A Corvette without the typical plastic that we usually complain about – even when it's just a lunchbox – and a Corvette that was born without a V8. It all began in 1953 at the Motorama Show in New York, where the first C1 was revealed to the public. Little did they know… a legend was born. That legendary status took a while, though. In its first two years, the Corvette was equipped with a 150 hp inline-six and a 2-speed automatic – a “sports car” in name, but not in pace. Fortunately, the chassis was soon reworked, and less than two years later, there was room for a proper 4.3-liter V8. Ours? Born in 1957 — fitted with a 4.6-liter V8 with fuel injection. Almost double the horsepower. Add in the manual gearbox and… Do. We. Need. To. Say. More. This particular car comes from a rather special home — the Bouvrie Collection, where it stood alongside four other icons to represent what Jan Bouvrie described as “the most beautiful classics ever made.” The Ferrari Dino, the Jaguar E-Type S1 OTS, the Volvo P1800 S, the Porsche 356 Speedster… and this Chevrolet Corvette C1. We fully agree with the Dutch design legend's impeccable taste. Fun fact: everything in Jan’s world was white — except his classics. Those had to be black. Our ‘Fuelie’ underwent a full restoration in the Netherlands some years ago and, most recently, a complete mechanical overhaul by the specialists at Vintech. All invoices are present. She’s now truly ready to deliver many more smiles per litre. A high-gloss black muscle car, with bright red leather interior and a manual gearbox. Miracles aren’t really our thing — but we’re pretty sure we can come to an arrangement.