1958 Corvette

Description

The Corvette was introduced in 1953 as Chevrolet's two-seater sports car. The first generation of the Corvette, which was manufactured from 1953 to 1962, is now referred to as the C1.

The 1958 Corvette received an exterior styling update which included dual headlights, larger front and rear bumpers, a redesign of the side cove, and different tail lights. Imitation louvers were added to the hood, while two chrome strips were added to the trunk.

The '58 Corvette was 9.2 inches longer, and 2.3 inches wider than the '57. The interior was also updated with a different dash with all the instruments in front of the driver, and a new central console where the clock resided.

Engines and transmissions remained the same for '58, but the top fuel injected 283 was now rated at 290 horsepower.

1958 Corvette Key Differences

Key differences of the 1958 Corvette include the hood with fake louvers, and the two chrome strips running down the length of the trunk lid.

Similar Years

The 1958 to 1960 Corvettes shared the same basic body design.

How to Identify a 1958 Corvette

Overview

• C1 Corvette body style (1953-1962)

1958 Corvette Headlights

• Dual headlights were used on the 1958 Corvette for the first time (1958-62)

1958 Corvette Hood

• The hood on the 1958 Corvette was unique with a 18 fake louvers

1958 Corvette Trunk

• 1958 was the only year that the trunk had chrome strips running down its length
• Rear bumpers are a new design, one piece on each side
• Exhaust tips still exit through the rear bumpers (1953-1960)

1958 Corvette Grill

• Main front grill is set between the front bumpers and has nine vertical bars (1958-60)
• New for 1958 are additional side grills that are set beneath the dual headlights (1958-62)
• Front bumpers are larger and the tips extend over the front grill (1958-62)

1958 Corvette Fender Trim

• A chrome strip runs down the front fender, positioned between the dual headlights (1958-62)

1958 Corvette Tail Light

• Tail lights have flush-mounted lenses blending into the leading edge of the rear fenders (1958-60)

1958 Corvette Side Cove

• For 1958 the side cove was redesigned and gained three horizontal chrome strakes (1958-61)
• Recessed side cove could optionally be painted a different color (1956-61)

1958 Corvette Front Emblem

• The front emblem carried over unchanged (1956-62)

1958 Corvette Dash

• For '58 the dash was completely redesigned and now had all the instruments clustered together on the driver's side. (1958-62)
• A grab bar was added to the passenger side of the dash (1958-62)

1958 Corvette Wheel

• It was the last year for this style of hubcaps for the Corvette (1956-58)

More 1958 Corvette Pictures

For more photos of vintage 1958 Corvettes, visit the C1 Corvette Image Gallery at the Muscle Car Jungle.

If you have any comments, or would like to report any errors or omissions, contact us at feedback@oldcarsguide.com