• A supremely rare, wonderfully maintained, and eminently presentable “Fuelie”
• Finished in Polo White with matching side coves over red upholstery; black convertible soft top
• Powered by a 250 hp, 283 cu. in. fuel-injected V-8 engine paired to a four-speed manual transmission
• One of just 182 produced for the model year with this powertrain configuration
• Acquired by the consignor in 1993; previously retained within a private museum
• Presently indicates fewer than 24,700 miles at time of cataloguing

While the Corvette’s earliest years were somewhat turbulent, “America’s sports car” started to hit its stride in 1956 and 1957. Thanks to efforts from Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette was now a true no-excuses sports car. The 1957 model year heralded few changes from 1956 in terms of styling, but the 1957 Corvettes offered a plethora of new colors, power accessories, creature comforts, and most importantly, high-horsepower fuel-injected engines. As the first American production car to ever utilize fuel injection, the new Corvette “Fuelie” was the fastest American car produced that year, and it became an instant collectable.

The Polo White Fuelie offered here is powered by its 250-horsepower, 283-cubic-inch V-8 engine paired with a four-speed manual transmission—one of just 182 examples produced in 1957 with this powertrain configuration.

Documentation on file notes that this particular Corvette was titled new in Pennsylvania on 1 August 1957. It was acquired by the Pennsylvania-based consignor on 13 January 1993 from a private museum near Scranton, then displaying approximately 16,000 miles. Over the past 28 years of enthusiast ownership, it has benefitted from regular servicing and mechanical maintenance, with its appealing condition effectively described as “restored as needed.” It has been driven on a regular basis in the summer months purely for enjoyment, to the occasional local car show or just for fun on the weekends. In recent years, it has been looked after by the Corvette specialists at County Corvette in West Chester, and invoices from their recent work are on file.

The car’s handsome red upholstery is complemented by a black convertible soft top and matching Polo White factory hardtop. The interior is appropriately punctuated by Wonder Bar push-button radio, matching coco floor mats, dash-mounted mirror, and correct-patterned upholstery throughout. The car presently rides on a tidy set of wide whitewall Coker Classic tires which are wrapped around chrome factory center-mounted wheels, befitting a period showroom aesthetic.

This remarkable 1957 Fuelie is now accompanied by a matching factory hard top, spare wheel, jack, and service records dating back to 1993. Many first-generation Corvettes are kept as “garage queens” following full restorations or restomodded to their owners’ tastes; it is rare to find a lovingly used and enjoyed, driver-quality example such as this. It is ready to be enjoyed and presents beautifully, offering its next owner a wonderful opportunity to experience “America’s sports car” in a rare and attractive configuration.To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf21.