America’s Sports Car, the Chevrolet Corvette, was still finding its way in 1957, and production numbers had crept up to 6,330 copies. The 283-cubic-inch V8 was the only engine, but 1,040 buyers opted for fuel injection, which boosted horsepower to one per cubic inch. The seller has one of these, though the engine itself is just period-correct. An older restoration, this sharp and desirable ‘Vette can be found in Prospect, Kentucky, and is available for $97,750 here on Facebook Marketplace, more than you probably have in your piggy bank.
All Corvettes were still convertibles in 1957, though you could order the optional hardtop to accompany the canvas one. Perhaps the big news that year was the availability of the Rochester Ramjet Fuel Injection option that about one out of six Corvette buyers sprung for at nearly $500 extra in those days (which would be north of $5,000 in 2026 money). We’re told the Ramjet is numbers-correct here, and this Corvette has a 4-speed manual (if original, just 664 buyers went that route).
We’re told the mechanicals were rebuilt 11 years ago, while the body, paint, and interior are much newer. The odometer reflects 85,000 miles, but how many of those were added before the restoration? The Cascade Green paint with Beige accents and interior is a classy-looking combination. Documentation is said to support this Chevy, and the seller refers to it as a “show quality classic.” 1,000 hours of labor went into bringing this Corvette to the condition you see here.
The seller says he has priced this Corvette for a “quick sale,” and $97,750 is below its appraised value. A quick online search suggests $110,000 is a more likely value, so he must be in a hurry to move on from the ‘Vette. If you’re looking for a stout version of a C-1 Corvette with fuel injection, they might not come much sweeter than this one. Thanks for the cool tip, “Pnuts”!
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