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http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2005/02/01/hmn_feature26.html

FEATURE ARTICLE from Hemmings Muscle Machines

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Reeves Callaway

Hemmings Muscle Machines - FEBRUARY 1, 2005 - BY GEORGE MATTAR


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Ely Reeves Callaway III was destined to make small, light things go faster. After all, his dad, Ely Callaway, designed the "Big Bertha" golf club so the average golfer could hit a tiny white ball faster than he ever could before. Why shouldn't the son carry on the tradition by building brutally fast Corvettes?

Born in November 1947, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Callaway grew up in Darien, Connecticut, and attended the Episcopal Academy in Philadelphia. He graduated from Amherst College with a bachelor's degree in 1970. But his love with cars began at about age two, he says. "I think it was some kind of genetic disorder, but I always loved cars. I began racing go-karts when I was about six," says Callaway, from his office in California.

His racing career includes the 1973 Sports Car Club of America Formula Vee National Championship. So good were his driving skills that he became one of the first instructors at Bob Bondurant's High Performance Driving School.
In 1976, when cars were saddled with rudimentary emissions equipment, Callaway convinced BMW to let him install a turbocharger on a then-new 320i that had seen hard duty as a driving class mule. "I asked BMW if I could take a car home and install a turbocharger. There were no aftermarket pieces available then, and most cars were generally slow, but you could still buy Sunoco 260 gasoline, so I figured putting a turbocharger on a car would be O.K.," he says.

Callaway began producing his turbo kits out of the garage at his Connecticut home. "I guess you could say I am the classic garage-to-industry case. I figured turbocharging could at least double the power of the cars at the time," he notes. "The high-octane gas would help with things like manifold pressure, but those first turbochargers were rudimentary."

He attributes at least part of his success to a friend in the publishing industry, who may have prodded Callaway to increase his production. "The BMW was a ball to drive, and I called an old friend, Don Sherman, who wrote a story in Car and Driver and it made it seem like I was ready to build thousands of these kits. The truth was, I wasn't."

Callaway's first true factory-affiliated project was with Alfa Romeo, from 1984 to 1986, unfortunately just before the Italian car-maker stopped exporting cars to the United States. The result was the Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6; the 2.5-liter coupe with Callaway's modifications was faster than a 5.7-liter Corvette from the period. But Callaway wanted more: He wanted a real affiliation with a car manufacturer. He wanted a real partner.

At the time, GM had some affiliation with Alfa Romeo, and Corvette Chief Engineer Dave McClellan was at the GM Proving Grounds at the same time that one of Callaway's Alfa Romeos was. McClellan was so impressed with the performance, according to Callaway, that he said to a fellow engineer, "We ought to call those guys in Connecticut."

"We didn't plan on the Corvette; we never even looked at a Corvette," Callaway admits. "But the Corvette was a different animal. It was one domestic car that had some real engineering, and the engines could withstand the twin-turbo setup. Once we looked at the Corvette, we liked it."

Callaway's reputation for engineering excellence was once again boosted due to magazine publicity when he went on to develop "Project Sledgehammer," a specially prepared 1989 Corvette, which reached 254 mph during testing at the Ohio Transportation Center test track. The Sledgehammer was street legal, met emissions standards, but was never designed to be a daily driver, according to Callaway. It had special one-off Goodyear tires able to withstand speeds to 275 mph. "This was a car several million dollars in the making that could never be run at its true speed. It was built more for a one-time magazine event," he says.

Unfortunately, Callaway, who was set to drive the record-breaking car, was called away to England on business the day of the record run. Luckily, Callaway's friend, the late John Lingenfelter, had a shop about 100 miles from the test site. "I called John and told him the mission," says Callaway. Lingenfelter accepted the challenge immediately. "He did a great job. You know, driving at more than 250 mph, even on that course, is scary," says Callaway. "At that speed, you are at the end of the straightaway in a hurry and into a turn."

From 1987 to 1991, Callaway had an official agreement with Chevrolet to build 500 Callaway Corvettes. There were actually 510 built, Callaway says. He says he has only one in his collection, a Speedster, of which only 10 were built from 1990 to 1991. Callaway gave it to his wife for a birthday gift. "I normally don't collect cars," he says. "I build them."

In 1991, a Callaway Corvette cost about $80,000 plus. After Callaway engineers got done with the 350-cu.in. Chevrolet V-8, it was snorting out 402hp. Consider that a base Corvette convertible in 1991 sold for $38,770, and its power rating was 245hp. The Callaway package listed for about $32,000. When all was said and done, a Callaway could cover the quarter mile in 12.54 seconds at 115 mph-pretty heady stuff for the day.

Callaway recently completed a contract with GM's Holden Division in Australia, in which about 1,500 engines, the same used in the new GTO, received Callaway's CNC porting on the cylinder heads, a Callaway-designed camshaft, billet throttle body and new gaskets. The Callaway-treated engines are rated at 500hp. Plans for a possible twin-turbo for the new C6 Corvette are in the works, and Callaway believes the company has the heads up on any competitors. The company already has a car running near 12.80 seconds in the quarter mile with minor adjustments.

Worldwide, Callaway has about 50 employees, most in Connecticut and about 20 in Germany. He says there is one in California-himself. He says he calls Connecticut every day to keep tabs on what's going on and looks forward to many more years in business.
This article originally appeared in the FEBRUARY 1, 2005 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.
Order Backissues of Hemmings Muscle Machines Here.
 
Chris,
Nice article, enjoy reading the about the history of Callaway. Thanks.:cool
 

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