This Tuxedo Black 1958 Corvette convertible underwent a restoration in the 1990s, and it still looks to be in great condition three decades later as it goes up for sale on an online auction.
There seems to be some dispute about the exact number of Tuxedo Black Corvettes built in ’58. The Corvette Black Book reports that 493 Corvettes were painted that color, while an appraisal of the car says The Complete Corvette Restoration & Technical Guide, Volume 1, by Noland Adams suggests it could be one of only two black cars built that year.
A color photograph of the first owner standing with the car in March 1959 seems to confirm that the original color was indeed Tuxedo Black, though the appraiser says there were no codes back then to positively identify the original paint color. He adds, however, that factory workers wrote the color in green crayon in the trunk, behind a cardboard liner panel, on a right side vertical surface. For the appraisal, however, the cardboard was not removed, so it remains unclear if the crayon writing is still there or was removed during the restoration.
Regardless, the car was rated to be in “Very Good/Very Good+” condition by that appraiser back in 2019, and it appears to have been driven just three miles since. That could lead to some problems now with rubber hoses, tires, and the like, however.
The black paint, which was redone during that ‘90s restoration, is nicely accented with silver coves and a red interior that is in top-notch condition. Mechanically, the car has a 283 V8 mated with a three-speed manual transmission.
The seller bought the car from Corvette World nearly 30 years ago and says it had undergone a full frame-off professional restoration about 110 miles before he acquired it. A copy of the original sales invoice dated July 18, 1958 from Stohlman Chevrolet in Washington, D.C., reveals a base price of just $4,030, with optional equipment (heater, radio, and whitewall tires) adding $296.30 for a total of $4,326.30.
Nearly 67 years later, however, the car’s value has increased substantially as the current bid already has hit $45,000 on Bring a Trailer, with another six days to go in the auction.
How much do you think this quad-headlight debutante will wind up selling for?
Source:
Bring a Trailer
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