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Designed as a Cobra killer, only five Grand Sports were ever built: GM axed the program, citing its ban on racing. John Mecum, Jr., entered this car under his private team's flag at Nassau Speed Week in 1963 where, curiously, all the former Grand Sport engineers had arrived for a vacation. Roger Penske drove this car to third place in the Governor's Cup Race. As was written, 'The Chevrolet equipment won so easily, there was even some embarrasment on the part of the factory personnel, who had hoped the journey south would escape unnoticed. But at the same time, they were smirking.' The livery has been painstakingly restored to reflect its entry in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1964, with Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan at the wheel.
The Corvette Grand Sport was built to counter Carroll Shelby's Cobra but the project was killed by GM's refusal to lift its ban on racing. Hidden within Chevrolet's Research Center, the 'Skunk Works' was able to produce only five cars, and they could not be homologated as production GTs like the Cobras. Although given serial number 4, this was the very first Grand Sport to be unleashed on the race track. It was powered by a 6.2-liter aluminum V8 that produced 485 hp at 6000 RPMs. It rides on a 98-inch wheelbase and weighs 2150 pounds.
Intended as a series of 125, the 'Lightweight,' at a thousand pounds less than the production Sting Ray, was supposed to counter Carroll Shelby's brand new Cobras in GT World Championship races. But the Grand Sport program died almost the day it was born, killed by GM's refusal to lift its ban on racing. When the ax fell at year-end 1962, only five cars existed at Chevrolet's Research Center. Two were quickly 'sold' to private teams. The orphaned cars could not be homologated as production GTs like the Cobras, and consequently had to race in C Modified, a class for which they were never intended. During the 1963 Nassau Speed Week, however, vindication came when the Grand Sports were allowed to compete directly wîth the Cobras. Entered by 'owner' John Mecom and backed by a team of Chevrolet engineers who had conveniently chosen Nassau for a one-week 'vacation,' and refitted wîth 377-CID aluminum engines, the cars simply demolished their Cobra rivals. Drivers Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Dick Thompson, John Cannon, and Augie Pabst joined the Chevrolet engineers in smirking at their victory over the hated Cobras.
Three years later at Sebring a Grand Sport passed A.J. Foyt so fast that he exclaimed, 'What's in that damned dinosaur? It went by me like I was stopped!'Source - Historical notes courtesy of The Collier Collection
Intended as a series of 125, the 'Lightweight,' at a thousand pounds less than the production Sting Ray, was supposed to counter Carroll Shelby's brand new Cobras in GT World Championship races. But the Grand Sport program died almost the day it was born, killed by GM's refusal to lift its ban on racing. When the ax fell at year-end 1962, only five cars existed at Chevrolet's Research Center. Two were quickly 'sold' to private teams. The orphaned cars could not be homologated as production GTs like the Cobras, and consequently had to race in C Modified, a class for which they were never intended. During the 1963 Nassau Speed Week, however, vindication came when the Grand Sports were allowed to compete directly wîth the Cobras. Entered by 'owner' John Mecom and backed by a team of Chevrolet engineers who had conveniently chosen Nassau for a one-week 'vacation,' and refitted wîth 377-CID aluminum engines, the cars simply demolished their Cobra rivals. Drivers Roger Penske, Jim Hall, Dick Thompson, John Cannon, and Augie Pabst joined the Chevrolet engineers in smirking at their victory over the hated Cobras.
Three years later at Sebring a Grand Sport passed A.J. Foyt so fast that he exclaimed, 'What's in that damned dinosaur? It went by me like I was stopped!'Source - Historical notes courtesy of The Collier Collection
No auction information available for this vehicle at this time.
Recent Sales of the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lightweight
(Data based on Model Year 1963 sales)
1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CUSTOM SPLIT-WINDOW COUPE Chassis#: 30837S103235 Sold for USD$181,500 2023 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale, Az. |
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lightweights That Failed To Sell At Auction
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lightweight's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lightweight | 2009 Automobiles of Arizona | $4,900,000 |
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1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Lightweight
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