‘59 Chevrolet -- definitely new. . . decidedly different. . . [Dealer’s showroom sample catalogue].

Item Details

Detroit, MI:, General Motors Corp., Chevrolet Motor Division,, [1958]., Hardcover Ring-Binder

First Edition., VG

Two parts in one vol. Oblong folio. 13 x 10.25 in. 76 pp. w/ graduated thumb tabs, in 19 ring binder as issued. Over 200 colour illustrations, colour plates (some double-page), text illustrations, diagrams; 24 printed colour paint sample combinations (5 x 8.75 in.) spiral bound bound side-by-side w/ 11 leaves on thick stock (6.25 x 8.75 in.) w/ 85 interior upholstery colour samples and combinations spiral bound as well, both mounted on back pastedown to fold-out when opened. Colour-illustrated cloth ring binder, colour cover art of 4-door Impala Sport sedan on front cover, rounded corners (minor shelfwear, minor soiling back cover, tiny closed tear head of spine front hinge), still a VG bright complete copy, w/ former ownership markings on spine of Don Rohrer (1934-2011), former Chevrolet auto salesman for Buchanan Chevrolet, then Camp Chevrolet, and finally his own dealership, Third Avenue Motors in Wenatchee, WA. He maintained a lifetime passion for Chevrolet, and later other vintage automobiles.

First edition of this very rare Dealer’s showroom catalogue for the iconic 1959 Chevrolet passenger cars with their unique swooping rear trunk lids, and cats-eye teardrop taillights. These models included the Corvette, 2-door and 4-door Impalas, Bel Airs, Biscaynes, Nomad, Parkwood, Kingswood, and Brookwood Station Wagons. The 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air and Impala reflected Harley Earl’s move to compete with the late 1950s Chryslers with a flamboyant style, and redesigning the rear fins to drop into a V near the center, redesign the taillights into a sideways teardrop, and moved the headlights into the grill. They resembled nothing else on the road, and came with all new sheet metal, new frames, and even new series names, and became the longest car in the low-priced range. The Delray series disappeared replaced by the Biscayne, and the range of V-8's included 283 and 348 cubic-inches. The 1959 model year saw Chevrolet in the top spot above Ford in sales. The 1959 Corvette featured the addition of a storage bin to the passenger side, was standard with a 4-speed manual transmission, and was the only year a turquoise convertible top colour could be ordered from the dealership. Worldcat locates 1 copy (Free Lib. Philadelphia).