solid rust free chassis! With only 3,640 produced, and all equipped exactly the same, this 1954 Corvette is among the rarest and sought after of American favorites! And for many represent one of the most collectible and investment worthy cars available to enthusiasts today. For the extremely savvy collector or investor, there will be few such opportunities to acquire such an affordable example of this special car in all the years of appreciation to come! With prices of fresh restored examples exceeding $100,000, acquiring a drivable and exceptionally clean original like this is truly a unique find. This exceptional Corvette is in excellent cosmetic and mechanical condition and can be driven right off the showroom floor. Seatbelts have been added for safety. All cars are advertised locally and nationally. St. Louis Car Museum reserves the right to end any listing early upon receipt of deposit. Please do not hesitate to call us with questions or to discuss securing a vehicle.