Estimate:
$150,000 - $200,000

• Fuel-injected 290-hp 283-cu-in V-8; four-speed manual transmission
• First year for quad headlights, nine-tooth grille
• One of 1,399 originally finished in Signet Red for 1958
• Desirably optioned with four-speed, power windows, Wonderbar radio, and heater
• Highly recognized, having earned NCRS Top Flight and Duntov Mark of Excellence awards

For 1958, the Chevrolet Corvette gained the distinctive quad-headlamp arrangement that it would carry through the end of first-generation production. The elegant lighting change, balanced by a simplified grille with nine teeth (rather than the 13 seen up until that point), a faux-louvered hood, and chrome trunk lid trip helped push the Corvette in a more upmarket, up-to-date, design-centric direction. It would retain this look through the end of C1 Corvette production in 1962.

With its 283 cubic-inch V-8 producing between 245 and 290 horsepower, however, the stylish 1958 Corvette was no less a serious performer than before. The star of the show, of course, was the Rochester fuel injection system, which unlocked that maximum output; so equipped, the relatively lithe ‘58 ‘Vette could sprint to 60 mph in a tick under seven seconds—exhilarating at the time, and healthy even by modern standards.

This Signet Red “Fuelie” with white coves may be among the most awarded of its kind, and it is decked out with many desirable options. It is recorded that 1,399 of the 9,168 Corvettes built in 1958 left the St. Louis, Missouri assembly plant finished in this hue, which works especially well with the red “pebble grain” vinyl interior and white soft top. Options include, naturally, fuel injection, along with a four-speed manual transmission, the distinctive Wonderbar signal-seeking AM radio that debuted for 1958, power windows, heater, and 15-inch wheels with whitewall tires.

The 1,800 miles on this car’s odometer attest to its limited use and exceptional preservation since its highly recognized restoration. Accompanied by a wall’s worth of NCRS Top Flight, Bloomington Gold, Triple Crown, and NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence awards, these accolades only to make an already desirable quad-headlamp “Fuelie” even more appealing. To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo20.