MOTOR CARS | 205By this time, the end of the 1950s, Corvettes had begun to establish
an enviable competition record for the marque. Corvette Chief
Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov was a big fan of auto racing and it was
he that was responsible for unlocking the car’s innate potential and
development it into a genuine race-winner. These racing successes
repaid Chevrolet’s investment with interest: Corvette sales improved
significantly, ensuring the car’s survival and enabling it to go on to
become the world’s best-selling and longest-lived sports car.
Of the first-generation Corvettes, the ‘duck tail’ models of the early
1960s have a particularly enthusiastic following. As with other
classics of this era, it has become increasingly common to upgrade
them with more modern components. Constructed by Billy Dawson’s
Corvette Correction of Seguin, Texas, this car is an excellent example
of a modernised Corvette. It combines a solid, undamaged ‘61
Corvette body and a powder-coated Dawson chassis, and is the
fourth of ten ‘Signature Series’ cars built in 2009. The car is powered
by a 2008 Corvette 6.2-litre LS3 V8 ‘crate’ engine producing
430bhp, which drives via a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox and
a Dana 44, 3.45:1 differential. The suspension is from a type C4
Corvette, a version produced between 1984 and 1996.
The Corvette Correction chassis enables a standard body to bolt on,
unaltered. Subtle aesthetic alterations include a 1960-type toothed
front grille; C5 door handles with electric locks; five-bolt 18” custom
chromed wheels; and a custom-made exhaust system with central
four-pipe outlet. The Al Knoch custom leather interior features
heated seats, power windows and an electric boot release. Mounted
in the original dashboard, the gauges are by Classic Instruments,
including the electrically driven speedometer, while a chrome-plated
steering column from Ididit and a Signature Series Wonderbar
AM/FM radio complete the ensemble. Vintage heating and air
conditioning has been tastefully added, together with a Be Cool
radiator. Manufactured by Coffman Tops, the maroon convertible
hood matches the interior carpeting. Accompanying documentation
consists of a V5C registration document, and the car is taxed and
MoT’d to 2015.Finished in 2008 Cadillac Pewter, with superb chrome by Prestige
Plating, this extensively upgraded Corvette is exquisitely detailed,
both inside and out. An iconic classic sports car possessing the
performance, safety and reliability of a modern supercar, it is ideal for
every excursion.
£160,000 - 200,000
€200,000 - 250,000