Finding an old car that’s been in the hands of the same owner for 10, 15 or 20 years is no guarantee that it will be in perfect condition or trouble-free in the future, but it gives you some reassurance that it hasn’t been thrashed, broken and quickly handed on the the next in a long line of custodians who have each discovered it’s a curse on wheels.
But what about one that’s been owned by the same guy for 61 years? There aren’t many cars that have enjoyed such a long stint with the same boss, but this C1 Corvette is one of them. It was bought from Folk Chevrolet in Akron, Ohio, by a young man in May of 1962 and is only now offered for sale more than six decades later because the same man has sadly passed away.
The Almond Beige paint might not be most people’s first choice for a C1, but it makes nice change from the obvious red, and the muted tones suit a Corvette that was moving away from the glitz of the late 1950s. The ’62 was the last year for the C1 before the arrival of the C2 Sting Ray, and distanced itself from other C1s with its simpler grille and coving that ditched the chrome trim and two-tone color option.
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And even if you’re not smitten with the color, you’ll love the mechanical spec. While many ’62 buyers would have settled for mildly tuned 250 hp (254 PS) and 300 hp (304 PS) 327 cu-in (5.4-liter) V8s, this car is optioned with the high-revving 340 hp (345 PS) version that came with a hotter solid-lifter cam, as evidenced by the 6,600 rpm redline on the tach. The only Vette that went faster that year was the expensive 360 hp (365 PS) fuellie. This car’s owner also selected the close-ratio four-speed manual transmission and a Positraction limited-slip rear end.
The odometer shows 91,000 miles (146,000 km), which is incredibly low for a 61-year old car, but since those miles were put on by one man, you’ve got no reason to doubt them. And while it’s obviously had work done over the years (including, reportedly, some kind of renovation a decade ago) and isn’t quite in Pebble Beach condition, it’s an incredible time capsule, and a testament to one man’s lifelong love for his car. It would be a real honor to look after it for the next 61. You can check out the full Bring-a-Trailer auction listing here.
