It is interesting to note what dictates which cars enthusiasts fall in love with. Sometimes it is a storied racing history, other times styling. It also can be a car you saw on TV such as Magnum PI with the Ferrari 308.
One of the first shows to prominently feature a car was Route 66 in the early 1960s. The plotlines followed buddies Tod Stiles and Buz Murdock as they travelled the U.S. looking for adventure behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette. It’s a great show on its own, but featuring the Corvette is likely one reason people fell in love with the Vette, and still do.
The Pick of the Day is a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette much like one of the cars Tod and Buz drove, this one in Honduras Maroon with black interior and white convertible top.
This first-gen Corvette is equipped with a 327cid V8 and a 4-speed transmission, has received a frame-on restoration, and it is ready to be driven and enjoyed for years to come, according to the Halton Hills Ontario dealer advertising the roadster on ClassicCars.com.
The 1962 Corvette was the end of the first-generation models and has some unique features that differentiates it from the other C1 Vettes. The rear of the body is basically a C2 update added to the C1 front end. The interior still has all the elements that make the C1 Corvette so special, and the seats look great with the chrome strip separating it from the body, the dealer notes.
The instrument cluster is fantastic, being GM’s idea of what the future should look like. Another plus for the 1962 model was that this was the first year that offered the Chevy 327 small block. This was also the last Corvette to have an outside-opening trunk, a feature that did not reappear until the launch of the 1998 Corvette.
The ad does not say whether this is a matching-numbers car, which is something to ask the seller. But if it is not, who cares? This looks to be the perfect C1 Corvette to just get in and drive, just like Tod and Buz would.
The asking price is $54,900, which is quite reasonable for a nice C1 regardless of whether the numbers match. And for ideas on creating your own adventures, catch a few episodes of Route 66.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Route 66 was the basis for a lot of us looking to get a Vette. My first Vette was in 73 with a 454 under the hood and go like crazy. Wish I still had that one. $8,000 new. My 2006 convertible now is my driver, when my wife and I get the chance. We’ve driven parts of Route 66 in the ’06, and now have a complete set of the TV show, “Route 66” on DVD, purchased in Seligman, AZ with its period shops and such. Don’t miss the Roadkill Cafe there. This ’62 is a great reminder of those days of Tod and Buz – Martin Milner and George Maharis.
The Route 66 Corvette was a 1961 model.