Nick Classic News 4

Chevrolet C1 at 70 years old

Chevrolet Corvette C1 Series: 70 Years Old in 2023

The Chevrolet Corvette (C1) is the first generation of the Corvette sports car produced by Chevrolet. It was introduced late in the 1953 model year and produced until 1962. This generation is commonly referred to as the "solid-axle" generation, as the independent rear suspension did not appear until the 1963 Stingray.

In 2023, this first generation of the Corvette will celebrate its 70th anniversary and Chevrolet is introducing a special 70th Anniversary Edition package to mark seven decades. Two colours are available, White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat and Carbon Flash Metallic, and either can be produced with a pair of racing stripes. The package also includes special wheel designs, unique badging, and red trim both inside and out.

In addition to the Anniversary Edition, 2023 also sees the arrival of the new Corvette Z06 with a 5.5-litre V-8 engine capable of 670 horsepower.

The original C1 was the inspiration of Harley Earl, the head of GMs Styling Section. He noted that many GIs returning home following World War II were bringing with them expensive cars such as MGs, Jaguars, and Alfa Romeos. He convinced GM to build an all-American two-seat sports car, at an affordable price.

Work began on this new car in late 1951, the first time since 1938 that Chevrolet would offer a two-door, two-passenger car – the last being the Chevrolet Master. The project was given the code name "Project Opel".

The very first C1 was the hand-built EX-122 pre-production Corvette prototype, revealed at the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York City on 17 January 1953. Full production began six months later but the finished product was somewhat more expensive than the $2,000 they had hoped, selling at just over $3,500.

The EX-122 can now be seen at the Kerbeck Corvette Museum in Atlantic City and is believed to be the oldest Corvette in existence today.

The Corvette was rushed into production but expectations for this new model went unfulfilled, with mixed initial reviews and sales well short of the company's targets. The project was nearly cancelled at one point but Chevrolet decided to continue and made necessary improvements, resulting in a car that would go on to become a big seller and today reach its 70th anniversary year in 2023.

To view a great selection of classic cars for sale, including Corvettes from many eras, then visit our website and the Cars For Sale section here. https://www.classicmotorsforsale.com/home/cars-for-sale

Palmen Barn Find story

The Palmen Barn Find Collection by Gallery Aaldering

A collection of more than 200 barn finds has been discovered, a collection of such calibre and condition that it is unlikely such a find will be seen again!

230 classic cars will be auctioned from The Palmen Barn Find Collection, with the online auction starting on Friday 19th May and concluding in three stages from the 5th to 7th of June 2023.

A unique collection of 230 classic cars from a location in Dordrecht in The Netherlands.

Gallery Aaldering is auctioning this gigantic collection in cooperation with Classic Car Auctions. From Lancia Aurelia Spider to Mercedes-Benz 300S Roadster and from Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ to various Facel Vegas: the diversity is enormous.

Mr Palmen started collecting special classics about forty years ago and kept them in three locations, two buildings and one church. The cars are in great condition and the entire collection was hardly seen by anyone, even nearby neighbours had no real idea of what was inside.

Mr Palmen had been starting the cars regularly, with most of the collection in an unrestored and original condition. He rarely showed the collection to anyone, so very few people knew of its existence. The maintenance was mostly done by himself. You can call it one of the best-kept secret car collections in Europe.

A yellow Lancia B20 was his first car and the variety is more than eclectic. Mr Palmen did have a fondness for Italian cars such as Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Maserati and Ferrari. Other nationalities feature too, however, such as the French Facel Vega, German BMW and Mercedes, British Jaguars, Aston Martins and Rolls-Royces. American classics are in there too with Chevrolet, Cadillac and Ford among the collection, plus many more.

Gallery Aaldering will sell the collection through a major international online auction: "This barn find collection is truly a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts and collectors around the world to expand their collection," said Nico & Nick Aaldering, of Gallery Aaldering. "We are very pleased to be able to auction these cars through Classic Car Auctions and look forward to seeing how much interest there is in this wonderful collection."

Due to circumstances, 82-year-old Mr Palmen could no longer keep his collection and Gallery Aaldering recently became the owner of one of the largest barn find collections in the world in recent years.