ELEGANCE DEFINED: This Award-Winning 1962 Corvette Turns Heads On and Off The Show Circuit
August 24, 2021
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Tom Jensen
This Corvette masterpiece nicknamed “Elegance” will be selling at the Houston Auction with No Reserve.
Elegance. Noun. “Grace, refinement and beauty in movement, appearance or manners.”
The word “elegance” describes a state of being and an attitude, which makes “Elegance” the perfect nickname for this beautiful custom 1962 Chevrolet Corvette.
A pedigreed build with a long list of prestigious awards, “Elegance” will cross the auction block with No Reserve at the inaugural Barrett-Jackson Houston Auction, September 16-18 at the NRG Center.
Make no mistake about it, “Elegance” truly defines the look and the power of this specially built custom Corvette.
The custom work begins with classic ’62 Corvette body, which has had its front and rear bumpers removed, while adding solid grille rings and matching grilles, along with custom billet inserts in the coves that flank the sides of the car.
The rear quarter-panels were widened 2 inches, and the body was lengthened by an inch, with the top body line also raised 1 inch. The enlarged wheel openings feature custom-made inner fenders molded to the body.
“Elegance” also defines the painstaking attention to detail in the build, including custom hood and trunk actuators in place of normal latches, as well as the exclusive use of polished stainless bolts throughout and special headlight rings that do not require the use of conventional screws.
The meticulous bodywork is accented by a custom color known as Champagne Mist, which was specially chosen to make this ’62 ’Vette stand out.
The interior is every bit as elegant as the exterior. Like the body, the gorgeous leather interior is a work of art. Everything in the cockpit was custom-made, including the seats and console, and the extensive use of billet spears in the interior match the billet side moldings. Billet accents also are found in the leather trunk and headliner.
With this Corvette, “Elegance” is not just skin deep.
In fact, “Thundering Elegance” might be an apt description, as under the hood there’s a 427ci, 505-horsepower LS7 engine mated to a 4L65E automatic transmission.
As with the rest of the build, the detail work on the mechanical aspects of the car is impressive. The under-hood accessories are polished, including the aluminum radiator, stainless air conditioning lines, transmission and exhaust system with custom-made tips. The custom engine cover comes with an emblem that matches the one found on the side of the car. To help show off all the polished metal in the engine bay, all the wiring has been carefully hidden.
The fully polished suspension components are from a C4 Corvette and are mounted on a custom molded chassis.
For comfort, convenience and functionality, “Elegance” comes with modern additions like power steering, brakes and windows, along with air conditioning to keep things cool.
As you would expect from a car with this level of quality and attention to detail, it comes with a long and prestigious list of awards.
Major honors include Detroit Great 8; Top Ten Builder Choice in Del Mar, California; Top Ten Builder Choice in Loveland, Colorado; and Gold winner at the Corvette Nationals in Chicago.
“Elegance” was also a feature car at the Hot Rod & Restoration Trade Show in Indianapolis, a feature car at SEMA in Las Vegas – Meguiar’s “Car Crazy” TV show and Top 12 of Mothers’ Shine Award at SEMA. This Corvette was also featured at the Long Beach MotoRama and appeared in the November 2011 issue of Super Chevy Platinum magazine. Awards accompany the car.
This 1962 Chevrolet Corvette custom is a unique opportunity to acquire a true one-off custom Corvette that would add elegance to any collection.
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE. For a look at a Select Preview of the vehicles headed to the 2021 Houston Auction (with more being added daily), click HERE.