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Here's the story:
Kit Car Profile No. 8 1963 Grand Sport Corvette
"The Ultimate Could Have Been Corvette"
The
1963 Grand Sport is arguably the ultimate "could-have-been" Corvette.
Had GM not pulled the plug, this 2,100 pound monster could have been a
true
snake-killer. But it wasn't to be.
Grand
Sport's problem wasn't a lack of hardware or technical assistance, it
was
political. The problem began with the 1957 Automobile Manufacturers
Association
ban on factory-supported racing. At first, Ford, GM and Chrysler
complied, but
by 1960 Ford and Pontiac were developing racing programs despite the
AMA ban.
In June of 1962, Ford and Chrysler announced that they would ignore the
AMA ban
and openly develop racing programs.
At
Chevrolet, Duntov was watching. Zora figured that if Pontiac was
developing the
Super Duty program, and other groups in Chevrolet were developing the
Mark II
Mystery Motor, he should be working on a real racing version of the
1963
Stingray. This specially developed, all-out race car would be
homologated in
the FIA as a GT Class production car.
To
be "legal" in the FIA, Chevrolet had to make at least 100 cars to
qualify as "production cars." Unfortunately, only five coupes were
built. Two years later, two were made into open roadsters. The target
weight
was 1,900 pounds with an all-aluminum 377 small-block making 550
horsepower!
This was an all-out, strictly racing, not-meant-for- public highways,
180-mph
Cobra eater!
The
body was almost stock except for the nose and rear window. After its
initial
outing in '63 the G.S. grew all sorts of flairs, scoops and bulges.
Under the thin
fiberglass body was a twin tube chassis with a stock independent rear
and hand
made front suspension. The interior looked stock, except for the racing
bucket
seats, roll cage, and 200 mph speedometer! The car's best effort was
the 1963
Nassau Speed Week where they stunned the Shelby team and won!
GM
axed the car in January 1963. The Grand Sports were sold and raced
independently, and are now fully restored. Kit versions are so right
on, it's
easy to mistake a replicar for the real thing. However, replicars can
be made
streetable.
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