What is this vette?

[reubenmc]

I saw this vette this summer in Bob McDormans person collection.......can anybody tell me what it is? I think it should be an easy one.

 

[Ken]

It is one of, I think two, roadster Grand Sport racers that were built by Zora Arkus-Duntov and crew in the early sixties. There were five in all. Very rare and valuable today.

 

[reubenmc]

Ok. Thanks Ken. I was kind of thinking that. Could it be possible this one is a clone or does anyone know if its a real one?

 

[Ken]

I'm not sure that anyone's cloned the roadsters yet, but don't take my word on that. It looks authentic enough. :cool

 

[bossvette]

I have a book published in 1989 which stated Gran Sport #1 was owned by Gene Schiavone of Essex Conn. of coarse it is quite outdated at the time of publishing 4 of the 5 Gran Sports had been restored.
There were 2 roadsters and 3 coupes built before the bean counters pulled the plug and they were raced Quite successfully
the weight was listed as 2283 lbs for GS#001 and 2230 lbs with an all aluminum engine.
And all this back in 1963

 

[Gerry]

This is indeed Grand Sport roadster #001 it along with #002 andat least three coupes were built. There is rumor that there were /are six total but I have not seen or heard that this is absolute fact yet.

Best regards,
Gerry

PS 427 engine was used in 1966 for this car as raced at sebring

 

[c5vetter]

Actually, all Grand Sports left the factory as coupes - #1 and #2 were later converted to roadsters - as for the rumor of a 6th mythical GS, John Mecum was interviewed at Amelia Island (Grand Sports together for 1st time in history) and he had a great big smile on his face when he said the rumor just could possibly be true! In case ya'll didn't know it, at one point in time Mecum owned ALL five GS!

 

[JohnZ]

#001 and #002 never left Chevrolet Engineering at all as coupes - they remained stored there and were re-bodied as roadsters at the same time that the #003-004-005 coupes were re-bodied to the final "big-tire" configuration and shipped to Nassau in the fall of 1963.

Unless Bob Dorman borrowed that car (#001) temporarily for display in his collection at the time, it's a replica. Gene Schiavone sold #001 to Rob Walton (of Wal-Mart fame) in 1998, who vintage-raced it regularly, and Rob sold it following the 2002 Monterey Historic races to Harry Yeaggy (for $4.7 million).

 

[Gerry]

Interesting stuff, if that is a replica it is one HELLAVA replica as it matches exactly (down to the smallest decal placement) pictures I have of the car from 1966.

John Z, do you think there is a sixth?

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[bossvette]

I have all five

plus the mystery 006

made by Exoto its as close as I'll ever come, there is interesting info on the Exoto site http://www02.exoto.com/index.asp?
they are pricy but excellent craftsmanship

 

[Gerry]

So the mystery 6th is a yellow rdstr, AHA.

Those look fantastic. What company made them?

Best regards,
Gerry

 

[Gerry]

Sorry, If I could read I'd be dangerous. I now see the exoto post. My excuse was I was blinded by lust.

Gerry

 

[Verle]

A retired Chevrolet employee who was in a position to know said paperwork existed for six Grand Sports. He doesn't know if the 6th one was actually built but thinks it was.

In 2002 I saw extensive picture documentation and written information about one of the Grand Sports being accurately cloned, a very high dollar effort. They were taking molds off one of the real Grand Sports then making new parts to build a new body. They had duplicated the tube frame and suspension.

Verle

 

[bossvette]

Gerry
Try Ebay you may be able to save a couple of bucks until you go after the retired ones:L I still kick myself in the butt for not using the "buy it now" on a Dick Thompson signed #80 and was "sniped".
Craig sr

 

[bossvette]

So the mystery 6th is a yellow rdstr, AHA.

no just my attempt at humor, the yellow roadster from Exotos web site:

When Exoto presented our Corvette Grand Sport Roadster for the first time in 1998 at the Chicago Hobby Show, it featured a striking paint scheme. By popular demand, Exoto has produced a Limited Edition of the Grand Sport Roadster in bold yellow paint with blue and red stripes.

Craig sr

 

[JohnZ]

Personally, I don't think there was a sixth car, but we may never know. I talked to John Mecom at length several times in 1996 when he dug up the "Mecom Racing Team" stickers for the replica I built of GS #003, and he never mentioned anything about a "sixth car", and I can't imagine Zora allowing a "sixth car" out of his control or to be destroyed. I worked for Zora three years after the cars were sold to Mecom, and he never said anything about it either.

 

[reubenmc]

Awesome info guys. Thanks!! These are some really cool cars that I had never really payed much attention to. Keep the info coming!!

 

[427]

Gene Schiavone used to bring his multi-million dollar GS to our annual autocross event (we were a Massachusetts club racing at Thompson Internationl Speedway in Conn). The event was open to all car classes and the funny part was most people had know clue that it was a *REAL* Grand Sport ... They thought it was just a kit car.

 

[reubenmc]

Unless Bob Dorman borrowed that car (#001) temporarily for display in his collection at the time, it's a replica. Gene Schiavone sold #001 to Rob Walton (of Wal-Mart fame) in 1998, who vintage-raced it regularly, and Rob sold it following the 2002 Monterey Historic races to Harry Yeaggy (for $4.7 million).

I did a search for Harry Yeaggy at Yahoo and found that he is from Cinncinati.....which isn't far from Columbus where Bob McDorman is located. He may have borrowed it for his show this year. I wish I would have payed more attention to it!!

 

[Gerry]

Dear JohnZ,

That is a beautiful car you built, what did you use as the basis or was it built from the ground up exactly like the original? Who has it now?

Best regards,
Gerry