Car Model History

First generation · C1 · 1953–1962

1959Chevrolet Corvette

The original Corvette — launched mid-1953 as a hand-built fiberglass-bodied roadster. Six-cylinder at first; the 265 small-block V8 arrived for 1955, setting the V8 sports-car template.

First generation · C1

1959 Chevrolet Corvette, C1 first generation — white convertible with red interior, front three-quarter view

Photo: Bull-Doser / Wikimedia Commons — Public domain. Cropped to 16:9.

Start here

What do you need to know?

This page covers the whole 1959 Chevrolet Corvette model year. Choose your task first; exact trims and engines are separated where the factory offered different versions.

Documented lineup

Find your exact 1959 Corvette

Start with a family, body style, or engine. Every card opens the facts and maintenance information for that factory version.

13factory configurations
Exact factory pairings documentedHow this lineup was verified

These source-backed records identify published body, engine, and transmission combinations. Exact pairings do not by themselves assert that every factory option or special edition is represented.

13versions shown
Convertible

Corvette 230 Convertible — 3-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in four-barrel V8 (230 hp)
Gearbox
3-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 230 Convertible — 4-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in four-barrel V8 (230 hp)
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 230 Convertible — 2-speed Powerglide automatic

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in four-barrel V8 (230 hp)
Gearbox
2-speed Powerglide automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 245 Convertible — 3-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in dual-four-barrel V8 (245 hp)
Gearbox
3-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 245 Convertible — 4-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in dual-four-barrel V8 (245 hp)
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 245 Convertible — 2-speed Powerglide automatic

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in dual-four-barrel V8 (245 hp)
Gearbox
2-speed Powerglide automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 250 Convertible — 3-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in Rochester fuel-injected V8 (250 hp)
Gearbox
3-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 250 Convertible — 4-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in Rochester fuel-injected V8 (250 hp)
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 250 Convertible — 2-speed Powerglide automatic

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in Rochester fuel-injected V8 (250 hp)
Gearbox
2-speed Powerglide automatic
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 270 Convertible — 3-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in dual-four-barrel high-lift-cam V8 (270 hp)
Gearbox
3-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 270 Convertible — 4-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in dual-four-barrel high-lift-cam V8 (270 hp)
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 290 Convertible — 3-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in Rochester fuel-injected high-lift-cam V8 (290 hp)
Gearbox
3-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version
Convertible

Corvette 290 Convertible — 4-speed manual

Body
Convertible
Engine
283 cu in Rochester fuel-injected high-lift-cam V8 (290 hp)
Gearbox
4-speed manual
Built
Regular production
Open exact version

The 1959 model year

Overview

The 1959 Chevrolet Corvette was the C1 model-year specification for the U.S. market. Its documented factory range comprised 283 cu in small-block V8, carbureted or fuel injected with 2-speed Powerglide automatic or 3-speed manual or 4-speed manual.

Specifications

Engines
  • 283 cu in small-block V8, carbureted or fuel injected
Transmissions
2-speed Powerglide automatic, 3-speed manual, 4-speed manual
Body styles
Convertible

Year over year

What changed

  • The established 283-powered C1 package continued with detail and trim revisions.

Worth knowing

Notable

  • This page records the U.S. 1959 factory powertrain and body-style range rather than borrowing a nearby model year's specification.

Living with it

Reliability & ownership notes

  • For a 1959 Corvette, verify the VIN, installed powertrain and service history against the exact-year GM document; age, modifications and deferred maintenance are more useful evidence than generation-wide reputation.
  • Check the NHTSA VIN lookup for unrepaired safety recalls before purchase or road use.

Maintenance & service parts

Keep your 1959 Corvette on the road

Start with the service interval, then match the engine or exact version you own. Order links appear only when a catalog-backed part number is available, and every listing still needs a fitment check.

Service desk

What this car needs & when

Use this as a service-planning checklist for 1959 Chevrolet Corvette. Start with the interval, confirm which engine or configuration you have, then use an exact ordering reference when one is verified.

Service topics
11
Factory intervals
9
Fitment-scoped
11
Exact references
1

Before orderingIdentify your engine, options and build date.Part numbers and sizes can change within one model year. Shopping links appear only for catalog-backed references; still verify the listing against your vehicle before ordering.

Collect

Bring this model year home

Find a scale model using the exact year, make, and model—not a generic generation search.

Sources

  1. General Motors Heritage Archive — 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Vehicle Information Kit
  2. NHTSA — VIN recall lookup

Other First generation years

Explore the C1 generation →All First generation · C1 years →

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