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1961
Chevrolet
Corvette
C1 Convertible with Hardtop
Price €139.750,-
Make Chevrolet
Model Corvette
Year 1961
Mileage 90.957km
HP 245
Transmission Manual
Exterior Color Sateen Silver
Interior Color Black
# of cylinders 8
Engine displacement 4637
Let’s go in depth
1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Convertible with Hardtop Survivor
1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1 -- 245hp V8, Twin Four-Barrel, 4-Speed, Sold New in Belgium 1961, Export Car, Single Family from New, Unrestored Survivor
There are restored Corvettes. There are modified Corvettes. And then, very occasionally, there is something like this.
This 1961 C1 has never left one family's hands from the day it was delivered new. It has never been restored. It has never been repainted. It presents today exactly as it has always been -- a genuine, unmodified survivor with 90,957 kilometres on the clock and a history file that most collectors would consider extraordinary.
The provenance
This Corvette was delivered new in April 1961 through Établissements C.F. Wismeyer & Co in Brussels, the official Chevrolet importer for Belgium, to Armand Blaton Sr. -- a name well known in Belgian motorsport circles. The Blaton brothers, Armand and Jean, were both accomplished racing drivers, and this Corvette was ordered and used by the family with that same spirit in mind. The registration plates eventually carried the initials ABL, reflecting Armand Blaton's personal connection to the car.
The original sales contract is on file. The original registration documents are on file. The correspondence with the supplying dealership, with Girling regarding brake upgrades, with Ronald Chazan of Corvettes Limited in California about competition equipment, and even with Jacques Swaters -- the Ferrari importer for Belgium and a close personal friend of Armand Blaton -- is all on file. At one point Blaton considered having Bertone rebody the car entirely, following discussions between Swaters, Giotto Bizzarrini, and Marcello Gandini. He decided against it. That decision, in retrospect, is what preserved this car as the remarkable object it is today.
The complete history file accompanies this car. It includesthe original sales invoice, the original purchase contract listing all options, period photographs, service invoices spanning decades, old road tax and controle technique documents, the original owner's manual and service book, a 1961 Corvette sales brochure, and even a parking fine issued to the owner. Everything is there, from day one.
The Blaton family kept the car throughout. It subsequently passed to one of our most trusted long-term clients, who maintained it in the same spirit of careful, respectful ownership. It has now come to us.
The car
Finished in Sateen Silver, the original factory colour. The paint is unrestored and correct, showing the natural patina you would expect from six decades of honest life -- some surfaces display fading, which is entirely consistent with the car's survivor status and, frankly, part of what makes it authentic. This is not a car that has been freshened up for sale. What you see is exactly what it is.
The chrome, by contrast, is in great condition throughout -- a genuine highlight on a car where brightwork is such a defining visual element. The C1's sculpted side coves, front grille, and rear treatment all present beautifully.
The interior is in great condition. It carries the warmth and character of a well-kept original cabin, not the sterile perfection of a fresh re-trim. Importantly, this car was specified from new with factory power windows -- a rare option on a 1961 C1 and one that still functions as it should. Both the original soft top and the factory hardtop are present with the car.
The drivetrain
The engine is the desirable 245hp V8, fitted with twin four-barrel carburettors. The gearbox is the four-speed manual. Both are original to the car. A Positraction limited-slip differential and heavy duty brakes complete the performance-oriented options list. A specialist who drove this car put it simply: you can feel it is an honest and original car.
Why it should stay exactly as it is
Survivors of this calibre are not improved by restoration. The patina, the originality, the unbroken ownership chain -- these are precisely what give this car its value and its soul. A full concours restoration would cost more than the difference in price between a restored and an unrestored example, and it would erase everything that makes this particular C1 irreplaceable. The correct approach is to preserve it, maintain it mechanically, and enjoy it as the living piece of history it is.
That is our honest recommendation. We would not give any other.
Documentation summary
Original sales invoice and purchase contract. First Belgian registration documents. Full correspondence archive. Original owner's manual and service book. 1961 Corvette sales brochure. Period photographs. Complete service invoice history. Controle technique and road tax documents. Factory hardtop and soft top. 90,957 kilometres from new.
Available for viewing at Pedal to the Metal Muscle Cars, Sneek, The Netherlands. We offer worldwide delivery, to your doorstep.
[email protected] | [email protected]
Phone/WhatsApp: +31 6 25 196 176
pttmcars.com
Pedal To The Metal
Schrijnwerkersstraat 10-12
8601 VD Sneek (The Netherlands)
+31651510293
[email protected]
www.pttmcars.com
We have made every effort to ensure that all information in this advertisement is accurate. However, no rights can be derived from the information provided in the advertisement. Do not rely solely on this information, but always check for yourself the matters that are important to you and could influence your decision. Please contact seller for additional questions.
1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1 -- 245hp V8, Twin Four-Barrel, 4-Speed, Sold New in Belgium 1961, Export Car, Single Family from New, Unrestored Survivor
There are restored Corvettes. There are modified Corvettes. And then, very occasionally, there is something like this.
This 1961 C1 has never left one family's hands from the day it was delivered new. It has never been restored. It has never been repainted. It presents today exactly as it has always been -- a genuine, unmodified survivor with 90,957 kilometres on the clock and a history file that most collectors would consider extraordinary.
The provenance
This Corvette was delivered new in April 1961 through Établissements C.F. Wismeyer & Co in Brussels, the official Chevrolet importer for Belgium, to Armand Blaton Sr. -- a name well known in Belgian motorsport circles. The Blaton brothers, Armand and Jean, were both accomplished racing drivers, and this Corvette was ordered and used by the family with that same spirit in mind. The registration plates eventually carried the initials ABL, reflecting Armand Blaton's personal connection to the car.
The original sales contract is on file. The original registration documents are on file. The correspondence with the supplying dealership, with Girling regarding brake upgrades, with Ronald Chazan of Corvettes Limited in California about competition equipment, and even with Jacques Swaters -- the Ferrari importer for Belgium and a close personal friend of Armand Blaton -- is all on file. At one point Blaton considered having Bertone rebody the car entirely, following discussions between Swaters, Giotto Bizzarrini, and Marcello Gandini. He decided against it. That decision, in retrospect, is what preserved this car as the remarkable object it is today.
The complete history file accompanies this car. It includesthe original sales invoice, the original purchase contract listing all options, period photographs, service invoices spanning decades, old road tax and controle technique documents, the original owner's manual and service book, a 1961 Corvette sales brochure, and even a parking fine issued to the owner. Everything is there, from day one.
The Blaton family kept the car throughout. It subsequently passed to one of our most trusted long-term clients, who maintained it in the same spirit of careful, respectful ownership. It has now come to us.
The car
Finished in Sateen Silver, the original factory colour. The paint is unrestored and correct, showing the natural patina you would expect from six decades of honest life -- some surfaces display fading, which is entirely consistent with the car's survivor status and, frankly, part of what makes it authentic. This is not a car that has been freshened up for sale. What you see is exactly what it is.
The chrome, by contrast, is in great condition throughout -- a genuine highlight on a car where brightwork is such a defining visual element. The C1's sculpted side coves, front grille, and rear treatment all present beautifully.
The interior is in great condition. It carries the warmth and character of a well-kept original cabin, not the sterile perfection of a fresh re-trim. Importantly, this car was specified from new with factory power windows -- a rare option on a 1961 C1 and one that still functions as it should. Both the original soft top and the factory hardtop are present with the car.
The drivetrain
The engine is the desirable 245hp V8, fitted with twin four-barrel carburettors. The gearbox is the four-speed manual. Both are original to the car. A Positraction limited-slip differential and heavy duty brakes complete the performance-oriented options list. A specialist who drove this car put it simply: you can feel it is an honest and original car.
Why it should stay exactly as it is
Survivors of this calibre are not improved by restoration. The patina, the originality, the unbroken ownership chain -- these are precisely what give this car its value and its soul. A full concours restoration would cost more than the difference in price between a restored and an unrestored example, and it would erase everything that makes this particular C1 irreplaceable. The correct approach is to preserve it, maintain it mechanically, and enjoy it as the living piece of history it is.
That is our honest recommendation. We would not give any other.
Documentation summary
Original sales invoice and purchase contract. First Belgian registration documents. Full correspondence archive. Original owner's manual and service book. 1961 Corvette sales brochure. Period photographs. Complete service invoice history. Controle technique and road tax documents. Factory hardtop and soft top. 90,957 kilometres from new.
Available for viewing at Pedal to the Metal Muscle Cars, Sneek, The Netherlands. We offer worldwide delivery, to your doorstep.
[email protected] | [email protected]
Phone/WhatsApp: +31 6 25 196 176
pttmcars.com
Pedal To The Metal
Schrijnwerkersstraat 10-12
8601 VD Sneek (The Netherlands)
+31651510293
[email protected]
www.pttmcars.com
We have made every effort to ensure that all information in this advertisement is accurate. However, no rights can be derived from the information provided in the advertisement. Do not rely solely on this information, but always check for yourself the matters that are important to you and could influence your decision. Please contact seller for additional questions.
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