Fuelie 1957 Corvette is a C1 Gem
Daily Slideshow: Few Corvettes are as cool (and rare) as the venerable 283/283 '57 fuelie.
Do It All
When you're talking about the most significant, popular, and valuable Corvettes of all-time, you can't leave out the fuel-injected 1957 model. With its gorgeous two-year-only styling, a new and bigger 283 V8, and an ahead-of-its-time fuel injection system, there simply isn't anything to dislike here. And this gorgeous 283/283 car we found over at Mecum is also an extremely rare ride.
Breakthrough Technology
Fuel-injection has been standard in cars for many years now. But back in 1957, it was a technology reserved for a small handful of European supercars. That is until Chevrolet decided to use it to add some serious performance to their iconic sports car.
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Exciting but Expensive
It took a considerable amount of work and testing, but Chevy was eventually able to perfect their setup. It wasn't a cheap option for consumers, tacking on $484.20 (15% of the cost of a base Corvette) to the sales price. Thus, only 240 of the 6,339 Corvettes built in 1957 came with this exotic new technology.
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Difference Maker
Fuelie 'Vettes were offered in two different power levels - 250 hp and 283 hp. Many have speculated that Chevrolet understated its carbureted power levels on purpose (245 and 270) in an effort to tout fuel injection's benefits. But it was the venerable 4-speed Borg Warner transmission that would make a real difference in performance.
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Packed with Goodies
And that's an option this beautiful red 'Vette is also fitted with, which makes it one of just 667 built with the close-ratio transmission. Throw in a Positraction rear end and this '57 has most of the good performance stuff you could buy at the time.
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Correct, but Original?
As far as originality goes, we do know that this Corvette sports the correct block, fuel injection, and transmission. But the seller didn't mention if it was all original to this car.
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Nice Hues
It still has both a beige soft top and matching hard top, which is quite desirable. And the Venetian Red exterior/interior is one tasty color combo to go along with it.
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Correct and Proper
Other options include a heater, parking brake alarm, courtesy lamps, and windshield washers. And from the looks of things, pretty much everything else is correct, from the trim to the wide whites and wheel covers.
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Rolling History
According to the seller, this stunning '57 had been with the same owner since they purchased it in 1980. It underwent an extensive restoration in the mid-1980s, and since then, it's held up very well. Today, it's a nice, seldom-seen example of Corvette history!
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