Corvette: Year By Year

    

About The Corvette

    

Corvette Specs

    

1959 Corvette

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Brochure Illustration

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Brochure Illustration

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There were few changes for the 1959 model year Corvette; perhaps GM figured people still needed time to absorb the 1958 styling.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Hood

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Hood

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The styling was toned down a notch as the faux louvres disappeared from the hood (above) and (below) the trunk "spears" were gone. Years later the change is considered to be the correct move as 1959 / 1960 Corvettes genrally get higher prices than the 1958 model.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Trunk

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Trunk

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1959 Chevrolet Corvette Instrument Panel Brochure Illustration

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Instrument Panel Brochure Illustration

Close1959 Chevrolet Corvette Instrument Panel Brochure Illustration

Above: Brochure illustration shows the dashboard which was completely revised in 1958. 1959 additions included a storage bin below the passenger grab handle. A "Corvette" script was added to the anodized aluminum area behind the grab bar.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Instrument Panel

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Instrument Panel

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Right: There were minor revisions to the instrument panel in 1959. The glass in front of the gauges was convex, which reduced the glare problem with the flat glass of the previous year. All tachometers offered redline and safe limit indications.

1962 Corvette C1 5,000 RPM Tachometer

1962 Corvette C1 5,000 RPM Tachometer

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Corvette C1 5,500 and 6,500 RPM tachometers. Above: The base 230 HP and 245 HP and 250 HP fuel injected optional engines (basically those with hydraulic lifters) had a 5,500 RPM redline. Below: The 270 HP and 290 HP fuel injected motors, which used solid lifters, had a 6,500 RPM redline.

1960 Corvette C1 6,000 RPM Tachometer

1960 Corvette C1 6,000 RPM Tachometer

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1959 Chevrolet Corvette Factory Photograph

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Factory Photograph

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1959 Corvette C1 T Handle Transmission Reverse Lockout

1959 Corvette C1 T Handle Transmission Reverse Lockout

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Above: T-handle manual shifter and below: Brochure description. To engage reverse, the handle had to be pulled up; this prevented accidental reverse selection. The feature was new for 1959 four speeds and would continue through the C2 and into the C3 Corvette generations.

1959 Corvette Brochure Manual Shifter Description

1959 Corvette Brochure Manual Shifter Description

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1959 Chevrolet Corvette Interior

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Interior

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Interior, in person (above) and per the brochure (below). 1959 was the first year a black interior was available in the Corvette. The door panel was redesigned for more elbow room. Note the transverse (door panel to door panel) seat stitching. This is one of the ways to differentiate the 1959 and 1960 Corvettes; another is that 1960 Corvettes featured body colored wheels. The '60 vettes had front to back seat stitching.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Brochure Illustration

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Brochure Illustration

Close1959 Chevrolet Corvette Brochure Illustration

1960 Corvette

1960 Photos


1959 Corvette Options