With custom garages constantly coming out with new interpretations of the thing, and collectors going out of their way to purchase them.
That means there’s quite a number of such vehicles to go around, in various conditions, and the fight is to offer something that is truly unique. The one we have here is not exactly that, but comes extremely close.
What you’re looking at is the 30th split window made by Chevrolet back in 1963, and according to its current owner, one of only six from that batch to have survived to this day.
When new, the car was in possession of an unnamed GM executive, who would go on and sell it in 1970 to a private collector for just $1,500 (about $10,000 in today’s money). The car had been driven quite a bit by that time (and probably a bit since as well), as it now shows 87,500 miles (141,000 km) on the clock.
For a good portion of its life, this Corvette was stored in a climate-controlled garage, and was cared for to the point it was coated in petroleum jelly to preserve it. The car was never restored, and aside from the new tires it wears, it still has all the original equipment on.
That includes the powertrain, comprising the matching numbers 327ci (5.4-liter) engine good for 300 hp, and the 4-speed transmission used to control that troop.
This rare Corvette is listed for sale during the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, in January next year. We are not being told how much the current owner expects to fetch for it, but as one of the stars of the event, we don’t expect it to go cheap.