Top 10 Rare Corvette Colors
It is the general consensus, and statistically accurate, to say the vast majority of Corvettes are red for any given year, generation, or body style. The lone exception to this rule would be the very first 1953 Corvettes, which we all know were only offered in white. But once red was introduced for 1954, it has been the all-time favorite color to have. The official book about the birth of the C5 ‘Vette is actually called “All Corvettes are Red”.
Other colors are available of course, and some over the years have been extremely striking. A Corvette always sets you apart from the crowd on the road or at the mall parking lot, but these colors will even set you apart when you get together with your Corvette owning buddies at a Corvette-only car meet. An important thing to note, until 1963 GM didn’t bother to indicate the original color of the car anywhere. The only way to prove that your rare first generation color is the original choice is to document what colors you find under places like the window trim, and up under the dashboard.
1. 1954-55 C1 Corvette Pennant Blue
Starting with the early cars first, some sources report that only a few hundred rolled off the line with this medium blue color, applied to them in 1954 and part of 1955. Sales of the early C1 ‘Vette were so small that all of the cars are rare, but the blue ones are widely considered the rarest. Reports are that four cars were actually made and painted black, and another 100 were painted red, but the blue cars were special in that they had a unique beige color interior that the other cars did not get. It is extremely hard to prove a red or black 1954 Corvette isn’t a resprayed white car, but with a Pennant Blue car and its beige interior there is no doubt.
2. 1955 C1 Corvette Copper
For many of these cars, it is hard to get an official number because GM did not keep that great of records and it is only later that enthusiasts and the folks at Bowling Green pieced together many of these statistics. A copper paint color, aptly named “Corvette Copper” was initially offered midway through 1955 and reportedly only applied to a dozen cars, then renamed Aztec Copper for 1956 and 1957. Some will argue that they are a different color, but DuPont uses the same code for both.
3. 1956-57 Corvette Inca Silver Metallic
In 1957 Chevy was still painting the Corvette with nitrocellulose lacquer, except for the new Inca Silver Metallic paint which was the more modern acrylic lacquer. Less than 100 Inca Silver cars were made that first year, and the next only saw about 200 produced, as all the colors moved to the new acrylic formulations. Just 36 Inca Silver cars were made in 1958 with contrasting black painted covers, and about 10 silver with white coves in 1956, which are so rare you can barely find a picture on the Internet.
4. 1956-57 C1 Corvette Cascade Green
A few hundred of this turquoise/aqua green ‘Vette were made in 1956, and about 500 more in 1957. There are almost no more 1950s looking color ever offered on a Corvette than this blue/green paint. Green has never been a popular color for Corvettes, though through the years you could get them in many different shades of it, and a green ‘Vette of any vintage is rare.
5. 1960 C1 Corvette Cascade Green
Cascade Green came back in 1960 for an encore but as a totally different mint green metallic. It is estimated that less than 150 cars got painted this color, with about half of them having contrasting white applied to the covers. This minty metallic is very much a 1960s color, similar to what you saw on many Bel Airs and Biscaynes, but looking much sportier on a ‘Vette.
6. 1960-62 C1 Corvette Honduras Maroon
If you like your Corvette red, but want it to be a rarer red, try the 3-year run of Honduras Maroon. This color is red enough for any American sports car enthusiast, but a much more blood red than the typical bright red Corvette color. Add in some contrasting coves in an Almond Beige and you’ve got a classy combo you aren’t likely to see again soon.
7. 1961 C1 Corvette Jewel Blue
Another very common 1960s color is this metallic light blue, but it is very rare to find it on a Corvette, with less than 800 having been made in 1961. This color blue was only offered in 1961. When the C2 Corvettes came along, a silver blue paint was offered and was much more popular.
8. 1963 C2 Corvette Saddle Tan Metallic
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On a lesser car, this color would just be a dark beige but on the split-window C2 ‘Vette is elevated to a high class muted gold. The previous year was a similar but lighter color, known as Fawn Beige Metallic, which is also rare, but not as rich looking. If you are looking for a color that will set a split-window coupe apart, this is as good as gold.
9. 1965 C2 Corvette Glen Green Metallic
This dark green Corvette color is the first time the factory offered the American sports car in anything close to the popular British Racing Green. Later, in the C3 generation, a similar color would be offered called simply Blue-Green.
10. 1966 C2 Corvette Mosport Metallic
This C2 ‘Vette green was another one-year-only color and is similar in hue to the later version of Cascade Green. Green is probably the second least popular color for a Corvette over the entire history of the car, no matter the shade or year.
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