MECUM TO AUCTION
1963 HARLEY EARL CHEVROLET CORVETTE
GM
Designer’s Personal Car Among 400 Corvettes
to be Offered at Bloomington Gold Corvette Auction
MARENGO, Ill. – Mecum
Auction announces the unique 1963 Harley Earl Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
will cross the block during the Bloomington Gold Corvette Auction, June 26-27,
2009, in St. Charles, Ill.
This
amazing car joins 400 remarkable specimens of the Corvette marque offered for
sale by Mecum at the only all-Corvette auction in the industry.
“Over
the years, we have auctioned the’ Who’s Who and What’s What’ in
Corvettes at the Bloomington Gold Corvette Auction, from special race cars to
rare styling cars and L88s. This year is no exception as hundreds of significant cars go
up for bid,” said President Dana Mecum.
“The Harley Earl Corvette is a one-of-a-kind factory special whose
creation, discovery and restoration have the kind of uniquely storied history
that epitomizes the classic car industry.”
As
the dean of Detroit stylists in the late 1920s, Harley Earl was responsible for
the conception behind America’s sports car during his career at General
Motors. When Earl oversaw the
display of his Buick Le Sabre show car at the Watkins Glen races in 1951, he
resolved to design a new sports car for the American market.
He unveiled his concept to the public in 1953, and the Corvette slowly
cemented its performance image with the public.
In
’63, GM honored Earl with a custom-built Corvette Sting Ray – one that
closely resembled the Corvette show car built for that year’s Chicago Auto
Show. After two years, Earl sold
the car to a retired Maryland Army veteran.
The car resurfaced a decade later, eventually showing up at the
Corvettes at Carlisle meet. In
1981, middle school teacher and Corvette enthusiast Joe Clark bought the car
from the group of amateur racers who owned it and began researching its
history.
Clark
discovered a hand-written number code inside a door trim panel – Shop Order (S.O.)
10323 – and learned the Earl Corvette began as a fuel-injection-equipped Red
four-speed convertible built after the Chicago show car was completed.
Special glovebox-mounted instruments found in Earl’s car were
originally intended for the Chicago show car but hadn’t been completed in
time. Today, the Earl Corvette
still has its distinct side-exit exhausts that sprout from behind the front
wheel wells and has been restored to feature its original medium Blue custom
leather interiors with White seat trim and Metallic Blue exterior with White
trim. A 1963-dated 327/300 HP
engine is under the hood, while its chrome trim, exterior emblems, interior
control knobs and four-wheel disc brakes are all 1965 parts.
The
showcase Harley Earl Corvette (Lot S100) will be sold Saturday,
June 27, 2009, at 3:25 p.m.
Additional historic cars crossing the auction block include “The
Mitchell Car” – a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible created by GM styling
legend Bill Mitchell as a gift to his wife.
The fully customized COPO order features Mitchell’s name on the tank
sticker and boasts a 427/400 HP Tri Power V8, automatic transmission and
factory air conditioning. Collectors
will not be disappointed by the documentation that accompanies the Mitchell
car; in addition to the original tank sticker, Protect-O-Plate and shipping
papers is a special Chevrolet Memo Book carried by Zora Duntov.
It contains design notes and reads “Mr. Mitchell – special order per
Z. Duntov” on the cover.
Mecum will also auction a 1967
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe L89 known as “The Ed Cole Car.”
This special-order car is one of only 16 L89s built in ’67 and
features a 427/435 HP engine, L89 aluminum heads, documentation and Goodwood
Green paint with Saddle leather interior.
The
Bloomington Gold Corvette Auction is held at Pheasant Run Resort and is open to
the general public. Tickets
are available at the door for $10. It
will be broadcast live on Mecum’s popular television series, “Mecum Auto
Auction: Muscle Cars & More” on HD Theater – Discovery
Communications’ first 24-hour high-definition cable network, offering
compelling real-world and motorized content.
The Mecum Auction Company has been specializing in the sale of collector
cars, muscle cars and Corvettes for more than 20 years. In
spring 2008, the company sold its 50,000th car.
Consignment, Bidder, event and accommodation information is available
online at www.Mecum.com or by calling
815.568.8888.
| 1967
Chevrolet Corvette COPO Convertible |
| Custom
Ordered by Bill Mitchell for his Wife Marian |
|
GM styling legend
Bill Mitchell created over 50 one-off design studies and custom cars, some
of which he gave to preferred customers and high-profile celebrities. The
tastefully customized 1967 427 convertible offered here was a gift to his
wife Marian.
The product of a COPO
order with Bill Mitchell's name on the tank sticker, the Ermine White
custom was equipped with the 427/400 HP Tri Power V-8, Powerglide 2-speed
automatic transmission, and factory air conditioning. Along with
side-mounted exhaust, finned aluminum knock-offs and Whitewall tires, the
car is visually distinguished by the wide Red Stinger that continues over
the rear deck down to the bottom of the lower valence. The interior is
finished in Red vinyl to perfectly match the Stinger.
Presented as Lot S102, this Corvette is scheduled to cross the
block at approximately 3:35 PM Eastern on Saturday, June 27 - in front of
a live national TV audience on HD Theater, Discovery Communication’s
premier high-definition network. Watch your e-mail for more special car
announcements.
|
# # #
Below: Lot S105 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe, The
Ed Cole Car, 427/435 HP, 4-Speed
| 1967
Chevrolet Corvette Coupe |
| The
Ed Cole Car, 427/435 HP, 4-Speed |
|
 In
- 1967 Corvette Coupe L89 "The Ed Cole Car"
- 427/435 HP engine
- L89 Aluminum heads
- 4-speed manual transmission
- Goodwood Green with Saddle leather interior
- Documented L89
- One of only 16 built
1967 Mr. R.H. Pohl was
looking for a hot new car, the best performer he could find. His neighbor
and friend was G.M. general manager Ed Cole, who recommended one machine
above all others: the Corvette L89. Pohl took the advice, and Cole placed
the order for the car, which was delivered to Frank Diver Chevrolet in
Wilmington, Delaware, in May, 1967. Although it arrived without fanfare,
employees recall that it was accompanied by more special handling
instructions than anyone had ever seen, all of them directly from Ed Cole.
The car also came with a lofty price tag of about $6500.00, enough to bag
a 427 Cobra or an E-Type Jaguar.
Presented as Lot S105,
this Corvette is scheduled to cross the block at approximately 3:40 PM
Eastern on Saturday, June 27 - in front of a live national TV audience on
HD Theater, Discovery Communication’s premier high-definition network.
Watch your e-mail for more special car announcements.
|
Schedule:
Bloomington
Gold Corvette Auction
June
26-27, 2009
Pheasant
Run Resort
4051
East Main St.
St. Charles, IL 60174
Price:
$10
Vehicle
Check-in: Wednesday & Thursday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Preview:
Gates open daily at 7 a.m. Thursday through Sunday
Auction:
Friday 3 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.
Vette Vues Magazine, P.O. Box 511874, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-1874
386-775-2512 Fax: 386-267-3150
|
