We recently came across this gem for sale on the internet and after checking every conceivable couch cushion for spare change, figured that we’d have to let it go and share it with the Corvette world. We featured this car back in 2016, and it’s just as cool now as it was back then.
While the car has a certain custom, out-of-the-ordinary appearance, it would be selling the car short to assume that this design is the work of any old shop. This design actually traces its roots back to the hallowed halls of GM’s design studio, at a time when the space race was still in full swing. While not a production car, the design was formulated to show the world at the 1954 Motorama event in New York City.
It was part of the 1954 Motorama show that travelled around the nation to help promote GM’s newest and best. Since Corvette was still a fledgling upstart from one year earlier, Chevrolet decided to show several differing styles to the buying public to see if any interest might be found beyond the current, one-year offering.
The display featured a wagon-like car called the “Nomad”, which would later find production atop the larger, full-sized Chevrolet. Also, there was a hard-top version, which featured a roofline very similar to what was later found on the ’56 Corvette. There was also the Corvette “Corvair”, a two-door fastback version of the production car that featured a swooping roofline.
There has been speculation as to what ever became of the famed “Motorama Corvettes” and stories range from both salvage yard sightings to utter destruction. There have been rumors floating around that at least the hardtop version has been located and is being restored by a fellow in Canada. There are also reports that several of each car were produced, allowing GM to show the car(s) at various venues and sporting differing paint schemes.
The ’54 Corvette Corvair was known to wear both a Ruby Red color at the New York Motorama, but then also sported a Seafoam Green hue for photos and at subsequent Motorama shows that year. So, was it re-painted or were there two? We may never know, but, all hopes of owning one are not dashed though! As some highly-capable enthusiasts have replicated the famed Corvair a few years ago and now are offering it up for sale. We covered the car a few years ago, and you can read the story on the build HERE. For those with wallet in-hand, you can head over the for sale ad at UsedCorvettesForSale.com.
We dig the classic styling, and in fact, really like the creative license that the owner took when re-creating this beauty. The original Motorama Corvettes all had six-cylinder engines, but this one includes a 265ci V8 instead. The fact that it sits in front of an overdrive 700r4 transmission makes it that much more fun to drive and enjoy. They kept with the original theme, and even gave the engine stamp an “EX” code that jives with the original donor car’s serial number.
All in all, the existence of any of the original Motorama Corvettes may be in question for quite some time, but there is no question that if you ever wanted one that you could drive and have fun with, there is no better time than right now.