How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

[Mike T.]

A neighbor here in Prescott AZ has a very nice Almond Beige 62 Fuelie and has owned it since the late 60's. I happened to send a pic of the order form (not window sticker so assume it's a copy of an order form) to another solid axle Vette owner down in the Phoenix area and he noticed the mention of 'Plant Delivery St Louis' under the dealers name, Clem Chevrolet in Webster New York.
Anyone know how common or uncommon it was for Corvettes to be picked up at the Plant?

[Gene M.]

Re: How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

Mike
Clem Chevrolet in Webster New York changed to Doyle Chevrolet.

[Mark H.]

Re: How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

I'm not saying it never happened, but you have to remember that back in 1957 there was no interstate highway system and airline travel was via propeller airplanes. Your other options to get to St. Louis would have been train or Greyhound. Unless it were a special order like the Shriner's Corvettes (see Restorer vol. 34, number 2) why would someone put up with all that extra aggravation when you could just wait and pick it up at your local dealer?

[Mike T.]

Re: How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

Gene - Thanks for the update, not sure if my neighbor has ever tried to contact the dealership but I'll pass the info along.
Mark - I agree, can't understand why someone would request Plant Delivery other than cost. I'd like to post up a pic of the document 'copy' I have but it's got his VIN listed on it and I don't think I have a Photoshop program on it that could let me delete that portion.

[Joe M.]

Re: How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

Met a guy in the NY auto show in the early 70s who had a 1962 fawn beige FI car he bought it from a guy in Tuxedo NY who not only picked it up at the factory but claimed to have movies of the car coming off the assembly line. Watermark horsepower year 1957 and factory pick up would be a good publicity offer....FWIW

[Mike T.]

Re: How Common Was 'Plant Delivery' for 1957 Corvettes?

Joe - That's a great story, how often would you run into a Corvette owner that could say he had movies of his new Corvette coming off the assembly line. Here's a few pics of my neighbors Almond Beige 62 Fuelie.