We are looking at a 1955 Harvest Gold Corvette that crossed the auction block at the Mecum Indy 2022 auction. This Bloomington Gold Certified, Top Flight 1955 Harvest Gold Corvette bid up to $155,000 at the Mecum Indy 2022 auction but did not sell.
In our previous blog post, we listed the 275 Corvettes that were available May 13-21, 2022, with their lot numbers so you can check on the Corvette for Sale of your interest.
The C1 Corvette ran from 1953 through 1962. We will look at the first three years of the first-generation Corvette. 1953 saw a production total of 300 roadsters, 1954 they produced 3,640 and 1955 there were only 700 produced.
The question is asked, what are the values of a C1 Corvette and its first body style.
According to Hagerty’s website, if you would love to have one of the very first Corvettes, 1953 in fair condition is worth just under $130,000, and in Concours condition, it’s worth over $300,000.
But you can get a 1954 or 1955 for much less, and the body style is essentially the same.
In looking at 1954, according to Hagerty, a 1954 Corvette in fair condition is worth just under $39,000, and in Concours condition, it’s worth around $170,000.
1955 still looks like the ’53 Corvette, but it was now available with the small-block V8. According to Hagerty, the 1955 base Roadster V8 with the 265/195hp 4bbl in fair condition is worth just under $56,000, and in Concours condition, it’s worth over $185,000.
Looking at the Mecum Indianapolis auction 2022, there are not any 1953s registered. However, Mecum has two 1954s, one is a custom (F264), and the other is a Hand-built to replicate the GM Motorama Corvair Coupe Concept car (Lot S271) (You can see some photos of the Motorama Replica Corvair Coupe in our article on the C1 and C2 Body Kits).
1955 Harvest Gold Corvette
The car we are looking at is Lot F142, one of 120 Harvest Gold 1955 Corvettes built. This Corvette is the first year of the V-8 in Corvette, a catch-your-eye color combination, and numerous prestigious awards in a low production model year, making it a rare collectible car.
Not only is this 1955 Corvette Bloomington Gold Certified, it is the recipient of the NCRS Top Flight Award, proving that this car has passed the rigorous judging standards for restoration correctness and quality.
Here are Lot F142 1955 Harvest Gold Corvette Highlights:
ESTIMATED VALUE: $190,000 – $225,000
- Bloomington Gold Certified
- NCRS Top Flight Award
- 1 of 120 Harvest Gold Corvettes built in 1955
- Fewer than 500 miles since the restoration
- First-year for the V-8 engine in a Corvette
- 265/195 HP V-8 engine
- 4-barrel carburetor
- Chrome valve covers and air cleaner
- Powerglide automatic transmission
- Harvest Gold with Yellow interior and Green soft top
- 15-inch yellow-painted steel wheels
- Full-size spinner wheel covers
- Firestone Deluxe Champion wide whitewall tires
- 1 of 700 only Corvettes produced total in 1955
The Corvette has had its share of ups and downs since it was first introduced in 1953. The ’55 model year Corvette finally got the upgrade it needed—a V-8 engine. Actually, the entire Chevrolet model lineup received the new 265 CI V-8, and it immediately turned everyone’s attention to the Bowtie.
The 265 CI V-8 engine in the lighter Corvette proved more potent than the full-sized cars. With a 4-barrel carburetor, it produced 195 HP at 5,000 RPM with 260 lb-ft of torque at 3,000. It would do enough to shake up the laid-back coupe and go from 0-60 MPH in 8.7 seconds and from 0-100 MPH in 24.7 seconds. This was a remarkable development for those used to driving standard 6-cylinder Chevrolets.
So what other colors were available on the 1955 Corvette?
There were 325 Polo White 1955 Corvette, the Pennant Blue sold 45 units on the 1955 Chevrolet Corvette, Corvette Copper only sole 15, Gypsy Red was 180 55 Corvettes and the Harvest Gold was 120 which accounted for a little over 17% of the 1955 Chevrolet Corvettes.
What transmission was available on the 1955 Chevy Corvettes?
Most 1955 V8 Corvettes came with the automatic; but toward the end of the model year, a three-speed manual transmission became available and around 75 Corvette cars were equipped with it.
What engine was in the bast 1955 Corvette?
1955 Base Corvette with six-cylinder engine cost $2,774.00. Quantity: 7 while the Base Corvette with 265 cu. in. 195 hp V8 engine cost $2,909.00. Quantity: 693
This is your chance to own a very rare, Harvest Gold 1955 Corvette. Good Luck!
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