Last Two 1955 Corvettes Were Extremely Rare Harvest Gold Examples

These two Harvest gold, 3-speed manual, sequential VIN number Corvettes are the last two 1955 Corvettes ever made.

A lot of Corvette owners claim to have rare cars and, while some Corvettes definitely are rare, most Corvettes out there that are a bit more common. But when it comes to rarity, this pairing of Harvest Gold Corvettes might beat out all but the most significant ones ever made.

This pair, listed for sale here, are VIN#’s 699 and 700. They are the very last two 1955 Corvettes, according to Corvette Mike, and the story of their pairing is quite interesting.

Clark Hussey originally owned VIN #699 and convinced his brother in law, Paul Malsom to buy #700 in order to have matching cars. Hussey incidentally co-signed for Malsom, so in a sense, he was a partial owner of both cars since each left their respective lot. Malsom ended up enlisting in the Navy, selling #700 to Hussey. Hussey kept both Corvettes till his passing in 1991. Afterward, in 2016 both Corvettes were sold.

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Interestingly, both Harvest Gold 1955s appear to be identical. Automobile Magazine indicates that they were identical because there were not many options other than color in 1955. Original standard equipment included wipers and a parking brake alarm. Color, transmission, the Blue Flame inline-six, and tires became the only selectable options. Automobile also reports that 70-80 cars had a manual. Bring-a-Trailer backs up that statement with an estimate of about 75 of the 700 in manual. This conflicts with Corvette Mike’s reporting. They state only the final 25 cars produced saw a manual. As it stands, both cars came from the factory with Harvest Gold paint, green canvas tops, and the 265 cubic inch, 195 horsepower V8. As for the unique color, 120 were made according to Mecum.

This pair still features all original paint along with a green canvas top. In fact, the cars are about as original as can be, with the exception of new exhaust and tires. The paint has never been touched, and the interior carpet had only been replaced due to it being worn beyond saving. They probably represent two of the best un-restored examples we have ever come across. Their provenance on the assembly line only adds to their allure.

Photos: Corvette Mike

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