Restored 1960 Corvette is a Rolling Piece of Automotive History

Early Corvette might not offer modern performance, but this iconic design will never go out of style.

While flipping through the listings on Bring-A-Trailer for the Corvette, we came across this stunning example of a first generation car. The car has undergone a complete frame-off restoration “years ago,” but this little red Corvette looks like it could have just rolled off of the showroom floor. Inside and outside, top to bottom and front to back, this C1 appears to be in like-new condition, even though it is nearly 60-years-old.

Clean Corvettes from the C1 generation are getting harder and harder to find, as so many went under the knife to be transformed into street rods or race cars, making a car like this hard to find. However, with some hunting there are clean, unmolested first generation Vettes on the market, as is displayed in this auction post.

270 Horsepower C1

This 1960 Chevrolet Corvette came from the factory with a 283-cubic inch V8 under the hood, sending 270 horsepower towards the rear wheels by means of a four-speed manual transmission. When this car was restored, the exact same engine was not used, but the builder did install an era-correct replacement of the same size and specifications, including the two four-barrel carburetor setup. Corvette buyers back in 1960 who opted for the 270-horsepower V8 also got a “high-rev tachometer” and a three-spoke steering wheel, both of which were retained during the rebuild.

Roman Red

While the Corvette has been offered in all sorts of colors over the years, it is hard to argue that the classic Chevy sports car looks best in bright red. This car is painted Roman Red, to be exact, while the coves behind the front wheels are finished in bright white. When the body was painted, all of the chrome was refinished as well, so aside from a few stone chips here and there, this car looks like it did the day that it rolled off of the assembly line.

In addition to the red-and-white paint scheme coupled with the fresh chrome trim, this Corvette has the correct wheels and polished hubcaps, along with some era-correct tires with massive white wall trim.

The Cockpit

On the inside, this Corvette has black carpeting and leather, along with new stainless steel door panels and a new Wonder Bar radio. Of course, it has the correct manual transmission shifter and, as mentioned above, this car has the high performance steering wheel and tachometer.

In other words, if you are looking for a clean 1960 Corvette, you want a car like this one.

The only bad news here is that this Corvette has sold for a price of $66,000, which means that if you fell in love with it while reading this piece, you are too late to bid. However, this auction listing provides a great idea of what a restored-to-factory condition C1 Corvette is worth on today’s market.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com