Number 3 53 Sold

[Walter F.]

Last night I was watch Barett Jackson Corvette special and they said number three of the 300 1953s was sold at their auction. Is this correct?

[Loren L.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

Yes, 4 or 5 years ago.

[James G.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

I think it was 2006 Loren. Same owner still has it. A good friend of John Amgwert.

[Wayne M.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

If my memory serves me well, wasn't the CHASSIS only of numero 3 on display at Spring Knoxville 1982, or a year or two earlier. Seem to recall the story was that the body was owned by someone else.

[James G.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

This CORVETTEFORUM string covers the story fairly well.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...-corvette.html

[Robert K.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

In the Fall 1988, my wife and I shared a table with Les Bieri and Howard Kirsch and their wives at the Annual Mid-Atlantic Chapter banquet. Les and Howard gave a 2 hour slide presentation of the 003 restoration and the inch of documentation they received from GM. It was the most fascinating presentation I've ever attended. Back in 1953 Diana Shore was Miss Chevrolet, or what ever they called her, and as such received a 1953 Corvette. Les and Howard were in touch with Diana's secretary attempting to determine if she had a documentation as to the serial number she owned. Since, Diana was an employee of GM it only made since that she be given a mule instead of selling it to the public, can you spell lawsuit. I don't think that link has ever been closed. Another interesting tid bit that came out that night, is that only 299 1953 Corvettes were white, the other was pink. It seems Harley Earl's (at least I think it was Harley Earl) wife was passionate over pink, so she received a pink 53 Corvette. I wonder where that one is today? I bet it's white.

[Dick W.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

If my memory serves me well, wasn't the CHASSIS only of numero 3 on display at Spring Knoxville 1982, or a year or two earlier. Seem to recall the story was that the body was owned by someone else.

Brad Haws from Piney Flats TN and an attorney from Florida had the chassis. I gave them time at the SE Chapter meeting to make their presentation.

[James W.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

[Troy P.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

That appears to be a registration for a 54 not a 53. Not sure why one is saying 53. Interesting that the color is listed as red.

[Jim P.]

Re: Number 3 53 Sold

Actually, that is a copy of the TITLE that Gen LeMay recieved at the Sarpy County, Nebraska courthouse, what I always heard refered to as a "Builders Title". He got the 2 1953 test vehicles out the back door from Chev. Div. around the 4th of July in 1954. He got the body/frame swap completed, obviously, by the Aug. 5 date of the "Affidavit Assembled Motor Vehicle" My car wasn't completed till 1955, thus was titled as a 1955 Corvette J.