THEY DON’T BUILD ’EM LIKE THEY USED TO: The last of the hand-built Corvettes

February 11, 2016
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

The very last hand-built Corvette – Number 300 of 300 – rolled across the Barrett-Jackson auction block in Scottsdale. This 1953 Corvette convertible (Lot #1359) still has its all-original body, trim parts, chassis and drivetrain components.

It was Christmas Eve, 1953. Although no doubt eager to go home to their families for the impending holiday, workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, were probably feeling the day was somewhat bittersweet. It marked the end of an era, as the very last of the 300 hand-built 1953 Chevrolet Corvettes rolled off the line that day. The 1954 models were headed for a more automated production facility in St. Louis, Missouri.

The first-generation Corvette was originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show. It was so well-received that GM decided to make a version to sell to the public, and beginning on June 30, 1953, 300 Polo White convertibles were hand-built for that model year.

This particular 1953 Corvette convertible (Lot #1359) that crossed the Scottsdale block at No Reserve is, in fact, the very last of those hand-built ’Vettes – Number 300 of 300. It has a solid history and is well-known in the Corvette community, as it maintains its all-original body and trim parts ‒ as well as all its original panels, chassis and drivetrain components.

The consignor purchased #300 in 1998 from long-time owner and well-known Corvette enthusiast Ernie Hendry of Florida. When the paint on the car began to lightly “craze” in 2007, Bloomington Gold/NCRS Master Judge Steve Newsom of Texas was enlisted to refurbish the paint – and ended up doing a full frame-off restoration to exacting standards, with the top and interior restored by specialist John Kennedy. The car came with its mint original side windows, factory jack, manuals, an assortment of historic records and a new-in-the-box original (never activated) tar-top battery.

Meticulously maintained in strict climate-controlled conditions ever since, the historic #300 has amassed coveted awards that include the NCRS Duntov Award, NCRS Top Flight and Bloomington Gold, and is also a Corvette Hall of Fame inductee that has appeared in numerous books and magazines. It was used in GM’s World of Motion display in the early 1980s and was featured at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2008 as part of the GM Centennial Celebration. It has appeared three times in the Bloomington Gold Special Collection over the past 24 years: in 1991, 1998 and 2009, when it was featured as part of the Bloomington Gold “Grand Finale.”

Offered from the Evelyn and Jim Fasnacht Collection, this #300 Corvette represented a truly cherished American sports car that has had just two private owners over the last 30 years. The documentation and provenance, along with its significant production number, may attest that its new owner now owns a significant piece of Corvette history.

For the sale price of this vehicle, click HERE.