65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

[Joe R.]

A friend at work brought this to my attention:

https://www.mecum.com/lot-detail.cfm?lot_id=FL0115-204250

I'm not interested in buying the car, but I did look it over just for grins. Here are my observations:

Do you guys think it will fetch 100 – 150 K? I’m a bit suspect that it’s an unrestored original. I would think the carpet would be black. It looks brown to me. Maybe that’s sun fading… I would want to see a close up of the trim and VIN tags. And the engine pad. I didn’t see mention of any documentation. Also, I don’t believe Chevy sold the pilot line cars.

What do the real experts think?

Joe

[Michael J.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

I'm not a "real" expert by any means, but I have and do buy lots of cars, so I am a consumer/customer. I don't see why a #1 VIN would be anything special on a '65, IMO, no additional value above any other VIN, including the "final" '65. If it were the first '63, or the last '67, then I would see additional value in that, but not this one, it's value should be determined by the car itself, not the VIN.

[Mike E.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

I guess you owned it you could claim bragging rights that you own the first production Corvette with disk brakes, which is a big deal IMO, most folks might not think its that significant however.


Mike

[Ed S.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

At least the oil filler cap has the requisite dimple!

[Patrick B.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

I saw 67 Serial number 4 in an unrestored state many years ago and it was quite unique, as were numbers 1, 2 and 3 presumably. The body build date was in May 66 and the body was clearly a 66 body with all of the 67 differences executed in hand-layup glass panels.

[Wayne M.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

...... no additional value above any other VIN, including the "final" '65. ....

Easy there, fella ..... .

[Michael J.]

[Patrick H.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

There is always the one in the middle……..

I've been a bit disappointed that my 2008 didn't end up being #12345. I was really close without even trying.

[James W.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

Here's what I know about the car. It spent some time here in eastern Nebraska in the late 1970's and early 1980's with former owner Virgil Stewart. I saw the car up close in January of 1983 at a Corvette Shop in Madison, Nebraska called Corvette Nebraska where it was undergoing a complete repaint. The car was stripped to bare glass at the time and since it was a pilot line car it had some unique body assembly. The front fender side gills were separate pieces from the fender assembly and were grafted into the fender. The color of the side gill fiberglass was a different color. I remember seeing the car at the local Lincoln, Nebraska Corvette club events.



Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.

[Patrick B.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

Here's what I know about the car. It spent some time here in eastern Nebraska in the late 1970's and early 1980's with former owner Virgil Stewart. I saw the car up close in January of 1983 at a Corvette Shop in Madison, Nebraska called Corvette Nebraska where it was undergoing a complete repaint. The car was stripped to bare glass at the time and since it was a pilot line car it had some unique body assembly. The front fender side gills were separate pieces from the fender assembly and were grafted into the fender. The color of the side gill fiberglass was a different color. I remember seeing the car at the local Lincoln, Nebraska Corvette club events.

Regards,

James West
Omaha, NE.

That is very much like 1967 Ser#4 that was a 66 body with the 67 side gills and backup lamp housing grafted on as hand layup pieces.

[Mike E.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

Hey Wayne,

Here's one made only a day or two before yours. Needs a little work though. How long before it shows up with a numbers matching 396?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Corvette-na-1965-corvette-conv-parts-or-project-car-/181648792168?forcerrptr=true&hash=item2a4b1c9a68&item=181648792168&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

[Wayne M.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

Hey Wayne,

Here's one made only a day or two before yours. Needs a little work though. How long before it shows up with a numbers matching 396?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevrolet-Co...US_Cars_Trucks

Mike -- what a hodge-podge of parts. I can see part of a frame kick-up; wonder what VIN derivative is stamped there ? The December 11th (1964) trim tag date is way off compared to a late July (1965) car. One thing for sure; we haven't seen the last of this .

BTW, anyone know what #00001 went for ? The Mecum site says it sold.

[Mike E.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

BTW, anyone know what #00001 went for ? The Mecum site says it sold.

When I logged into their website it said it sold for $140K.

Mike

[Mike F.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

....$140k....

[Steve M.]

Re: 65 Corvette S/N 1 for sale at Mecum Florida auction

The commentators said that it is the only mid-year known with serial number one.