In the pantheon of all-time collectible cars, I have to admit that Corvettes don’t garner my attention much anymore. There are just so many of them and they get lost in a sea of similarities. That’s not to take away from their role as America’s sportscar, there have been some truly remarkable versions produced over the years. And I will admit an interest in the first V8-powered edition such as today’s 1955 example. It would be interesting to be able to time travel back and see how the motoring public reacted to a V8/manual transmission-equipped powertrain version, now replacing a less than enthusiastic in-line six/two-speed automatic transmission variety. But, there’s more to this story than just that evolvement. This 1955 Corvette, discovered by Larry D, is located in Murrieta, California and is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $10,000.

When is a 1955 Corvette not really a 1955 Corvette? If there is such an instance, it’s might be this one. While it is claimed to be number 172 out of 700 produced in ’55, that provenance belongs to the chassis – the body is a replica. And considering how many damaged parts of an original body can be replaced, as in replaced to the point that little originality still exists, then yes, I guess this ’55 Corvette is really a ’55 Corvette.

The replacement body is essentially a blank canvas, perhaps too blank, as the seller states, “Body is what you see. Does not include hinges or any chrome or trim“. So, all of that detail work will have to be acquired and I imagine that’s a tall and expensive order. As the story goes, this car was purchased by the seller’s father 40 years ago and it has been sitting all these years. Still, it makes one wonder what happened to all of the missing parts?

The original engine would have been a first-year, 195 gross HP, 265 CI small-block V8 and like the menagerie of missing parts, that’s gone too. In its place is a generic, rebuilt 350 CI V8 of unknown provenance, complete with a “rebuildable” Turbo-Hydramatic 350, three-speed automatic transmission. I suppose that engine has been sitting for 40 years too, and thus all of the dust but it doesn’t give off a rebuilt vibe, especially finished off in corporate blue which is heresy to most died in the wool Chevrolet/Corvette aficionados. And like the body, it seems to be missing a lot of stuff too. I  would suggest additional questions be posited on the powertrain front.

As for the interior, there’s no mention and no cockpit images but I’ll run with the assumption that all of that is into the wind too. Yikes, the no-show list is getting long! Since there are no inside images included, I have offered up one of what’s under the hood. You can at least see how the engine compartment is sheathed – no thought as to why it is finished in red.

Having chassis number 172 out of 700 is notable, and missing almost all of the stuff necessary to complete the car is as notable, or even more so. And I must add, that VIN tag is looking pretty shiny and new too. So, what to do with this ’55 Corvette? I’d suggest finding a more complete example, how about you?