Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

[Russ U.]

A guy advertised a 57 body on a 59 frame on the San Francisco Craigslist, and I looked at it today. Weird body. Just a fiberglass shell that looked like a 57 body. The body had seams for everything, but no movable parts. Door seams, but no doors. Vent seams, but no vent. Fiberglass windshield frame - even with fake grooves for the top latches. And the fiberglass was thinner than a real car.

The seller believes that this was a dealer prop, and that the hood and trunk areas contained tubs, which the dealer would fill with brochures.

Very weird.

Any ideas?? Was this a dealer prop? I have more pictures at the link provided below.

The guy who buys this will be the only guy on the block to own one, that's for sure.

Thanks

Russ




Weird 1957 Body

[Tom B.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

I saw the same thing about 12 years ago at the Gurney Mills outlet mall north of Chicago. It was a prop in a clothing store mounted on a light tube framework that supported the body and wheels/tires. It was dressed out in all of the exterior chrome but the interior and trunk were display areas for clothing. I looked it over closely and it was obvious that it was built as a store display to attract attention. I'm sure whoever manufactured it made and sold them to other stores in the chain.

There was also a cool '49 Mercury chop top custom on a turntable in the commom area in front of this store that looked to be the real thing. The windows were too dark to see in and once on my knees I could look under it and see that it, too, was just an empty display shell. Setting around it were several '32 Ford highboys that actually had chrome dropped axle front suspensions, opening doors, hood and trunk with clothing displays in these areas.

I have a feeling that what you have found is an old clothing store display setting on a Corvette frame.

Tom

[Larry M.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

I saw something similar approximately 10 years ago at a shopping mall in Albany, NY. The body I saw was hot pink (think 'Barbie-mobile'), and I looked it over closely for several minutes. It was in the entranceway of, I believe, a clothing or shoe store (a safe guess as to store type, considering the mall it was in).

As you describe, door gaps and other gaps were indented lines in the body. IIRC, the one I saw was trimmed with what looked to be accurate chrome pieces (bumpers, grilles, vents, etc).

I'm no expert at those early bodies, but the one I saw impressed me as very accurate and true to the ones I'd seen.

[Russ U.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

Thanks guys.

A clothing store display prop??? Somebody sure put a lot of time, effort and money into making a clothing store display. The detail is amazing.

The owner received an email from a guy who has a much nicer one. The pic appears below.

The "chrome" on the one I looked at yesterday was just plastic.

Russ




My Corvette Home

[Roy B.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

How much was he asking?

[Russ U.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

$10,000

The framed was chopped up for drag racing - straight front axle, etc. I didn't see much value when I looked at the frame/body.

I put a link to the Craigslist classfied below.

Russ




SF Craigslist - 57 Body & 59 Frame

[Ron B.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

Read your post with interest. There was a similar car with chrome including tail lghts and interior, but no engine in a clothing store in the local mall in Staten Island, NY. It certainly got my attention! We're going back a good 15 years. Quite an draw! I didn't buy much there, but it was the first place I would stop at the mall, especially since I was building my own. Seems like the guy in the second picture has quite a few '56-57 attractions in his garage.

[Bill H.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

Most likely they were made by a friend of mine here in Sarasota FL as a point of sale display for "Going to the Game" stores (a unit of Champ's Sports/Foot Locker) back in the early-mid 90s. I met Scott when I first bought my 57 in 1991. He was already starting "production" but had never actually laid eyes on a real 57 Corvette, so I drove over to his shop. Everyone there went nuts over the real McCoy! (Then they tried to persuade me to let them fix the fit and finish of my 57!) NOT! His early units had real chrome/stainless windshield hardware and glass windshields; he later switched to fiberglass for cost and weight. If this is one of his units the hood opened backwards from stock. Only the hood and trunk opened. I recall seeing two colors: pink and aqua. He also made a similar 1957 Bel Air convertible display.

[Ron B.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

Sometimes, a little information goes a long way. The store was Champs! I was struggling to remember the name of the store, but that was it. I also remember it was a pink car. The trunk was open and clothing was laid out in it. What did he use as a chassis? I remember it being on wheels. My wife was horrified when I got down on the floor and rolled under it, but I don't remember what was there. I do that all the time!!! I remember taillights too. Were those part of his display?

Where do you suppose all of those displays went after they were discarded by the stores? Anyone know any management from those stores? That's a fairly large item to toss in the dumpster. How many private carting workers had or have store displays in their yards for their now college age kids, or in their garages or living rooms as conversation pieces?

[Loren Smith]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

I saw a hot pink one at the Imperial Palace Auto Collection in Las Vegas about 10 years ago. I think it was later sold on ebay a few years back.

[Mark S.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

There was also a pink one at a clothing store at the Mall Of America years ago!

[Bill H.]

Re: Unusual 1957 Body - Dealer Prop???

A few years ago a local restaurant "Fifty's Diner" had three or four Corvettes (as well as two Bel Airs) parked about their lot. I'll ask Scott if he knows what happened when they were no longer used in the stores. I also remember at least one pink 57 Corvette sitting in Champs main offices some time ago. I'll ask at Champs HQ when I'm there in December - since I bought my 57 I've been driving it to their headquarters to pick up Santa Claus, do a few laps of downtown Bradenton, FL, and deliver him to the Champs Sports children's Christmas party (for which I have never purchased a pair of sneakers since!).