Harvest Gold 1955 Corvette Is One of Just 700 Produced

It may not be finished in its original hue, but this Harvest Gold 1955 Corvette is still a rare gem.

Though the Corvette is an undeniable success today, roughly 70 years after it originally launched, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, GM could have easily canceled the model in its earlier years, as interest in the sports car had wavered, leading to poor sales and little production. Things eventually turned around, of course – mostly thanks to the introduction of the V8 in 1955, but that was a dismal sales year, with just 700 units built in total. This Harvest Gold 1955 Corvette that’s set to cross the block at Mecum’s Monterey auction August 18-20 would be even rarer, however, if it was totally original.

Few customers opted for a Harvest Gold 1955 Corvette, which resulted in just 120 being produced – a low number by anyone’s standards. Interestingly, it wasn’t the least popular color, however – that honor belongs to Corvette Copper and the 15 units it landed on. Instead, this particular car was originally one of 180 finished in Gypsy Red, but has since been repainted in an even rarer hue. Regardless, in today’s world, low production numbers are golden tickets at auction (most of the time), and this C1 looks primed to rake in a relatively hefty sum when the hammer falls later this month.

This particular 1955 Corvette has a lot going for it aside from production numbers too, including the optional 265 cubic-inch, 195 horsepower V8, which also means that it has a four-barrel carburetor, bright valve covers, bright air cleaner, Powerglide automatic transmission, a heater, AM radio, parking brake alarm, windshield washers, courtesy lights, full-sized stainless steel wheel covers, and wide whitewall tires.

The previous owner went full monty in terms of this car’s color conversion, giving it the proper yellow interior and green carpet, yellow wheels, and dark green soft top, so it certainly looks the part. Fresh off a complete restoration, it also looks essentially brand new, even if it isn’t totally correct. Regardless, with an auction estimate of $100-$125k and as one of just 700 total 1955 Corvettes produced, it’s bound to peak someone’s interest, color change or no.

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Photos:Mecum Auctions

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