One of the most misused and misunderstood
phrases in the Corvette restoration hobby is "numbers matching."
The term probably originated when many cars began to be restored back to the
way the factory had originally built them. It seems these cars were the first
to be truly restored back to originality, in contrast to typical "hot
rod." In any case, a “matching numbers” car not only appears in original
factory condition, but all pertinent identification numbers, as well as all
casting numbers and dates, are correct for the specific model and pre-date
the final assembly date of the car. Many people, from those who have large
collections of cars to people who have only a vague interest in the hobby,
have their own interpretation of what a numbers matching car is. Many hobbyists
use
