Corvette Collecting

Corvette enthusiasts already know the story of the Grand Sport, but it's worth retelling. Back in the Sixties, the Ford-powered Shelby Cobra was just beginning to dominate road-course racing. In retaliation, GM engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov took the then-new Corvette Sting Ray and whacked 1,000 pounds off the car, throwing everything that didn't contribute to speed into the dumpster. He employed a tubular chassis with aluminum reinforcements, and was rewarded with the Grand Sport, a Corvette that quickly proved to be a Mongoose capable of eating a Cobra—alive. Even though there were plans for 100 more Grand Sports, GM management scrapped the program, and the five originals disappeared from the track, melting into private hands.

Considering the Grand Sport's short but illustrious motorsport history, getting your hands on one is essentially an exercise in futility. Even if one of these ultra-rare... Read More