Details:

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this rather cool 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (C2) coupe.

This particular car was imported into Australia in May 2012 by Mr Tony Ireland from Townsville in North Queensland. Ireland was the dealer principal of Holden dealer Tony Ireland in Townsville. He acquired the car from Bill Strasek Chevrolet in Illinois in the USA. There is an Australian Import Approval on file dated 5th July 2012. Unfortunately, the cars American history is not known, other than the previous owner is noted as Jacquelyn Jagielski from E Dundee, Illinois.

The current owner acquired the car from Ireland in 2015. At that time the odometer read 9,096 miles.

After acquiring the car, he entered the car into the International Mark of Excellence Judging Meet in Brisbane organised by NCRS Australia Inc. The event was held on 16th and 17th of April 2016. The car scored an impressive 90.2% and was awarded the Second Flight Award. It was also awarded the Ladies Choice Award.

We have deciphered the information from the cars chassis number, engine number and the information on the data plate and can confirm the following.

The chassis number confirms this is a 1964 Corvette Coupe which was built in the St. Louis factory.

The engine number confirms the power plant is a 327 cubic inch, 300hp engine which is mated to a manual gearbox. It also confirms that the engine was built in the Flint factory in Michigan on the 18th February 1964.

The Data Plate tells us this Corvette was a coupe built on the 12th March 1964 that was painted Daytona Blue (paint code 916A) with a dark blue vinyl interior (trim code 490J).

All this information confirms this to be a very original Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (C2) coupe that is presented today essentially as it left the St. Louis factory back in 1964. The car retains its original colour scheme of Daytona Blue with a dark blue interior as well as its original matching numbers engine.

Today the odometer reads 11,939 miles.

Walking up to the car you cannot help but being impressed by its appearance. Daytona Blue is a perfect colour for a C2 Corvette. The car presents well from say a meter away but on closer inspection it does have paint defects on most panels. The imperfections look to be small humidity blisters, most likely caused by an incorrect preparation of the fibre glass body or primer when the car was repainted. All the external trim, including the bright work on the car is in excellent condition. The metal sill strip on each side of a C2 Corvette is often damaged, however, on this car this is not the case. The glass is all in very good condition with no cracks evident.

Importantly, all the panel gaps are good, even at the top of the doors, often a weak point on a C2 Corvette.

The wheels are shod with Goodyear Regatta 2 tyres, size 205/75 R15. The tyres are still in good condition though they are date stamped 2006 (week 20, 2006) and probably should be replaced based on age if the car is to be driven on a regular basis.

Open the door and you are welcomed by a very good original looking interior. The seats and door cards are in excellent condition with no cracks or tears evident in the vinyl. The seats are comfortable and provide ample support. The carpets are also in excellent condition with no wear or marks visible. The hard plastic surfaces, including the dash and centre console are in very good condition with no cracks. All the instruments are clear and on our test drive they all appear to be in good working order with the exception of the amp meter.

The boot is also very well presented and looks to have been sparingly used, if at all.

The car starts easily, even from cold. This vintage of Corvettes looks great they also sound great! When you start the big V8 that distinctive rumble always puts a smile on your face. Out on the road this Corvette is an absolute joy to drive. The engine has plenty of power on tap and it has excellent throttle response. The clutch is easy to use and the gear change is positive with a robust feel and good synchromesh. The steering displays the vagueness typical of most American cars of this period, but you get acclimatised to it quickly. The brakes work well and pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed.

This car has definitely been looked after. Overall it presents well, though it is a shame that the presentation of the paintwork is not up to the level of the rest of the car. This Corvette car can be used and enjoyed as is or easily taken to the next level by addressing the paint issues.

We should mention that the car was recently on display the Brisbane Motor Museum in Banyo where it was very well received.

We think the car is very competitively priced and offers a great opportunity for its next custodian.

Highlights:

- Very original example.
- Presented in its original colour scheme.
- Matching numbers chassis and engine.
- Ready to be used and enjoyed by its next owner.

Price $129,950


Background:

The Chevrolet Motor Car Company was founded in Detroit, USA in 1911 by Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet, his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C Durant and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile), former Buick owner James H. Whiting and Dr Edwin R Campbell (son-in-law of Durant). In 1912 they were joint by RS McLaughlin, CEO of General Motors in Canada.

The first Series C Classic Six prototype was ready months before Chevrolet was actually incorporated. However, the first actual production car was not built until 1913 when in the fall of that year the new 1913 model was introduced at the New York Auto Show.

The company was merged into General Motors in 1917 and subsequently became a division of that company. Chevrolet is an iconic American brand that is well known the world over.

The 1950s and 1960s were a time of great change in America and the automobile played a significant part in the American way of life at that time. Chevrolet is recognised as producing the great American family car, however, Chevys have also enjoyed much success in motor racing. The small block V8 is considered by many to be one of the greatest engines of all time and the Corvette is perhaps the companys crowning achievement.

In the 1950s sales were declining and brand manager Thomas Keating was eager to reverse course. The solution he came up with was a sports car. The project was code named Project Opel. General Motors chief stylist Harley J. Earl came up with the design and in January 1953 the EX-122 concept car made its debut at the GM Motorama in New York City.

The Chevrolet Corvette is without doubt Americas most popular sports car. Since its introduction in 1953, the Corvette has gone through many iterations and is an automotive icon recognised throughout the world. The first generation, or C1 series cars, were produced from 1953 to 1962 and are often referred to as the straight axel cars because independent rear suspension was not introduced until 1963 on the second generation or C2 series cars. 1962 was an important year for the Corvette. Not only was it the last year of the C1 series cars as noted above, it was the first year of the legendary 327 cubic inch engine.

The C2 was produced from 1963 through until 1967 and 117,964 examples were produced during that period.

The early Corvettes are becoming sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike and finding original and unmolested cars is becoming difficult.