Larry Gerig's 1958 Fuel Injection Corvette Collection to Sell at Mecum Auction Indianapolis

Larry Gerig is a successful businessman in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, earning his money with a rock solid company in the concrete business. While his company has helped to build a lot of structures in the Ft. Wayne area the one building most Corvette enthusiast appreciate is the one that houses the Corvette Classics Museum in Ft. Wayne. This is where owner, curator and personal collector Larry Gerig assembled one of the finest and largest Corvette collections in the world.

While many of us have that secret “if I won the lotto” list of Corvettes it would pale in comparison to what Larry Gerig has assembled. Being very active in the Corvette community for over thirty years he has restored over seventy Corvettes in that time and collected many more. NCRS and Bloomington Gold awards are commonplace in this extraordinary collection and while the museum at one time housed one of each year Corvette up through the seventies, it was two unique collections that piqued our interest. For you Larry Gerig has a thing for early fuel injected Corvettes and has a particular love for the 1957 and 1958 models. We’re not sure why, maybe it has something to do with the dramatic transition in styling from the last single headlight Corvette to the all-new, art-deco, quad-headlight ’58 models. Whatever the reason he set about gathering a collection of fuelie cars from 1957 and 1958, and when it was over he had one in every color offered for those two years. Seeing them together is mind boggling, but wait there’s more.

This spring (May 12-17, 2015 to be exact) at the 28th Annual Dana Mecum’s Original Spring Classic Auction in Indianapolis, Indiana all eight of the 1958 fuelie Corvettes will cross the block, one in every color available in 1958 and all of them pristine, award winning restorations. These are C1 Corvettes of the highest level, with enough Bloomington Gold to fill a Brink’s truck. It should be exciting to see them sell and watch as eight great Corvettes will now be spread throughout the Corvette universe, maybe one will end up in your garage. Well, we can dream.

View the Brochure for the 1958 Fuelie Corvette Collection

Tuxedo Black:While Charcoal replaced Tuxedo Black for much of 1958, black was back for the last months of 1958 Corvette production. It really is hard to beat black if your bodywork is up to the test, and this Bloomington Gold, NCRS Top Flight car has passed all the tests. Being a single color car, black with black coves make this car unique and an understated beauty. In spite of the cars race history the original 283/290 horsepower engine is in the car. The car is also a radio, heater and washer delete car. This Corvette was restored by Larry Gerig in 2009 and shows a mere 23 miles on the odometer.

Regal Turquoise:In 1958 41 per cent of Corvette buyers checked the box marked “four-speed manual”. That means there were still more Powerglide cars out there than four-speed cars but when it comes to Fuelie Vettes the four-speed seems to be the norm, and this car is no different. With the 290 HP/four-speed combo we once again find a radio delete car. Regal Turquoise with Snowcrest White covers was not a common sight in 1958 with only 252 (of the 510 Regal Turquoise cars) finished in this configuration. Inside you’ll find a Charcoal interior. For a time this car was a prop in a fifties diner until Larry Gerig purchased the car and brought it home for restoration. This car captured NCRS Top Flite honors in 2013 with an astounding 99.6 score, and Bloomington Gold that same year with a 98.8 score.

Panama Yellow:This was one of the first 1958 fuel injected Corvettes produced with an early production date November 1957. Yellow was not a common color in the Corvette community in 1958 and this is one of just 455 coated in that hue. Of those, on 190 had white coves. The Charcoal interior completes the color package. Once again the 290 HP engine is coupled to a four-speed that passes the power back to a posi rear. Built for the open road this particular fuelie Vette came well-equipped with a Wonderbar AM radio, heater and the now standard for 1958 seat belts. All cars displayed in the museum are of the highest quality, so once again top awards go with this car.

Silver Blue:One of our favorite color combinations in the entire collection is this Silver Blue with Silver cove. There is just something about the color that defines the late fifties. This car comes equipped with the optional hardtop. When you add the blue gray interior the car takes on a classic look. The Wonderbar radio, heater and white soft top make this a nicely appointed Corvette. Larry Gerig’s Corvettes are often used for training sessions for national judges and one look at this 99.8 scoring car explains why.

Signet Red:Chances are if you mention any mid to late fifties Corvette to someone their instant image is that of a Signet Red Vette with Snowcrest White coves. Add a matching red interior and you’re driving an icon. The white soft top coordinates well with the wide whitewalls and full size spinner wheel covers. Larry Gerig mentioned that this particular car has some of the best panel fit of any early Corvette he has owned. With this level of restoration, 290 HP tied to a four-speed we feel certain this car will be very well received at the Mecum auction.

Inca Silver:Talk about rare, finding a fuel injected 1958 in Inca Silver is like the proverbial needle in a haystack. Once again this Corvette is monochromatic on the outside, one of just 157 Inca Silver Corvettes with Inca Silver inserts. They only sprayed 193 Corvettes in this shade, so a disproportionate number of Inca Silver cars opted for the subtle matching coves approach. This car also earned Bloomington Gold and Top Flite honors in 2009. With only seven miles on the restoration we can only wonder if the new owner will take to the road with this fun-to-drive 290 HP/four-speed Corvette.

Snowcrest White:White was the most popular color for Corvettes in 1958, and when you add silver coves to the Snowcrest White the combination becomes icy cool. Inside red interior provide a warm glow and once again we find a radio delete car which leads us to believe that many people who ordered a fuel injected Corvette in 1958 were more interested in changing gears than radio stations. This car also has the early build passenger side hood prop, as it was moved later in the year to the driver side. In 2008 this car scored among the highest scores ever awarded for Bloomington Gold and NCRS Top Flight.

Charcoal:Shades of gray comes to mind when you see a Charcoal and Silver cove combination. The red interior makes this an instant classic. There were 1,631 1958 Corvettes covered in this dark metallic color, and this was one of the last ones to receive the color before Corvette switched back to Tuxedo black. Once again it is apparent that fuelie owners were performance minded as this car is a 290 HP/four-speed car with both heater and radio delete. Who needs heat when you’re driving a hot car and the tunes come from your fuel injected small block?