That the Corvette managed to survive beyond its first few years of production to become a long-standing fixture in the American automotive world has a lot to do with pride amongst Chevrolet management at the time. Production Corvettes from those first few years found themselves lumbered with a 6-cylinder engine, Powerglide transmission, and poor build quality. Common sense decreed that Chevrolet should cut and run on the Corvette due to low sales volumes, but for the company, failure was not an option. Ford’s release of the Thunderbird spurred Chevrolet on, and by the time our feature 1959 Corvette rolled off the production line, the model was fulfilling the expectation of both the company and potential buyers. Located in Addison, Illinois, this Corvette has been listed for sale here on eBay. The BIN for this classic has been set at $59,900, or there is an option available to make an offer.

While there are a couple of non-original aspects to this Corvette, the panels and paint don’t fit into that category. The original Snowcrest White paint presents very nicely and has survived the past 60-years extremely well. This particular car is 1-of-3,354 cars in that year that were finished in this color. The owner says that the paint has very few chips and scratches, but that there are no signs of crack anywhere on the body. He supplies a number of photos of the Corvette’s underside, and it all looks to be clean and solid. The chrome, trim, and glass look extremely nice, while the white soft-top is also in very impressive condition.

There were no engine upgrades for the 1959 Corvette over its 1958 predecessor, but owners were still spoiled for choice. In this case, the original owner chose the 2×4-equipped 283ci V8, producing 270hp. The engine in this car is numbers-matching and is backed by the optional 4-speed manual transmission. The engine, clutch, and transmission have all been treated to a rebuild, and the car is said to run and drive very nicely. It is when we delve under the car that we discover the major non-original item. At some point in the past, the Corvette was treated to a brake upgrade, with the fronts being a 1970s-vintage disc brake conversion. I have no doubt that this would provide a major confidence boost when the time came to bury the brake pedal at high speed, but I also suspect that there might be one or two potential owners who would look at returning the brakes to their original configuration. What might tip the scales in favor of the latter option is the fact that not only is so much of the car original, but it does only have a genuine 24,800 miles on its odometer. I can definitely see the attraction of having the Corvette as an original, low-mileage survivor.

The original theme continues inside the Corvette, with the Turquoise trim being as it was when the car left the factory. It has survived in impressive condition and appears to be completely original. The 1959 model year brought some minor, but welcome, upgrades to the interior of the Corvette. This included concave lenses on the gauges to reduce glare, while the door handles and armrests were repositioned to improve comfort and ergonomics. The seats received a redesign to improve lateral support, and although they are not fitted to this car, sun visors were introduced as an option. Probably the single most significant improvement was the one made to the shifter. A T-Handle was added to provide a lock-out on reverse gear, preventing drivers from accidentally trying to grab that gear when their driving became a bit enthusiastic.

If you leave the brake upgrade out of the equation, this 1959 Corvette could well be classed as an original survivor. It might not be perfect, but its condition still remains quite impressive. It is a car that is ready to be driven and enjoyed, and I can fully understand why there are currently 116 people who are watching the eBay listing. It would be a great car to buy now in anticipation of the weather becoming warmer once again, and with vehicle values once again on the rise, it could also prove to be one of the most enjoyable investments that you could ever hope to make.