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NCRS Dutch Chapter News
With all the attention the 1953 Corvettes have been getting recently, we thought we'd take a look at what some are calling the best value of the early C1s - the 1954 Corvette.
The rising values of the 1954 Corvette has surprised many as it appears the 2nd year model is finally making its move. Many factors justify the appreciation of the 1954s, none more significant than the fact that the model year is sandwiched between the sky-rocketing values of the 1953 Corvette and the V8 Powered 1955 Corvette. In the past, the 1954 Corvette was in many ways considered the stepchild of the early C1 generation, but no more as collectors are beginning to appreciate the Corvette on its own merits.
Production of the 1954 was moved to its own renovated assembly plant in St. Louis and benefited greatly from the lessons learned from the mostly hand assembled 1953 Corvette. GM's estimated 10,000 units would be produced but only 3,640 constructed. While the sales projection was way off for the time, this production number is over 10 times the number of 1953 Corvettes produced and over 5 times greater than the 1955 Corvette that followed it.
As there were no real drive-train options offered, the 1954 Corvette is one of those rare years where the values are driven almost exclusively by the exterior color. Of the 3,640 1954 Corvettes produced, it's estimated that the colors were broken down as: 3,230 Polo White, 300 Pennant Blue, 100 Sportsman Red and 4 Black. Therefore with similar cars (condition, documentation, etc.) any color other than Polo White will be valued at $10,000-$15,000 more while the ultra-rare Blacks could command three to four times that.
Our Corvette Price Guide documents the rising values of the 1954 Corvette with an average price of $65,000 and a high of $143,000. However most astounding is the appreciation figures. The 1954's 1 year appreciation is 30% and the 5 year appreciation figure is 85%. Who's the stepchild now!
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