In 2013, Robert Martino pitched to his older brother, Marty, the idea of integrating the legendary design features of his two all-time favorite automobiles—the 1937 Cord 812 and the C5 Corvette—into one modern platform, thus creating his ultimate classic automobile.

“I wonder what it would look like?” Robert pondered.

It was not the first time Robert had considered the idea of a modernized Cord. His earlier Cord project had involved a Samco, one of the fiberglass-bodied Cord replicas built in Oklahoma.

“Our dad ended up with a 1970 Samco in one of his collector car deals,” Marty recalled. “He traded it to Robert. We were well underway with ‘fixing’ the hideous front fenders and many other details, with plans for a chassis swap that would have made it a dependable and authentic replica, when Robert and Kerri changed course and started designing their dream property.”

About a week after Robert suggested blending a Cord with a C5 Corvette in 2013, Marty showed up at Robert’s shop with a rendering that depicted the key aesthetic features of the 1937 Cord 812 integrated into the C5 Corvette platform. He had methodically sketched his rendition of the automobile to scale, then presented it to Robert. One look at the drawing and Robert knew he wanted to start the process of creating the one-of-a-kind custom they named “CordVette.” 

After seeing the rendering, Robert asked, “Can you build that car?”

Marty smiled at his brother and said, “Yes, Robert, I can do it, but we’ll need a really nice C5 Corvette with its hide-away headlights.”

Soon after, Robert started saving for the project while looking for the right C5 Corvette to use as the donor car. In 2015, he found on Craigslist a really nice, original six-speed 2000 Corvette. It was located in Blackstone, Va., about an hour away.

Creating one-of-a-kinds in Marty’s words

At the age of 5, Marty Martino was asked by his mother what he wanted to be when he grew up. He immediately told her that he wanted to design cars. By the time he was 17, he was building his first custom from a 1957 Imperial Crown sedan in his parents’ driveway. Since then, Marty has become a world-renowned car builder. His resume includes building a variety of vehicles, from presidential “Kennedy era” Lincolns for films to unique customs to restoring GM Motorama concept cars.

“I bought a book when I was in my mid-teens from JC Whitney titled, ‘Glass Fiber Auto Body Construction Simplified’ by John Wills—I knew then that I would want to create my own car, and this seemed to be an excellent way to accomplish the goal,” Marty says.

Marty simplifies what he learned from reading that book and by practicing its applications in his explanation for how he now builds his renowned creations.

“The standard, number-one method of creating a unique design fiberglass body is to sculpt a male form, cast a mold from the form, then cast bodies in the mold,” he says. “That is the method used by the auto industry, even for a one-off.”

As Marty explains, there are other methods available to builders, too.

“In the 1970s, there was a company named Quincy Lynn Enterprises that sold plans and instructions for do-it-yourselfers who wanted to build their own copies of QL’s unique designs. Number two is their method for creating a one-off body. It was to sculpt a form in ridged foam of the intended design, then layer fiberglass directly over it, similar to casting a mold; however, this would be the actual body. Being that the outer surface was highly textured, it would require laborious filling and block sanding to achieve an automotive-grade finish. In some cases, the foam was removed; in other items, it was left as part of the body.”

Marty says a third method is somewhat rogue, but with a lot of forethought, it can be very time- and labor-saving.

“I have had relatively good success working with versions of this method,” he says. “A mold is made without casting from a form. The intended design has to be planned in reverse. The molds can be made of wood, plastic sheets or the inside of existing car parts or anything with the intended shape on the inside. I’ve been known to walk through a big box store with a tape measure looking for a suitable ‘mold’ for a particular part. I also have a second-gen Corvair hood mounted upside down on a table with the inner structure cut out. The subtle crowns and compound curves may match the intended desire on a deck lid or hood, at least as a starting point.”

To construct the CordVette, Marty used a combination of all three of the above methods.

Scaling up from paper plans

Marty explains the first step in building a unique custom-body project is to have a plan. Then, using the wheelbase of the intended chassis as the starting point, he says draw a straight line on paper of the wheelbase. Knowing the measurement of the intended chassis wheelbase, pick a scale that is easy to multiply and divide, yet will fit on the paper with enough room for overhangs. Divide the known wheelbase by the line length and that is the scale your plan will be. That scale will be used to draw the rest of the plan’s dimensions. Standard scales for this kind of work are 1/16, 1/12, 1/8 and 1/4. He says manufacturers’ design studios do a lot of models in 3/8 scale, but it’s more complicated and not necessary for limited work.

“The John Wills book taught me lofting, which is essential in sculpting a complete and new body form,” Marty says. “Lofting forms in scale can then be transformed to full-size with graph paper, etc.”

Even as early as his first custom, the 1957 Imperial he built as a teenager, Marty has put his ideas to paper before starting the customizing process.

“I first drew several sketches to get the look I wanted before I started cutting into it,” Marty says. “With help from a longtime friend who was an accomplished welder, the one-of-a-kind body panels I created were formed, then welded into place. When the body panels were completed, I had the foundation in place to finish the 1957 Imperial as a two-door ‘El Camino’ while implementing my unique custom enhancements to the project build.”

Creating the CordVette

The CordVette retains its factory 2000 Corvette drive-train and interior. The chassis’ Corvette exhaust was enhanced by the previous owner and its exiting point conveniently blends well into the one-of-a-kind Cord-style rear fascia.

Initially, the CordVette was rendered with the standard, factory-style A-pillar-attached door hinges. After studying the drawings in greater detail, Robert and Marty decided to integrate suicide-style door openings into the CordVette as on the original 1936-’37 Cord Cabriolet. This decision created the greatest challenge during the project. Designing and locating a single door hinge to the rear opening of the door proved to be a huge undertaking. Many days were spent implementing and improving the design to get it stable and fully functional. The end result is one of aesthetics and functionality that are perfectly tailored to fit the body lines of this truly stunning one-of-a-kind automobile. The door handle and mechanisms were relocated with custom enhancements to the door panel, locks and window switches.

Lewis Dmytryszyn applied a modern metallic base-clear-coat version of the 1936-’37 Cord “Rich Maroon” paint finish to the body that Marty custom built.

This project was truly a family affair, and without the special people whose unique talents were able to successfully pull it off, the CordVette would never have happened. Marty reached out (although not far) to world-class jeweler Susan Adams, his longtime significant other, to hand create the custom badging on the CordVette. Knowing the craftsmanship and skill set of his son, Roddy Martino, Marty kept things in the family by relying on Roddy to create the one-off, retro-style wheel discs that give the CordVette an updated Cord look.

When asked what it was like to build a concept car for his younger brother and his wife, Kerri, Marty said, “I feel very rewarded. The CordVette is the first full automobile that I have designed every square inch of. It’s also cool that it stays in the family and I get to enjoy it with my family. Robert and Kerri enjoy driving it regularly on the back roads of Virginia.”

Building an Impressive Resume

Marty Martino’s significant automobile designs and creations span more than 60 years, and a partial list of them is included below. Even all three of his current daily drivers have been what he calls “One Hour Martinised” with custom features. This partial list of Marty’s projects represents a diverse group that truly reflects the creativity, diversity and passion he has for his craft. His work is nothing short of brilliant.

• 1957 Imperial custom El Camino. (Built in 1969)
• 1961 Lincoln Continental X100 “John F. Kennedy limousine” used in most JFK-related films since ’83. (Two built, one in 1983 and the other in 1985.)
• 1963 Lincoln Continental shortened roadster using leftover clips from second JFK stretch. (1986)
• 1963 Lincoln Continental custom El Camino. (1987)
• 1952 Henry J convertible, a Chrysler LeBaron convertible reskinned with Henry J sheet metal. (1998)
• 1954 Chevrolet Corvette sedan delivery built on 1986 Chevrolet Caprice wagon, designed as though it was the chase car for the ’54 Motorama Corvette team. (1998)
• 1956 Pontiac Club de Mer complete recreation. (2006-2009)
• 1955 Lincoln Futura recreation. (Original sculpture began in 1989)
• 1955 Chevrolet Motorama Biscayne restoration, including recreation of most of the interior. (2011)
• 1955 Motorama LaSalle roadster, complete resculpting/reconstruction. (2012)
• Aerolux teardrop trailer, design and mold creation. (2013)
• Cadillac PsyClone, recreation of 1959 Cadillac Cyclone show car using a Corvette C5 chassis. (2015)
• Bat Boat (Aqua Bat), Marty’s design and construction of a phantom “Bat-Boat,” used for children’s entertainment. Built for the Colton Cowell foundation. (2017)
• CordVette, imagined ‘37 Cord as designed by modern Corvette designers on C5 Corvette chassis.

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John D. Meyers referred to his ‘Vette as “not so special” but could not be further from the truth. He included an impressive backstory…

“I have read several articles in Old Cars regarding long time owners of cars purchased new. In August of 1972, I ordered my 1973 Corvette convertible from Luck Motor Company in Ashland, Virginia. It was not so special because I was trying to keep the cost down. It was ordered with the standard L-48 engine, four-speed transmission, power steering and the auxiliary hard top. Unfortunately, because of wildcat strikes at some GM plants the hard top was not included when the car was delivered on November 16, 1972. I still have my Mille Miglia Red Corvette to this day and the odometer reads just over 44,000 true miles. It is pretty much still stock except for replacing the front sway bar with a larger diameter one and adding a rear sway bar. It has been garaged ever since 1976 when I built a garage at my former house. The car was only my daily driver for about 2 years when I bought a well used ’67 Camaro to commute with.

“This was not my first Corvette. In 1967, a year after I graduated from college, I walked into Dominion Chevrolet (Now Hendrick) and purchased a new 1967 Marina Blue Corvette convertible equipped with the L-71 427 cubic inch, 435 horsepower engine with a four-speed tranny. I was unmarried at the time. Two months later my college sweetheart and I got married. Two years later in 1969, we had purchased our first home, our son was born, and I had a wife, baby and groceries to carry in a 2-seater car. I traded my beloved Corvette in on a new 1969 Camaro, 350 two-barrel, automatic transmission Camaro (didn’t want to go from a Corvette to a station wagon) with the understanding that when we could afford to have two cars, I would buy another new Corvette. That time came in 1972. I had gotten a promotion on my job and a year earlier and we had bought a new 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp for my wife. However, I was not overly anxious to get another fire-breathing Corvette like the ’67. I didn’t think I needed the 454, and I thought the LT-1 from 1972 would be continued as the high performance small-block. Having experienced a car with a solid-lifter engine on the streets, I opted for the standard engine. Had I known about the L-82 hi-po engine with hydraulic lifters, I probably would have stretched my budget and paid the extra $400 or so to get it. However, my ‘Plain Jane’ Corvette is still much fun on the backroads.”

“I have been a Corvette addict since 1954 when I was ten years old and saw the Corvette advertised on the Dinah Shore TV show. Shortly after that, one was displayed at the Virginia State Fair. I knew I just had to have one. My love of Corvettes did not end with my ’73 convertible. In the 1970’s I bought a used ’69 Corvette and turned it into an autocross/solo 1 car. In 1989, I purchased a ’73 Corvette L-82, 4-speed coupe from a college fraternity brother, who had bought it new. I still have it as well. I also own a 1979 Corvette, a 1987 Corvette convertible and a 2008 Corvette which I bought new. My most recent purchase was a 1957 Corvette replica, built by a friend of mine from a shortened G-body Malibu and reproduction Corvette body panels.”

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This one-of-a-kind “proposal car” is an integral part of the Corvette story, with a fascinating history that dates to early 1953—well before the first production models rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Mich.

Prior to series Corvette production, which commenced on June 30, 1953, Chevrolet built approximately 15 hand-laid fiberglass Corvette bodies intended for experimental or Motorama use. These hand-built show cars were not assigned standard VINs, but were instead referred to by internal codes. One such code was EX-52, the first Corvette prototype unveiled to the public at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 1953. Like other General Motors experimental and factory custom cars, all of these show cars additionally received Shop Order (S.O.) numbers. Among the known S.O. numbers are those for some of the 1954 GM Motorama show cars based on 1954 Corvettes: the Corvair (S.O. 2071), Nomad (S.O. 1954) and hardtop (S.O. 2000). As documented in internal GM memos, many of these show cars were destroyed or reused for other projects and then destroyed. As a result, precious few of these Motorama-era prototypes survive today.

The storied past of S.O. 2151

The history of this unique Corvette originates with S.O. 2000, the pale-yellow Corvette hardtop prototype that debuted at the 1954 GM Motorama. According to accounts, at least two of these show cars were built and it is believed that one was retired in January 1954 so its body could be reassigned to a new project—S.O. 2151 (GM is known to have assigned a new S.O. number to a vehicle when it returned to the GM Styling shop).

This Corvette was returned to GM’s famous Art and Colour department overseen by legendary designer Harley Earl. In its new role, S.O. 2151 served as the department’s prototype 1955 Corvette proposal for GM management to review as it determined the look of next year’s Corvette.

During this process, the Corvette body was restyled to incorporate several notable proposed features: a decorative hood scoop, egg-crate front grille, bumper-exit exhaust tips and a distinctive trunk design much like the trunk seen on S.O. 2071, the fastback Corvair show car. Another prominent element of the new design was the slanted front-fender vents that were painted body color on the passenger side and trimmed with chrome on the driver side, thus giving GM executives two different looks from which to choose.

Similarly, the Corvette script was placed high on one side and low on the other. It also incorporated a large gold “V” to signify that the 1955 Corvette would be available with a V-8 engine. Once these changes were implemented, the body was repainted Bermuda Green, a beautiful jade-like metallic green used on production GM vehicles of the period, as well as another famous show car, the 1955 Corvette Biscayne (XP-037/S.O. 2249).

Photographed in GM’s design studio in March 1954, S.O. 2151 was mounted on a new 1954 Corvette chassis, powered by an experimental engine equipped with a high-performance solid-lifter camshaft. The 1955 proposal car was officially completed on July 30, 1954, as evidenced by the S.O. tag riveted inside the engine bay.

In the end, the 1955 proposal car’s unique features never made it to production. Facing stagnant sales and new competition from the recently announced Ford Thunderbird, GM executives decided to completely re-imagine the Corvette for 1956. Meanwhile, the 1955 Corvette was virtually identical to the 1954 model, albeit with a new, optional V-8 engine. That year, Ford dominated the market, its new Thunderbird outselling the Corvette 30 to 1.

A significant survival

As for S.O. 2151, it escaped the fate of most GM prototypes. Instead of being destroyed or rebuilt into a new show car, this one-off somehow slipped through the cracks and eventually made its way to California.

While little is known of its earliest whereabouts, by 1963, the Corvette had been sold to Auto Center, a car dealership located in downtown San Jose, Calif. In 1974, Richard Oldham, a Corvette collector and owner of Empire Chevrolet in Novato, Calif., acquired the car in “basket case” condition. Although most of the paint had been stripped from its bodywork, and many of its unique prototype features were missing, the Corvette still retained its signature fender vents, drivetrain and riveted S.O. 2151 tag.

The following year, Oldham advertised the Corvette for sale with an asking price of $3,000. This immediately attracted the interest of George F. Campbell, who purchased it based on the advice of his friend, noted Corvette historian Noland Adams. Over the next four decades, Mr. Campbell collected parts and researched the car’s history in anticipation of a future restoration.

Following Mr. Campbell’s passing, the Corvette was acquired by the current owner, an Indiana-based enthusiast with more than 45 years of experience in the restoration business. Although he has restored 15 cars for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and many significant and one-off muscle cars, the owner reports that this restoration was his greatest challenge, and he regards it as his “magnum opus.”

Throughout the restoration process, which consumed three years and more than 1,800 hours, the owner painstakingly researched the car’s history and studied period photographs to ensure that the restoration was as accurate as possible, including expertly re-creating any of the missing trim pieces. During the disassembly phase, evidence of the car’s S.O. 2000 origins were uncovered with sections of original pale-yellow and Bermuda Green paint found in several locations. The bodywork also possesses the telltale characteristics unique to the earliest Corvette prototypes—crude, hand-laid fiberglass construction; a one-piece body structure; and custom-fabricated brass trunk hinges. The chassis was also found to be remarkably original and intact, complete with its original shock absorbers, brake shoes, and experimental engine block, all numbered with appropriate early-1954 date codes.

Every effort was made to return the car to its authentic 1954 appearance with remnants of the original pale-yellow and Bermuda Green paint intentionally preserved in hidden areas, such as the trunk and behind the seats, to provide clear evidence of the car’s earliest days as a GM factory prototype. The body, including the doors, are original to S.O. 2151, also the brake shoes, shocks, frame and drivetrain sitting on original 1954 tires were all installed by the manufacturer in 1954. The car’s drivetrain remains original and numbers-matching.

Since its restoration was completed, S.O. 2151 has been shown just once, at The Amelia Concours d’Elegance, in March 2023. There, it was selected by Bill Warner to receive the prestigious The Founders Award.

Chevrolet’s earliest advertisements for the Corvette featured the tag line, “The first of the dream cars to come true.” That statement is most certainly appropriate for S.O. 2151, one of the few Motorama-era prototypes that escaped destruction to survive today. A fascinating and utterly unique piece of GM history, this magnificently restored Corvette design study proposal represents an exciting opportunity for any collector who appreciates this golden age of the American automotive industry.

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Dick Miller was determined to make his “basket case” 1956 Corvette as nice as he could. And he didn’t really care how long it took.

It’s been about 47 years now, and Miller finally has his sweet roadster looking and running exactly the way he wants — well, almost.

“I still have a few things I want to address on it. I really want to do everything right,” says the Appleton, Wis., resident, of his stunning black-and-silver roadster. “I’ve always told everybody that I’m taking my time on this one and searching out all the best, proper parts and everything, because I always wanted this to be my best car.” 

Miller has owned more Corvettes than he can count off the top of his head, and has four of them these days — including the ’56, ’57, ’58 trifecta. He has indeed made the ’56 into the most close-to-perfect in his fleet, and he did it with the most unlikely of restoration candidates. 

“In 1977, the week before Christmas, I found it in Marion, N.C.,” he recalls. “I saw it in Vette Views magazine. The guy had it advertised as a body and rolling chassis with title. And that’s what I went down to answer to. At that time I had a black ’69 roadster. The year earlier I picked up a ’58 that I was working on already.”

“Well, I took it down to the bare chassis, and started from scratch on everything. The front end was so bad I cut the whole thing off, but I saved the inner fender wells and a few things like that. I was pretty much looking for a project car, but that’s as deep as you go into a project [laughs]. The front end came off, the chassis got all redone and then one rear fender I had a replacement for. There were a number of things missing and I spent all those years hunting for parts I didn’t have.” 

From all the history that Miller could gather, his ’56 had a fast a rowdy first few years, and then probably broke down. A long string of owners apparently wanted to restore the car, or at least get it running again, but it never happened until Miller came along with a long-range plan and a ton of patience.

“I traced owners back to the early ‘60s and it’s never been on the road [since then],” he says. “It was used and ridden hard when it was new. The odometer reads 19,000 and to my best [guess], I think that’s the correct mileage, because it’s been off the road since the early ‘60s. You go down in that area and they do a lot of hot-rodding and racing, and they buy a car to raise hell with. It was a sports car, it was something to play with, and that’s what they did. They used it!”

“It stayed within a 15-mile area all of its life. Everybody was going to fix it up and all they wound up doing is tearing more apart. The fixing up was never happening, all that was happening was it was deteriorating over the years from storage.” 

1956: TURNING THE CORNER 

The 1956 model year was a “fish or cut bait” time for General Motors and the future of its Corvette. After three years with meager production numbers and lukewarm success, the ‘Vette faced an uncertain future — there were plenty of rumors that it was on its way out after only 700 were produced for 1955. 

When it came time to make a decision, the Chevy brass decided to soldier on with their two-seat sports car, no doubt taking notice of Ford’s belief in the similar blueprint with the introduction of its Thunderbird in ’55. Ultimately, the first three years of production were just enough to gain a little traction for the Corvette, and some redesign work and a few tweaks and upgrades in ’56 were just enough to get the model over the hump for good. 

Chevrolet styling studio chief Clare MacKichan directed the 1956 redesign, which was somewhat inspired by the thrusting headlamps, and twin-bulge hood of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing coupe. There were new front fenders with chrome-rimmed headlights; roll-up glass windows; external door handles; chrome-outlined concave body coves and sloping, taillight-integrated rear fenders. The same basic grille styling was kept intact, but the grille teeth looked a bit slimmer. The dash layout remained the same as in the past. The rearview mirror, located at the center of the top of the dash, was now adjusted by using a thumbscrew.

Other changes included improved soft convertible tops, with power tops on the options list. A removable fiberglass hardtop was also available for buyers who weren’t fans of fabric tops. Amazingly, buyers would also get power windows and a signal-seeking Delco radio — all cutting edge stuff at the time.

Upholstery colors were limited to beige or red, but seven nitro-cellulose lacquer body colors were available: Onyx Black with silver panel; Polo White with a silver panel; Venetian Red with a beige panel; Cascade Green with a beige panel; Aztec Copper with a beige pane; Arctic Blue with a silver panel; and Inca Silver with an imperial ivory panel.

In the propulsion department, the six-cylinder was discontinued, replaced by a 265-cubic inch V-8 that produced 210 hp with the stock single four-barrel. A pair of twin-four barrel options could boost that figure to 225 or 240 hp. A three-speed manual was standard, and the two-speed Powerglide was optional. RPO No. 471 on the options list could get you a rear axle with a 3.27:1 ratio, while RPO No. 449 gave you the special high-lift camshaft. 

It all added up to a better car all the way around than any of the first three editions, at least in the eyes of most critics. Karl Ludvingsen of Sports Car Illustrated put a loaded factory-fresh ‘Vette — chassis No. 1002 —through its paces and raved about it.

 “Chances are that by the time you read this the ’56 Corvette will have made a profound impression on the whole sports car world, and after having had one under me for a couple of days I will not be the last to be surprised,” he wrote. “This very early production model showed a willingness and ability to be driven fast and hard under almost all conditions and demonstrated an even greater potential for competitive use. In my opinion, the Corvette as it stands is fully as much a dual-purpose machine as the stock Jaguar, Triumph, or Austin-Healey. Without qualification, General Motors is now building a sports car.” 

In the end, GM rolled out 3,467 1956 Corvettes — still a very modest total and the third-fewest of any model year. A year later that number nearly doubled, however, thanks in part to the lasting impression made by the ’56s, and the “Great American Sports Car” was on its way. 

GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Miller pokes fun at himself over how long it took him to get his ’56 fully restored, but in his defense there were a few other projects along the way. He restored a ’57 Cadillac and a ’57 Corvette while the ’56 was still “in progress”. Add in the fact that the ’56 was missing an engine and a lot of other parts, and Miller’s refusal to cut any corners, and, well, the years started to pile up.

“I worked on the car since ’77 … but it was off and on,” he says. “Sometimes it just laid in the back corner of the garage in a pile of parts. I did the ’57 in between to be a driver. I did kind of a quick and sloppy job on that one, because I wanted to have it done and be able to cruise around in it. But this one I tried not to [compromise]. I did the best I could.” 

Miller sought the help of a private local machine shop to help him with engine machining, while a local paint and body man — Chris Lindemuth, owner of Lindy’s Hot Rod Shop in Kaukauna, Wis. — did the spraying on the new coat of Onyx Black paint. 

“I got all seems lined up and panels fitted before it went to body shop. For four months I put in about 40 hours a week sanding and priming and filling and sanding…to make everything turn out as decent as I could. A paint job is only as good as what’s underneath.”

“It was a virgin motor that had 80,000 some thousand miles on it, but I had to hunt out a correct date code motor… The seats and upholstery were all done in my basement. I tried to keep everything original. The black-with-red combination is the way it was originally. We even re-sleeved the master cylinder to keep the original one.“

“I did all the assembly. It was all a very long process… [The fall of 2022] was the first time it actually moved, and then I did more work on it through the winter. But [spring of ’23] was when it was finished.” 

Since he owns Corvettes from three consecutive years, Miller can pretty much time travel back to the late 1950s whenever he wants. Sometimes, it’s a difficult choice deciding which ‘Vette to roll out the garage. 

“Really, there’s only two things on the outside that you can [distinguish] a ’56 from a ’57. The ’56 has an adjustable rearview mirror with a thumb screw on the pedestal, and the ’57 its fixed. On the radio, the ’56 has a blank bar on top and starting in ’57 they all say ‘Wonderbar.’ Otherwise, you have to open the door and look at the serial number tag [laughs].”

“It’s funny, there was only 3,400 cars made in ’56, there was 6,100 cars in ’57. But the ’57 seems to draw more money, even though the rarity is more toward the ’56. And I personally like the ’56. I used to judge with Bloomington Gold and the NCRS and I like looking at the ‘56s because there are so many unique little tiny unique things on a ‘6 that people can’t substitute. The whole exhaust system is different on a ’56. And it was only the 265 in ’56. In ’57 they started with the 283.”

Suffice it to say, Miller’s black roadster lives a lot quieter life than it probably did originally in North Carolina. The 68-year-old ‘Vette takes to the road at a much more leisurely pace than in its first life. 

“When you put your foot in and open up the four-barrel, for a little 265 it scoots pretty good,” he says. “ And it’s got the late-production Duntov cam I in it, and that Duntov cam takes it from 225 horse to 240 horse. So it does pretty good!” 

One thing is for certain, Miller’s fascination with his beloved Corvettes has never waned, no matter how many different ones he’s owned. Some guys own a vintage Corvette for a while to impress some buddies, scratch an itch, or to medicate themselves during some midlife crisis. Miller is one of those die-hards that simply has Corvette DNA in his genes. 

“It goes back to when I was growing up as a kid and seeing these things when they were new, and having a love for them,” he says. “At that time when you saw a Corvette, I mean, there weren’t five or six on the block. Everybody didn’t have a Corvette. It was a rare piece. “Everybody didn’t have four of them, like me!”

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The post Car of the Week: 1956 Chevrolet Corvette appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Like many automobile enthusiasts in 1953, Roger Crispell had his sights set on the Corvette, Chevrolet’s brand-new sports car. Even though he worked at General Motors, Crispell lacked the VIP or celebrity status that it took to own a new Corvette. Chevrolet had reserved the 300 produced for the model’s introductory model year for high-profile figures who would help make the new fiberglass two-seater more visible to the public. Crispell did not qualify.

Nearly one year after its 1953 introduction, the Corvette became more widely available, and in 1954, GM employee Crispell finally landed his Corvette, a 1954 model purchased new from Matthew Hargreaves Chevrolet in Royal Oak, Mich.

Crispell worked for GM at its Industrial Design Studio on Cass Avenue in Detroit and was eligible for an employee discount on new-car purchases. Unfortunately, the still-new ’54 Corvette was not eligible for the employee discount program. Buying a second-year Corvette meant paying the full sticker price and not benefiting from the employee discount.

Crispell’s out-the-door price for the Corvette was nearly $4,000, plus finance charges. That was a lot of money for a GM designer, but Crispell knew this was not just an automobile. It was arguably the first truly “American Sports Car” and laid down the money to own his dream car.

On a rainy day, Crispell picked up his new Corvette from Matthew Hargreaves Chevrolet. By the time he arrived home, the interior was soaked from a leaky convertible top. Even with the wet interior, he and his wife, Ann, enjoyed it and were proud owners. The pride continued for the first 1,000 miles, and Crispell enjoyed soaking up the admiration he and his wife received from onlookers and “soaking up” the water after each time it was driven in rain. Crispell said he was once offered $5,000 for the car and politely turned it down. “We liked the Corvette’s road and snob appeal,” he later recalled.

However, along with the leaky convertible top came mechanical issues. The engine hesitated at 85 mph, and the tappets were noisy. The dealership attempted to correct the concerns, but they never seemed to have a handle on it. During one visit, the service manager replied, “The car is experimental, and with sports cars, you have to put up with stuff.” Disturbed by the comment and feeling let down, Crispell wrote to the Chevrolet chief engineer, describing the issues with his 1954 Corvette. A once-proud and enthusiast owner, Crispell had turned into a disgruntled owner.

The Chevrolet chief engineer arranged for the car to be dropped off at the General Motors executive garage for repairs. Crispell was then given a Corvette loaner while the mechanical concerns of his 1954 Corvette could be diagnosed and corrected. Enter GM performance contributor and three-time Indy 500 winner Mauri Rose, who had been hired by GM as a consultant around this time for his engine-building expertise and knowledge. Rose made the unusual proposal to GM leadership that they use Crispell’s 1954 to make the Corvette’s first design change while it was in for repairs.

Normally, when a production car was needed by GM employees to engineer mechanical and design updates, a new car would get scheduled and then pulled from the assembly plant’s rotation. But perhaps for the first time in Corvette history, an employee’s Corvette was used for such purposes — Crispell’s 1954 Corvette! Crispell’s Corvette (VIN #2772) was taken to the GM Design Studio where it became referred to as a “Styling Corvette.” The design team used the car as a platform to create a new canvas convertible top and a newly designed interior. Rose and the performance team also pulled the engine. They identified and corrected several issues, then transported it to GM’s Milford proving grounds. Rose drove the Corvette during its new “break in.” Several weeks before Crispell was notified the work was complete, the new convertible top, trim details and mechanical components were replaced with current re-designed replacements. “It was great again,” Crispell later said.

In 1955, Crispell led one of GM’s interior design studios, and the designers needed a Corvette. Crispell’s car was assigned Shop Order #2536, dated 4-14-55, to document the changes it was to receive by the design studio. At this point, his Corvette was painted orange and black by the design studio, a combination Crispell later called “hideous.”

A second design change was proposed by the design team a few months later, and Crispell’s Corvette again returned to the GM studio. They received shop order #10028 dated 1-11-56, to document the car’s changes. This time, the Corvette was given a new paint finish created by Crispell called “Sahara Silver” to replace the orange-and-black combination. The interior was redone in black-and-silver leather trim. The car’s beige convertible top was replaced.

The design team also used the car as a platform to create a new canvas convertible top that accented the freshly redesigned interior. Other styling changes included an engine-turned gauge bezel, three-spoke Corvette steering wheel, vertical “shark type” headlamp bezels and a center armrest with a glove box console.

The “shark-fin” headlamp bezels were one of the more interesting and visible eye-catching features of the second design change. Driven by state and federal government concerns over the use of wire mesh “basket covers” over the headlamps of the 1953-1955 Corvette, the vertical shark-fin was tested as a possible replacement. Only two sets were produced; one set was installed on Crispell’s ’54 Corvette and the other set remained in the hands of the GM Design Studio.

In early 1970, Crispell’s Corvette was sold and restored to its original appearance of a Polo White exterior and a Sportsman Red interior, but the other components from its design changes remained on the car. Soon after the restoration, Corvette #2771 went into storage and remained there for the next 30 years. It was likely forgotten by many until Corvette restorer and 2013 Corvette Hall of Fame Inductee Werner Meier and his team at Masterworks Automotive Services laid their hands on it.

In 2007, Crispell’s old Corvette was sold to Ken Lingenfelter, one of the most respected Corvette and automobile collectors in the world, and transported to Masterworks in Madison Heights, Mich. There, it underwent a world-class concours restoration. Using original documents, pictures, illustrations and other information contained in a binder created by Crispell during his ownership, Werner and his team transformed the Polo White Corvette back to Sahara Silver, making it appear how it looked back in 1956 after it emerged from its second stop in the GM Design Studio. The interior was likewise restored to how it appeared after its second stop in the GM Design Studio. Masterworks Automotive Services replicated the interior using the original sketches completed by Crispell. The black leather upholstery is alligator hide, just like the original design Crispell completed when he was in charge of the GM Interior Design Studio.

In 2009, this unique 1954 Corvette was shown to the public for the first time since its restoration at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance where it won the General Motors Dave Holls Award. The prestigious automotive award for excellence was presented by Ed Welburn, then GM Vice President of Global Design. In July 2009, it appeared as a special feature exhibit at the Meadow Brook Concours d’Elegance where it received rave reviews.

I was on hand for the Meadow Brook Hall event and photographed the storied ’54 Corvette in its finished form and talked with Crispell. There, I orchestrated a series of pictures with Roger Crispell, Werner Meier, Ken Lingenfelter and the car. Crispell and Lingenfelter also agreed to sit in the ’54 Corvette for some quick pictures to formally validate the occasion and to add to the Corvette’s special history. The proud pair shared stories while seated in the Corvette during the photo opportunity. It was hard for each of them to wipe the smiles off their faces.

After talking to Crispell and Lingenfelter, I learned they had never met in person prior to that day. And according to Crispell, it was the first time he was ever photographed with his 1954 Corvette!

Crispell passed away on May 22, 2016. After meeting him during the 2009 Meadow Brook Hall Concours d’Elegance, we spoke on the telephone a couple times about the ’54 Corvette and how it served as a concept car not once, but twice. A humble man, Crispell was proud of his work and was honored to be part of its “day view” with Ken Lingenfelter at Meadow Brook Hall. At that event, it really became apparent just how historic these two men are to the concept Corvette and its legacy. 

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Dean Tully hails from Ontario, Canada and has one heck of a beautiful Corvette survivor. It’s a fuelie to boot!

Here’s what Dean had to add about his gorgeous ‘Vette…

“This is an all original ’58 fuelie with all original paint and interior. When I purchased this Corvette in 2016 it was locked away and still had 1972 license plates on it. This Corvette is in showroom condition and draws a lot of attention at our Corvette show in my home town of Bayfield, Ontario Canada. This is the largest outdoor Corvette show in southwestern Ontario always over 300 Corvettes. This is a true survivor!”

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Not a lot of guys get to brag about how many times they’ve gotten their Corvette stuck in the snow.

Herb Grube jokes that it’s happened to him so many times he’s lost count.

“When I came to Wisconsin I had snow tires for it. It didn’t do it any good. I got towed out of the snow so many times with this thing,” says Grube, gazing at his battle-tested white 1965 coupe. “Finally, my insurance company started to get mad at me … One time on [Wis. Hwy. 41] I went down into the median, and I had snow all the way up to my windshield!”

“The thing is, it’s got a really high gearing ratio so if you let your foot off the gas it’s like putting the brakes on. If you let your foot off the gas, you are going sideways instantly in the snow, so that’s how I’d wind up in the ditch all the time.”

The Greenville, Wis., resident used his Corvette as a daily driver for 18 years and rolled up most of its 180,000-plus miles driving back and forth to work and as his primary transportation. The car originally came from Pennsylvania, but has accompanied Grube and his family to stints in Georgia, Florida and Ohio before they wound up in Wisconsin.

Grube is still a little incredulous when he thinks about how long he’s owned the ’65 and all the memories he’s accumulated in it in the past 56 years. He guesses that perhaps the biggest reason he’s had it this long is that the car was his wife Violet’s idea in the first place.

“She was the reason I got it, quite frankly,” he says. “I had a black Pontiac Bonneville convertible, 421, 4-speed, buckets … but then I bought a GTO in 1966. Well, back then when you bought a car you put the minimum down, had big car payments and we were getting married and we looked at our budget and saw this big old car payment for the GTO and said it had to go. So I got rid of it and about a year later my wife noticed that every time a GTO or Corvette went by, I was still obviously in mourning. She finally said, ‘Well, why don’t you go out and get a car,’ and I said OK. Then she said, ‘Why don’t you get a Corvette?’ And after I picked myself up off the floor, I said, ‘Great, why?’ And she said ‘I really like that coupe styling. So why don’t you look at a Corvette?’”

Violet didn’t have to ask twice, and soon Grube was out happily scouring the landscape for some hot new wheels around Philadelphia, where the couple lived. The catch was he was given a budget of $3,000.

“This was in summer of ’67 when we started looking. I went looking at car lots, and I was looking at ‘67s … In those days you could buy a car at a used car lot that 3 to 6 months old, it was very common. People would get a new one of these, drive it for a few months and decide they didn’t like it and bring it back. So I was looking at ‘67s and they were all $3,400 to $3,800, which was over my budget. Then I went to the newspaper ads … and I saw an ad for a ’65 and he wanted $3,300. I thought well, that’s a little closer.”

At first, Grube balked at the deal when the seller held firm on the price on the ‘65, which had 28,000 miles on the odometer at the time. After a couple of weeks had gone buy, Grube talked to the seller again and the pair eventually haggled out a price of $2,850 and Grube had his first Corvette.

For the next 18 years, Grube drove the wheels off his baby. Finally, in 1985, he says he put the Corvette into semi-retirement and quit driving it every day. He’s not sure exactly how many miles were on the car at the time because the odometer quit working back in 1969. He estimates it’s got 180,000-plus on it today.

1965: Full speed ahead

The 1965 Corvette was two years removed from its major restyling for 1963 and arguable the best version yet of the “Great American Sports Car.” The aesthetics were cleaned up slightly outside and the model year marked a a few big performance improvements. Chief among them were four-wheel disc brakes, and the mid-year introduction of the big-block 396-cid engine option. A new hood without indentations was standard, but cars with a new big-block used a special hood with a funnel-shaped “power blister” air scoop. Interior updates included instruments that were changed to a flat-dial, straight-needle design with an aircraft-type influence. The seats had improved support and one-piece molded inside door panels were introduced. Standard equipment included: tachometer; safety belts; heater and defroster; windshield washer; outside rearview mirror; dual exhaust; electric clock; carpeting; manually-operated top (convertible) and sun visors.

The four-wheel disc-brakes were standard, although drum brakes could be substituted for a $64.50 credit. Fuel injection was phased out at the end of the 1965 model year. A new tough-looking side exhaust set-up and telescoping steering wheel were among the coolest options on the menu.

The base engine was a 250-hp version of the 327-cid V-8. From there, buyers could go up the ladder for the 300-hp 327 (RPO L75), 350-hp 327 (RPO L79), 365-hp 327 (RPO L76), 375-hp 327 (RPO L84), or the new 425-hp 396.

A three-speed manual transmission was standard, but almost 90 percent of the 1965 Corvettes rolled out the door with a four-speed.

The new disc brakes and hot engine options made the 1965 ’Vettes plenty of new fans and seemed to further scare off competition as their were simply no other American two-seat sports cars being produced to offer a challenge. Road and Track magazine editors at the time were big fans of the 1965 model, noting in a review at the time that “in many ways, the Corvette is the original ‘build to suit’ sports car. There is a complete range of options that make it possible to satisfy almost any driver who might consider buying such a car. It can be had ‘mild’ with automatic transmission, power steering, power windows or you can have it ‘wild’ with everything up to and including the fuel-injected 375-bhp engine, heavy duty suspension, cerametallic competition brakes, fast steering, wide-base cast-alloy wheels and the whole biz.”

Car and Driver ran a story daring to compare the 1965 Corvette to the legendary Aston Martin DB-5 and Ferrari 250/GT, largely debunking any thinking that the Chevrolet didn’t stack up with Europe’s best sports cars. “Stop all that nonsense about the Corvette being as fast and as silent, as stable and as much in keeping with the grand touring concept as the other two,” the story said, sarcastically. “We don’t want to hear how it might be argued that the Corvette is equally sophisticated from an engineering standpoint or that it might even be as well made. More reliable than an Aston or a Ferrari? Is nothing sacred?”

Indeed, it was hard to argue that a base Corvette coupe was a lot of bang for your buck in ’65 with a base price of $2,947. The convertible was about $225 more and was the more popular version with 15,377 built, compared to 8,187 for the coupe.

‘A part of your persona’

Grube finally backed off the throttle in ’85 and began making his Corvette more of a joyride car, and in 2000 he decided the time had come to make it new again and give it a second life. He employed the help of a pair of Wisconsin shops to tackle the job and a little over a year later he was happily heading off to car shows in his little white steed.

“By 2000, it had a lot of issues,” he says. “It had stress cracks in the body … The interior was bleached almost colorless from the sun. It was worn out.”

“It turns out that it had a couple holes in frame, and four of the six body mounts were gone. They had to weld on all new body mounts, and of course we blasted and painted the frame.”

The ’65 still has its original 396-cid/425-hp V-8 and four-speed transmission. It’s still a very stock machine, but Grube has tweaked and added a few goodies over the years.

“This car could have been purchased exactly as it sits. Everything on it was an option. But as purchased it was slightly different. This has leather seats, but the original had vinyl. Secondly, it has the mahogany steering wheel, and the original had the plastic-synthetic wood steering wheel. Also, the other thing it did not have was side pipes. I put them on about four years after I bought the car. And the knock-off wheels are also not original. They are bolt-ons. I don’t want the wheels to precede me down the highway, and those real knock-offs are known to do that. These are ’67-type bolt-on wheels that the aftermarket sells.”

“The engine is stock and the rest is stock except for the radio, because it’s a radio-delete car. That’s the only regret that I have from the restoration is that I didn’t return it to a radio-delete car because with these side pipes you can’t hear the radio anyway, plus it would add to the mystique and whatever.”

Grube also added a back-up master brake cylinder as a safety precaution. He’s not too worried about a high-speed brake failure, but hey, you never know!

“I’ve always liked cars with lots of power. Everything that I’ve had is like that,” he jokes. “I’ve got a 2013 Corvette at home. That’s a Z06! Now there’s a flamethrower!”

“This car was sold originally by a dealership in Pennsylvania that was known for selling performance and race cars, and this was one of them. The [previous] owner obviously raced it, because when we changed the clutch we had three or four shovels full of gravel on the floor of the garage because he was road racing, apparently.”

After more than five decades together, Grube says there is zero chance the car will ever be for sale while he’s still around. He’s long been known to a lot of folks as “the guy with the white Corvette,” and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s a family heirloom. It’s in my will,” he laughs. “A lot of people who know me, know me because of this. It becomes part of your persona. I’m 80 now and I’m going to hang onto it for a while, and then my kids want it.”

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

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PALM BEACH, Florida – Barrett-Jackson featured the sale of the world’s first electrified Corvette during their 2023 Palm Beach Auction on April 15th. The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray 3LZ First Retail Production VIN 001 sold for $1.1 million, with 100 percent of the hammer price benefiting DonorsChoose, a national non-profit whose mission is for anyone to help a classroom in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education. An additional $50,000 was donated to the charity from a generous Barrett-Jackson VIP in attendance.

“The atmosphere in the auction arena was supercharged during the bidding on the first retail production 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “The Corvette is ‘America’s Sports Car,’ and the sale of the first electrified version ever produced was an iconic moment as collectors coveted the chance to own a piece of automotive history. Barrett-Jackson has a long history of auctioning VIN 001 vehicles from General Motors to benefit deserving charities and we are proud to have had the opportunity today to help raise funds for our nation’s classrooms.”

Barrett-Jackson Auction Company – Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Barrett-Jackson is a leader in collector car auctions and automotive lifestyle events, which include authentic automobilia auctions and the sale of private collections. Welcoming over 500,000 attendees per year, Barrett-Jackson produces live collector car auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona; Palm Beach, Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; and New Orleans, Louisiana, where thousands of the most sought-after, unique and valuable automobiles cross the block in front of a global audience. With broadcast partner A+E Networks, Barrett-Jackson features live television coverage of their events on FYI and The HISTORY Channel, as well as all the cars, all the time via their produced livestream on Barrett-Jackson.com. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com, or call 480-421-6694.

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NEW YORK – Exactly 70 years after the Corvette debuted at Motorama in New York City, Chevrolet returned to introduce the first-ever electrified Corvette with all-wheel-drive and a powerful 6.2L LT2 Small Block V-8, the 2024 E-Ray.

“In 1953, the enthusiastic reaction to the Chevrolet Corvette concept kicked off seven decades of passion, performance and American ingenuity,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors president. “E-Ray, as the first electrified, all-wheel-drive Corvette, takes it a step further and expands the promise of what Corvette can deliver.”

Developed to be the Corvette owners can arrive in anywhere, no matter the season, the new E-Ray — available in removeable roof coupe and hardtop convertible models — uses electrification to enhance the driving experience with intense straight-line performance, all-weather confidence and sure-footed grand touring capabilities that can only be achieved with eAWD.

E-Ray is also the only sports car pairing two separate propulsion systems to provide naturally aspirated V-8 power with electrified responsiveness powered by eAWD, making it one like none.

“Corvette has been a halo for Chevrolet since 1953,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “E-Ray’s unprecedented blend of confidence, luxury performance, sophistication and style provides a new reason for more people to experience Corvette.”  

The E-Ray is the quickest production Corvette in history, clocking a 2.5-second 0-60 mph time¹ before breezing through the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds¹.

“Corvettes must provide an exhilarating driving experience on backroads and tracks, and E-Ray nails it,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “The electrification technology enhances the feeling of control in all conditions, adding an unexpected degree of composure.”

A near immediate feeling of thrust from low-end torque is core to the Corvette driving experience, and the E-Ray packs plenty of it. Power comes from the 6.2L LT2 Small Block V-8, putting 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque to the rear axle. It is complemented by an electric motor that channels an additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels via a 1.9 kWh battery pack, which is located between the seats. In total, E-Ray produces a combined 655 horsepower from both the electric motor and Small Block V-8.

Creating its own lane

E-Ray’s intelligent eAWD system is constantly learning the road surface, seamlessly adapting to meet traction conditions and driver needs. During spirited driving and in low traction environments, E-Ray’s eAWD system applies additional power to the front wheels, helping to enhance vehicle stability. 

There is no need for plug-in charging for the E-Ray’s battery system. The battery is charged via regenerative energy from coasting and braking, as well as during normal driving.

Additional features and technologies of the all-new E-Ray include:

• Stealth Mode, an electric drive mode for the street, up to 45 mph
• New lightweight lithium-ion 12-volt battery that supports the LT2 V-8 engine’s stop/start functionality
• Standard Brembo Carbon Ceramic brake system for optimal braking performance
• Standard Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 with three distinct suspension settings
• Staggered 20- and 21-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires² are available with an optional performance package
• Low, wide stance with crafted body styling that is 3.6 inches wider overall than Stingray
• Visceral sound experience that embodies the car’s dominating presence. The electric front motor works in harmony with the LT2 engine to create an invigorating sound
• Enhanced roster of driver assistance technologies (shared with all 2024 Corvette models), including Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning³, Forward Collision Alert³ and Automatic Emergency Braking³.

Coming later this year

The 2024 Corvette E-Ray goes on sale in 2023, with an MSRP of $104,295⁴ for the 1LZ coupe and $111,295⁴ for the 1LZ convertible model, with production to take place at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly facility in Kentucky, from U.S. and globally sourced parts. Go to chevrolet.com for more information.

ABOUT CHEVROLET

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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Ron Ensweiler is the proud owner this 3-speed ’55 ‘Vette.

Here is the 4-1-1 on this red hot Chevy…

“This is an older frame-off restoration (2014). 1955 was the 1st year of the original 3 years of production to have a V8 and 12 volt electrical system. Of the 700 produced in 1955 with the V8s, only 70 were produced with 3-speed manual transmissions, finally ditching the doggy 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission from the ’53, ’54, and 1st half of ’55 models. According to the C1 registry roughly 19 or so of the 3-speeds are known to exist.”

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