Classic DREAMCARS Mount Dora, Fla. (352) 385-1945 www.classicdreamcars.com

 

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SORRY, YOU MISSED IT......

1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE ROADSTER

A UNIQUE CAR WITH A UNIQUE HISTORY. THIS "SURVIVOR" SHOWCAR WAS ORIGINALLY DELIVERED TO CALIFORNIA. IT THEN SOLD TO H.E .WEISENBORN OF DELCO BATTERY / DAYTON, OHIO FAME. AFTER WRITING A LETTER OFFERING THE CAR FOR SALE, ON FEB.22,1966 HE SOLD IT TO CURATOR, BUD CATLETT AT HARRAH'S AUTOMOBILE COLLECTION (1400 CARS) MARCH 21, 1966 WHO LATER TITLED IT DIRECTLY TO BILL HARRAH OF HARRAH'S RENO AUTOMOBILE COLLECTION. IN FACT, THE VINTAGE CORVETTE CLUB OF AMERICA ACTUALLY ASSIGNED THIS CAR'S V.I.N.# AS MR. HARRAH'S CLUB MEMBERSHIP NUMBER IN THE 60'S-70'S. UPON HARRAH'S UNTIMELY DEATH IN 1978, AT AGE 67, THE CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN SOLD APRIL 24, 1976 TO KLAUS MUELLER OF GROBENZELL, GERMANY. HERR MUELLER DROVE THE CAR ON WEEKENDS TO CAR SHOWS AND PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL RALLYS INCLUDING THE HISTORIC RALLY AT LUSTREISEN / KALIFORNIEN TOUR. IT WAS ALSO FEATURED ON NUMEROUS POSTERS, CALENDARS AND MAGAZINE COVERS IN EUROPE WITH FEATURE STORIES TO BACK UP IT'S UNIQUE HISTORY*. IT WAS EVEN DISPLAYED AT THE PRESTIGIOUS GREAT OLYMPIC HALL IN MUNICH GERMANY IN 1996 AND 2004. IT IS A MOSTLY ORIGINAL CAR WITH OLDER EXT. PAINT RESTORATION. ONE SELDOM SEES A 1954 MODEL FOR SALE AND, ALMOST NEVER IN THIS RARE COLOR...ESPECIALLY WITH THESE SUPER RARE WHEELS (WE ARE TOLD , WORTH $10,000) ! THE SERIAL #3533 VERIFIES IT TO BE A LATE BUILD (3640 TOTAL BUILT) AND, IT IS WELL WRITTEN THAT CHEVROLET DID INDEED OFFER THEIR CORVETTE'S IN SOMETHING BESIDE "POLAR WHITE" LATE IN 1954. THIS CAR IS FINISHED IN PENDANT BLUE WITH BEIGE BUCKETS MAKING IT ONE OF 16% IN THE COLOR COMBINATION. ( COMPUTES TO 1 OF 582, SOME BOOKS CLAIM, "LESS THAN 300"). THE McCULLOCH SUPERCHARGER COMPANY WAS THE FIRST TO EQUIP CORVETTES WITH CHROME WIRE WHEELS AS THEY "THOUGHT IT GAVE THE CAR MORE OF A 'SPORTSCAR APPEAL". IT IS NOT KNOWN EXACTLY WHEN BUT, THIS CAR WAS SO EQUIPPED. EACH 1954 CORVETTE CAME STANDARD EQUIPPED WITH THE SPAGHETTI SHIFTER FOR THE AUTOMATIC POWERGLIDE GEARBOX ( THERE WERE NO STANDARD SHIFT VETTE'S IN 1954), LATE IN THE YEAR AN UPDATED CAMSHAFT WAS ALSO ADDED TO ALLOW THE CAR TO PUT OUT MORE HORSEPOWER: THIS CAR IS A 155 H.P. MODEL WITH THE 235 IN-LINE SIX AND SOLID LIFTERS. IT CARRIES THE LATER THREE-TWO BARREL CARBS WITH TWO AIR CLEANERS. IT PERFORMS SPRIGHTLY, HITTING 0-60 IN 11 SEC. SINCE THE 1954 MODEL WAS BASICALLY A "CONCEPT CAR", IT WAS CONCEIVED FROM THE DEBUT AT THE GENERAL MOTORS AUTORAMA, SO, VERY FEW OPTIONS WERE AVAILABLE. TECHNICALLY, YOU COULD CHOOSE FROM 8 OPTIONS AS LONG AS YOU WANTED ALL EIGHT..... AS ALL WERE MANDATORY. THOSE WERE: POWERGLIDE AUTOMATIC GEARBOX, SIGNAL SEEKING AM RADIO, A HEATER, WINDSHIELD WASHER SYSTEM, W.W.W. TIRES, DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS, COURTESY LAMPS AND PARKING BRAKE ALARM. OUR CAR ALSO FEATURES SPECIAL CHROME WIRE WHEELS, LATE MODEL CARS GOT THE CHROME DRESS-UP KIT WITH EXPANSION TANK, VALVE COVER, SHEILDING AND AIR CLEANER. IT STILL HAS IT'S ORIGINAL CARPETS, WINDOW BAG, DOOR PANELS, DASH, TRUNK MAT, SPARE TIRE, JACK AND LUG WRENCH. THE SEATS ARE DATE CODED 12/17/53 AND IT STILL RETAINS IT'S ORIGINAL SIDE WINDOWS. THE 1954 CORVETTE SHARES THE SPOTLIGHT AS A CERTIFIED MILESTONE CAR IN AMERICA. THIS CAR WAS APPRAISED BY HELMUT VEIDT/ GERMAN CORVETTE SPECIALIST/ AT $75,600 USD ($54,000 EURO) AUG 27 2004. IT WAS AWARDED THE SPORTSMAN AWARD NOV. 2004 AT THE N.C.R.S. MEET IN FLA. PRICED TO SELL @ $69,950

*FEATURED ON THE COVER OF THE WILLIAM HARRAH RENO AUTOMOTIVE COLLECTION PROGRAM. 5-PAGE FEATURE ARTICLE IN AMERICAN DREAM:, COVER AND ARTICLE IN OLD TIMER MARKT MAGAZINE, DISPLAYED AT OLYMPIC HALL MUNICH, GERMANY 1996 & AGAIN 2004, COVER AND FEATURE ARTICLE MARCH 1996 AND SEPT. 2003; CLASSIC MOBIL MAGAZINE, FEATURE CAR POSTCARDS PLAKATMOTIVE, MUNICH, GERMANY 1996. CAN ALSO BE SEEN AT THE OLYMPIC HALL ON WWW.CORVETTECLUB.DE .......VIN#E54S003533

THE STORY:

If you can remember back that far, by 1954 you probably had to get up and down from your sofa 20 times each night just to 'adjust' your Black & White Television: Between the rolling Horizontal or Vertical pattern, switching channels by hand (no remote then), trying to 'dial-in' the signal with your "rabbit ears" or discovering you tuned in too early and being greeted by the humming channel grid pattern (some networks didn't begin broadcasting until 7pm). People began calling them "Idiot Boxes". In reality, they changed our lives dramatically for the better. For instance.... it gave one a whole new insight into the future of Journalism by displaying just how Power Crazed, Paranoid and Vicious Politicians could be. Millions of American's watched the McCarthy Hearings on television in 1954. It was all about Communist Infiltration in America. It started with innuendo and hyperbole (via Mccarthy) and ended up with a display of great lawyering by the Army's Joe Welch. In the end, the U.S. Senate officially censured the vicious, political tyrant Joseph Mc Carthy. When the 'witch hunt' was over with his ego grenaded, he would spend the next three years drinking himself to death.

On the positive side Top Television Shows would be "I Love Lucy", "Dragnet", "You Bet Your Life" (Groucho Marx), "The Jackie Gleason Show" and "The Bob Hope Show". All would keep us laughing. Cleveland Disc Jockey, Alan Freed, was chiefly responsible for fertilizing the Grass Roots of Rock n Roll ( and, R&B). He pushed artists like "The Chords" and "The Crows" on his Radio Show with hits like "Gee" and "Sh-Boom". White groups (like the Crew Cuts) would re-cut those same hits and top the Top 40 Charts all over again. "Bill Haley and The Comets" would rocket to stardom in 1954...riding high on hit's like "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Dim, Dim The Lights". Soon Elvis Presley would take the Country by storm with his first major hit" That's Alright Mama". Recorded at Memphis' own Sun Records (still standing today). Fender Guitars would release the all new "Stratocaster" Model which is still their number one selling model.

In Show Business: Sammy Davis Jr. would loose his eye in a near fatal car collision, Frank Sinatra's career would get a boost from his big hit album "Young At Heart" and Marlon Brando would take Hollywood by surprise with three entirely different roles in: "Desiree", "On The Waterfront" and "The Wild One". This 'snarling lip' character was just a sneak preview of the very same charisma Elvis used to become an American Idol. I don't know if you remember Walt Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea"? But, the Giant Squid had me riveted to my Theatre Seat. This Box Office Smash was followed by a string of other Thrill Seeker Movies: "The Thing (From Another World)", "Godzilla", The Creature From The Black lagoon" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder". America was feeling pretty good about itself. Remember, 1954 was just the beginning of "The Age Of Fins". The average American was doing pretty well. In fact, a study in 1954 found that the Average American's 'ideal meal' consisted of Fruit Cup, Vegetable Soup, Steak and Potatoes with Pie for desert.

Modern Science was taking hold of the Auto Industry by 1954. Chevrolet introduced the Revolutionary Family Wagon: The Nomad. Ford it's Thunderbird, Packard it's Pushbutton Transmission ( way before the Edsel ) Lincoln it's "Auto-Lube" Suspension and Tail Fin's were soon to be standard equipment on Buicks, Chevrolets, Lincoln and Hudson. Even Dodge added "Flair Fashion" with " Bold New Tailfins, and Twin Jet Tailights". It was Chrysler's "Forward Look" that also featured a "Space Age Sleekness" to it's whole lineup.

Trying to always Out-Do the competition, Chevrolet was one of the pioneers to introduce the First Use of Fiberglass as a way of being able to build cars faster into mainstream production. Fiberglas was suppose to be cheaper and lighter as well. Since relatively few American's could afford a Racy Foreign Car, Chevrolet was convinced they could offer a "Rocket Ship-Style " car that would offer the best features of a foreign car but, built from a foundation of simplicity and affordability. The result was the Corvette, actually named after Naval patrol vessels in Word War II. It was fitted with the dependable Blue Flame Six (235 c.i.) and further enhanced by Increased Compression, Triple Side draft Carbs and Dual Exhaust. The package included a small spaghetti shifter (next to the seat), A Center Mounted Tach, Speedo, Fuel and 'Generator Gauge'.

By 1954, the temporary Corvette Flint Assembly Line was replaced by the dedicated Factory Line in St.Louis, Mo. It is said, production quality jumped leaps and bounds. So much so, sales improved dramatically. Climbing from 300 in 1953 to 3,640 in 1954. The famous Two-speed Powerglide Transmission was altered by a shorter tail shaft to accommodate Corvette's shorter wheelbase (note:hard to find part). But, the good news for restorers, and maintenance freaks, is that most of the other parts are Chevrolet Passenger Car parts so, they are relatively easy to find and replace (kingpins, brake drums, steering linkage and internal engine components).

The Unique Look of these Early Vettes have endeared them to Enthusiasts for over a Half-Century. The sight of one is enough to make anyone stop in their tracks and stare. The inherited Autorama Design is truly 'way ahead of it's time'. And, the In-Line Six provides plenty of power (unless you want to go Drag Racing). The factory Late Year Camshaft change gave the car plenty of Pep.. as it only weighs in at only 2,900 pounds. Top speed is 108 m.p.h., 110 with a stiff wind behind you. These cars will always be the quinsetential example of the "Early Vette" and will make a great addition to any Corvette Collection... or, perfect for a First Time Vette Buyer.