Gregor Wenner
Specialist Consultant
LOT 183
1960 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Roadster with hardtop Chassis no. J59S107105
Sold for €149,500 inc. premium
Lot 183
Invoices for over €650,000 from Bart Holland Restorations
1960 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Roadster with hardtop
1960 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Roadster with hardtop
1960 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Roadster with hardtop
Chassis no. J59S107105
Chassis no. J59S107105
• Iconic American sports car
• 4.6-litre V8 engine
• Automatic transmission
• Comprehensively restored over 6 years between 2011 and 2017
• Registered in Belgium
Back in 1953, Chevrolet's launch of a two-seater sports car was a radical departure for a marque hitherto associated almost exclusively with sensible family transport. Based on the 1952 EX-122 show car, the Corvette made use of existing GM running gear and a shortened chassis frame, around which was wrapped striking Harley Earl-styled glassfibre coachwork. Motive power came from Chevrolet's 235.5ci (3.8-litre) overhead-valve straight six and, unusually for a sports car, there was automatic transmission, a feature that attracted much adverse criticism at the time.
Intended as competition for the T-Series MG, the Corvette cost way above the target figure, ending up in Jaguar XK120 territory, but with an inferior performance. Sales were sluggish initially and the model came close to being axed, surviving thanks to Chevrolet's need to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. A V8 engine for 1955 and a radical re-style for '56 consolidated the 'Vette's position in the market. A facelift for 1958 saw the Corvette gain a quartet of chrome-rimmed headlamps and a host of other more minor styling changes. Perhaps not surprisingly, alterations for '59 and '60 were few, though one welcome change was the deletion of the 1958 model's fake hood louvres.
By this time, the end of the 1950s, Corvettes had begun to establish an enviable competition record for the marque. Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov was a big fan of auto racing, and it was he that was responsible for unlocking the car's innate potential and development it into a genuine race-winner. These racing successes repaid Chevrolet's investment with interest: Corvette sales improved significantly, ensuring the car's survival and enabling it to go on to become the world's best-selling and longest-lived sports car.
This '59 Corvette roadster has the 283ci (4.6-litre) V8, first introduced for 1957. The car was purchased in 2011 by a prominent Belgian collector, who expects nothing less than perfection for his cars. While with this previous owner the Corvette was treated to a spectacular restoration by Bart Holland that took from 2011 to 2017 to complete and cost over €650,000. Notable features include epoxy coated chassis; electric convertible hood; electric windows; air conditioning; and power-assisted steering. Benefitting from all those practical features and offered complete with hardtop, this beautiful Corvette can be treated like a modern daily driver. The car comes with Belgian registration papers; an original operation manual; Certificate of Conformity (2012); and a complete - and very thick - file of all restoration invoices.
• 4.6-litre V8 engine
• Automatic transmission
• Comprehensively restored over 6 years between 2011 and 2017
• Registered in Belgium
Back in 1953, Chevrolet's launch of a two-seater sports car was a radical departure for a marque hitherto associated almost exclusively with sensible family transport. Based on the 1952 EX-122 show car, the Corvette made use of existing GM running gear and a shortened chassis frame, around which was wrapped striking Harley Earl-styled glassfibre coachwork. Motive power came from Chevrolet's 235.5ci (3.8-litre) overhead-valve straight six and, unusually for a sports car, there was automatic transmission, a feature that attracted much adverse criticism at the time.
Intended as competition for the T-Series MG, the Corvette cost way above the target figure, ending up in Jaguar XK120 territory, but with an inferior performance. Sales were sluggish initially and the model came close to being axed, surviving thanks to Chevrolet's need to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. A V8 engine for 1955 and a radical re-style for '56 consolidated the 'Vette's position in the market. A facelift for 1958 saw the Corvette gain a quartet of chrome-rimmed headlamps and a host of other more minor styling changes. Perhaps not surprisingly, alterations for '59 and '60 were few, though one welcome change was the deletion of the 1958 model's fake hood louvres.
By this time, the end of the 1950s, Corvettes had begun to establish an enviable competition record for the marque. Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov was a big fan of auto racing, and it was he that was responsible for unlocking the car's innate potential and development it into a genuine race-winner. These racing successes repaid Chevrolet's investment with interest: Corvette sales improved significantly, ensuring the car's survival and enabling it to go on to become the world's best-selling and longest-lived sports car.
This '59 Corvette roadster has the 283ci (4.6-litre) V8, first introduced for 1957. The car was purchased in 2011 by a prominent Belgian collector, who expects nothing less than perfection for his cars. While with this previous owner the Corvette was treated to a spectacular restoration by Bart Holland that took from 2011 to 2017 to complete and cost over €650,000. Notable features include epoxy coated chassis; electric convertible hood; electric windows; air conditioning; and power-assisted steering. Benefitting from all those practical features and offered complete with hardtop, this beautiful Corvette can be treated like a modern daily driver. The car comes with Belgian registration papers; an original operation manual; Certificate of Conformity (2012); and a complete - and very thick - file of all restoration invoices.
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