Evaluation: NCRS Top Flight award and Bloomington Gold certified. All original and far too good to restore. Unremarkable in terms of equipment but the lightly aged paint and chrome, the nicely mellowed interior, and the consistently maintained engine bay make this ‘63 a preservation class highlight.
Bottom Line: There are vintage cars out there that are so impressive in their originality that they can sell for as much as or more than an objectively cleaner restored car. This ’63 convertible is one of them. It attracted a middling $52,000 high bid at Leake’s August online sale last year and a $50,000 high at Mecum Tulsa this year but the seller reasonably said no both times. Although it rarely works out that way for cars making the auction rounds, the third time was the charm in Dallas and it got the attention it deserved. This is a sensible price for it.