Volume 4 Number 8 www.vettenvestments.com August, 2017Mecum, Denver

LOT S122 1962 Convertible 327/360 HP, 4-Speed Sold, $89,000

LOT F167 1967 Convertible 427/400 HP, Tank Sticker Sold, $85,000

LOT F116.1 1960 Convertible Bloomington Gold Certified, Top Flight Sold, $80,000

LOT S113 1966 Convertible Bought New by Walter C. Davidson Sold, $72,000

LOT F119 2015 Callaway Supercharged 627 HP, 7-Speed Sold, $70,000

Vicari, New Orleans,

no prices reported

1967 COUPE 5 time NCRS Reg. Top Flight Award Winner

2013 CONVERTIBLE 60TH ANN. EDITION

1965 CONVERTIBLE MODIFIED TO 1967 BODY 496 STROKER ENGINE

GAA

LOT # ST0085 1967 Coupe One of One. Sold, $195,000

LOT # ST0151 1967 Coupe, RESTO-MOD Sold, $110,000

LOT # ST0080 1966 CONV. Sold, $93,000 5 Time NCRS Top Flight Award Winner

LOT # ST0086 1967 CONV. SALE PRICE: $91,000 Verified by Roy Sinor

Mecum, Harrisburg

LOT S112.1 1963 Split Window Coupe Fuel Injected 327 CI, 4-Speed. Sold, $140,250

LOT S96 327/340 HP, 4-Speed, Sold, $37,500

LOT S146 1967 Coupe 572 CI, 4-Speed Sold, $110,000

LOT S105.1 1967 Coupe 427/390 HP, Tank Sticker Sold, $99,000

Nobody provides more complete, current auction results than Vette-N-Vestments, NOBODY!

Hello Corvette Family! What an exciting time to for the Corvette industry! This month we are providing the latest on C8 and Bowling Green Assembly plant news along with other pertinent items. We are publishing results for 2 Mecum sales in Harrisburg and Denver. Bob Kroupa, Editor Emeritus was kind enough to cover the Greensboro Auction for us as well. Each month we strive to bring you the latest in the Corvette world. Focusing on auction results, Most results are available in almost real time. Others, not so much. Cases in point are Russo and Steele in Newport beach last month. Also, Smith Auctions LLC: Cape Girardeau Classic Car Auction Cape Girardeau, MO July 08, 2017. Also, We are yet to see the Vicari results for their New Orleans sale. We will post these when they are available.

Table of Contents: Page 1. Top Corvette sales at auctions Page 2. Editor, C8, Corvette Raciing Page 3-4 Page 5, Mecum, Denver results Page 6-9 Page10 16 Upcoming Auctions

Published by Corvetteology, LLC 6000 N Ocean BLVD #7D Lauderdale By the Sea, FL 33308-2339 corvettemarsh@comcast.net 054.234.5209

We accept debit/credit cards! and PayPal Subscription Prices Digital/Weekly $19.95 Soon to be released Price Guide $20.00 Editor & Publisher. Marshall Fancher Editor Emeritus... ..... .....Bob Kroupa Technical Director……....Ben Labaree Western Regional Corr. ..Bill Kendrick Content James D. Plihcik Spreadsheets… …..…..……Joe Rawls Western Robert and Betty Hoffman

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: No. 3 Corvette Retains Points Lead Fourth for Garcia/Magnussen, fifth for Gavin/Milner in another wild finish ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (Aug. 6, 2017) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen extended their GT Le Mans (GTLM) Driver’s Championship lead Sunday with a fourth-place finish at Road America in the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase. An early strategic call and some late-race luck propelled the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R from eighth at the start to just off the podium in the seventh GTLM round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner were fifth in their No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R despite late-race contact that sent Milner off track on the final lap. The two Corvettes qualified seventh and eighth, but the No. 3 Corvette went on an alternate pit strategy early following a full-course caution 15 minutes into the race. The strategy paid off with three yellow-flag periods in the final hour, which allowed the No. 3 Corvette to gain two positions in the pitlane with 45 minutes to go. The No. 4 Corvette stayed on the same pit strategy as the lead cars, and Milner found himself fourth with 37 minutes to go. He was able to hold off a challenge from the much-faster, fifth-place car over the last 10 minutes until the late touch. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway on Sunday, Aug. 27. Corvette Racing at Lime Rock Park: No. 3 Corvette Extends GTLM Points Lead By Corvette Racing - Jul 23, via corvetteblogger.com Fourth place for Garcia, Magnussen; No. 4 Corvette suffers early contact LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 22, 2017) – Corvette Racing extended its lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) standings Saturday with a fourth-place finish for Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen in the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park.

The pairing – in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R – now lead the Driver’s Championship by seven points, and Chevrolet increased its lead in the Manufacturer’s standings to four points after seven of 11 events. Garcia also set the fastest lap of the race to earn one critical bonus point.

The No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R of Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner finished eighth after early-race contact on the rough-and-tumble circuit. The No. 4 Corvette was forced to return to the paddock twice for repairs – an example of the never-give-up attitude that defines Corvette Racing. Corvette Racing at Lime Rock Park: No. 3 Corvette Extends GTLM Points Lead Magnussen started sixth and drove the first 51 minutes before handing off to Garcia from fourth place. Garcia rejoined in fifth and eventually cycled through to the lead as different pit stop strategies emerged into the final hour. The No. 3 Corvette pitted from first with 47 minutes left and was one of the final GTLM cars to stop for fuel and fresh Michelin tires. The strategy very nearly paid off with a podium finish, but the tight confines of Lime Rock and traffic stymied Garcia’s changes. Corvette Racing’s next event is the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The race is scheduled for 2:35 p.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 6. Fox Sports 1 will air the race live with audio coverage on IMSA Radio.

Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line as Retooling Begins By Keith Cornett - Jul 28,

Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line as Retooling Begins The final 2018 Corvette to be built on what we will now refer to as the Corvette factory’s “old assembly line” was completed on Thursday afternoon. It was a 2018 Non-Z51 Corvette Stingray Coupe in Torch Red. The dismantling of the assembly line began almost immediately after the Stingray was driven off the line. Our understanding is that there will be some official photos to mark the occasion. Much of the existing assembly line process dates back to 1997 and the fifth generation Corvette, although some components go back to the founding of the former Chrysler air conditioning plant when it started building Corvettes in the early 1980s. Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant

Over the next thirteen weeks, the old line will be dismantled and a new assembly line process utilizing flexible assembly methods will be put into place. For a really good primer on the changes coming to the Corvette assembly plant, watch our video of BGAP’s general manager Kai Spande at the 2017 NCM Bash. The assembly line will be rerouted to move the exterior panel assembly areas closer to the new paint shop, as well as moving the panel assembly towards the end of the line so as to lessen the potential for damage and increase build quality. Another aspect of the new assembly line once it restarts will be to slow it down, from 18 cars per hour to 12 cars so the workers will have a little more time per car to ensure quality. A friend tells us that most plant employees will return to work around October 9th where they will begin training, however, new 2018 Corvettes will not start production until the end of October or first week in November. We are also reminded that of the quality assurance (QA) process that the new Stingrays went through back in

2013 and we believe that once the plant starts production, there will be a series of extensive quality tests on the 2018 Corvettes that come off the new assembly line. That could mean the first 2018 Corvettes off the new line won’t begin showing up to dealers until the end of November or early December. Final Corvette Rolls Off the Old Assembly Line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant The assembly line upgrades, along with the start-up and integration of the new paint facility, mark the beginning of some exciting times for Corvette owners. While much speculation revolves around the future of the Corvette, know that once the plant restarts later, the changes should further unlock the potential of the men and women who build our dream cars and the focus on quality will impact today’s Corvette almost immediately.

New Spy Photos Show C8 Mid Engine Corvette as Engineers Scramble to Cover it By Keith Cornett - Jul 31, 20176299

New Spy Photos show C8 Mid Engine Corvette as Engineers Scramble to Cover it Photo Credit: Chris Doane Automotive / autoblog.com Is it a coincidence that on the first day without any Corvettes being produced in Bowling Green that new spy photos should appear of the C8 Mid Engine Corvette? I’m slightly cynical on the subject for sure, but judging from the latest release of photos from spy photographer Chris Doane Automotive and posted on AutoBlog, the two engineers in the car don’t look to be too happy about sharing these images of the future Corvette.

You can see these ten new spy photos over at AutoBlog: View image on Twitter View image on Twitter Follow Autoblog ✔ @therealautoblog The mid-engined @chevrolet Corvette is looking really close to production in these latest spy shots. Chevrolet test drivers at Milford have long dealt with long lenses and sneaky photographers hanging around entrances to the proving grounds, but today’s drone technology allows for a peak over those high fences. About the only current counter measures that Chevy can employ are “stop and cover”, which is what we see the two engineers do as they quickly cover the prototype. As for the prototype itself, it looks different than those C8s we saw in the snow earlier this year. We’re pretty sure those photos were staged and again we are reminded about Car and Driver’s Don Sherman saying that the Corvette Team is using Pratt & Miller for a bit of subterfuge. These new spy photos do show the exhaust tips peaking out of the back and it looks like there will be two exhaust ports per corner. It also appears there is body work under them so the exhaust outlets appear integrated into the rear body work and are not just sticking out under the corners. We know Corvette enthusiasts get excited when new spy photos appear, but unfortunately there is no current news on when the cars may actually come to market, or knowledge on whether they will be produced by themselves or with the front engine C7 sold side-by-side. But if we had to make a guess…2020? Like always, stay tuned for the latest C8 Corvette news here at CorvetteBlogger.com! Source: autoblog.com

Yet another spin on the C8. 2020 Corvette C8 To Rewrite History And Rules Of Sports Car Segment?

Photo Road and Track

The news cycle for GM’s mysterious mid-engine car is on an endless loop these days with etched-in-stone talking points that barely budge. Getting any update from GM or peripheral Corvette sycophants has been hopelessly fruitless so we automotive scribes have been relegated to treading water on the waves of the internet grasping at any piece of news like a chunk of driftwood that might float us to the promised land. For now, let’s say this mid-engine car from GM is a Corvette. Some folks think it’s a Cadillac but that’s a different battle for another day.

Photo Road and Track The boilerplate that has emerged for the notion of a C8–mostly from speculation–is as follows: a range-topping, mid-engine supercar with a multi-valve V8 engine and benefitting from a clean-sheet chassis design leveraging everything GM engineering can muster. A “Halo” car that represents the pinnacle of mighty General Motors Design. What if all that’s wrong? What if the new mid-engine Corvette isn’t a halo car but an “affordable” stablemate to the existing C7? The first salvo of Corvette as a multi-model franchise? What if GM is not only going to maintain it’s slot as the world’s leading sports car maker, but defend it’s position AND gobble up more market share by adding a revolutionary supercar sibling to the “standard” Corvette? One that would maintain the current pricing structure of the C7 but literally re-writes the rules–and history–for performance cars forever?

Chevy owns sports car market. Why not build and expand upon that with an additional model? Photo Road and Track How ’bout dat? Although Corvette Online has previously talked–ad nauseum–about the conundrum of why GM would EVER change it’s decades old, best-selling Corvette blueprint, an article by Keith Cornett over at CorvetteBlogger, reports fresh clues about the C8 from veteran auto journalist Don Sherman.

Q1 2017 – Corvette rules market with hammered fist. GM owns almost 50% of the sports car market in the $75-100k segment. It’s sales are almost THREE times that of second place Porsche 911. If you count Camaro sales, GM’s grip on the performance market tightens even more. It’s been said that GM makes $10k for every Suburban SUV sold, so a Corvette, with a similar MSRP, probably is as big a cash cow for GM. For the record, GM sold over 40,000 Corvettes in 2016 and around 32,000 Corvettes in 2017. Serious numbers and profit. How would YOU like to get in front of GM President Dan Amman, GM CEO Mary Barra, and GMNA President Mark Ruess down at the “Silver Silos” on the Detroit river and propose throwing ALL THAT out the window with a new-fangled, mid-engine design that might alienate a huge swath of faithful Corvette buyers? A “tough” meeting indeed.

Get your best pitch ready, it better be compelling. From left to right, GM President Dan Amman, GM CEO Mary Barra and GMNA President Mark Ruess Current events regarding General Motors are key here as well. After the US auto titan pulled out of multiple overseas markets–including South Africa, India and friggin’ Europe–GM President Dan Amman stated, “We will remain in markets only where we are strong or could be strong…” Based on that, and the previously mentioned sales figures, it’s clear why GM chose to invest two-thirds of a billion dollars into Bowling Green and it’s segment-leading, sports car enterprise.

Attainable mid-engine performance for everyman? ‘Murica. For long time auto mag followers, Don Sherman’s take on all this is the next

best thing to a full on reveal of the damn car. His musings about the C8, which originally appear on insurance gurus Hagerty’s website, are interesting and support the idea of a chicken in every pot and a mid-engine supercar in every driveway. Sherman says, “Considering that Chevy currently owns more than 40 percent of the $50-100,000 sports car market, flipping the switch from C7 to a radically different and more-expensive C8 would be insanity. Instead, building both Corvettes concurrently will allow the faithful to decide which best suits their fantasies. With 500 or so horsepower on tap and a base price below $70,000, the 2020 C8 should revolutionize the supercar category. As this new platform matures, Chevy will add alternatives to today’s LT1 including an all-wheel-drive hybrid (possibly called E-Ray) and a twin-turbo DOHC V-8 hammering out a remarkable 1,000 horsepower.

Renders like this only fuel the speculation, but we love ’em… A warning: Don’t trust the spy photos of camouflaged C8 mules undergoing winter development tests. To hide the real design from our curious eyes, those prototypes were constructed by Chevy’s racing partner, Pratt & Miller Engineering, using Daytona Prototype exterior panels. When your task is nurturing wild Corvette dreams, chicanery is to be expected. The delicious dilemma due in 18 months is what Corvette shoppers with $70,000 burning a hole in their wallet will choose. Will it be a Corvette Grand Sport with a traditional powertrain layout or the mid-engine C8? Ladies and gentlemen, start your deliberation engines.”

So, for all you die-hard, old-school ‘Vette fans, would an attainable, state-of-the-art mid-engine supercar put to rest any reservations about the future of Corvette? Is there room for two Corvette models, standing shoulder to

shoulder and offering buyers two flavors of General Motors fire power? Maybe Chevy’s new ad slogan should be, “Baseball, Hot dogs, Supercars and Chevrolet?”

Not big brother, but a fraternal, mid-engine twin? CHEVROLET PRESENTS CORVETTE GRAND SPORT TO ALL-STAR GAME MVP ROBINSON CANÓ 2017-07-11 MIAMI — The 2017 Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, Robinson Canó, chose a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport during the MVP award ceremony presented by Chevrolet at Marlins Park in Miami on Tuesday night. Chevrolet, America’s most-awarded car company, gave Canó, who went 1-for-2 in the contest with a home run, RBI and a run scored, his choice between the 460-horsepower Corvette Grand Sport or the trail-ready Colorado ZR2. This is Canó’s first All-Star MVP award and the third Seattle Mariners player, joining Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. (1992) and Ichiro Suzuki (2007). His solo home run at the top of the 10th inning proved to be the game-winner. “Robinson Canó turned in a tremendous performance tonight and is an excellent example to all baseball fans, and especially our kids, that hustle, determination and teamwork are what wins, and that is why Chevrolet is proud to present the MVP award,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet. Chevrolet has been the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball® since 2005 and through its Chevrolet Youth Baseball program has donated more than 135,000 equipment kits, renovated more than 9,400 parks and impacted more than 6.7 million boys and girls across the U.S. “At Chevrolet, we appreciate the positive effect that playing sports has on our kids and that is why it is so important for our brand and our dealers to support baseball at every level,” said Sweeney. The Corvette Grand Sport that Canó chose features heritage-inspired design cues combined with a track-focused chassis and suspension elements that build on a legacy established in 1963, when five Grand Sport race cars were built under the direction of the

Corvette’s first chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov. The Grand Sport offers estimated 0 to 60 mph performance of 3.6 seconds and quarter-mile capability of 11.8 seconds at 118 mph, with the available Z07 performance package and available paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission. ABOUT CHEVROLET Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com. Afaf Farah Executive and Marketing Communications Phone 313-667-4599 Mobile 313-670-5679 afaf.farah@gm.com

The 2017 Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners, with his new Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, presented during the MVP award ceremony Tuesday, July 11, 2015 at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. Chevrolet is the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Chevrolet U.S. Vice President Brian Sweeney (right) presents 2017 Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Robinson Cano, of the Seattle Mariners, with a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport during the MVP award ceremony Tuesday, July 11, 2015 at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida. Cano was given a choice between the 460-horsepower Corvette Grand Sport and a trail-ready Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. Chevrolet is the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

OFF TOPIC End of Viper production signals closure of FCA’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant Kurt Ernst on at 8:58 am

Photos courtesy FCA. Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant is no stranger to hardship, having witnessed the decline of the spark plug business, along with the rise, fall, rebirth and ultimate death of the Dodge Viper. Changes to federal safety standards and declining demand will end Viper production once and for all next month, and with it, the lifeline granted the Conner Avenue plant, which Automotive News reports will close its doors on August 31. The Conner Avenue plant isn’t even located on Conner Avenue; instead, it sits at 20000 Conner Street, something even the automaker’s own signage gets wrong. Built by Champion Spark Plug in 1966, the facility occupies 27 acres, while the building itself measures 392,000 square feet. By automobile assembly plant standards, that’s tiny, but the Conner Avenue plant was never tasked with producing high-volume vehicles. Champion manufactured spark plugs in the Conner Avenue plant from 1966 until 1990, when the company’s new owner, Cooper Industries, closed the doors of the Detroit plant. The spark plug business had been in a long, slow decline for decades, prompted in part by a move to smaller engines with fewer cylinders. Exotic metal tips prolonged spark plug life, too, meaning that even the replacement business was no longer as lucrative as it had been. From 1990 to 1995, the Conner Avenue plant sat vacant, until Chrysler

Corporation purchased the property for production of its range-topping Viper sports car, which had been built at the new Mack Avenue Assembly Plant since production began in 1992. The first Conner Avenue-built Vipers left the plant in October of 1995, and the facility would serve as the home of the Viper for the remainder of its production, which ended in July 2010. Conner Avenue built more than Vipers, too. In 1997, and again from 1999-2000, the plant was home to the limited-production Plymouth Prowler. When the Plymouth brand was dropped in 2001, Prowler assembly carried on, badged under the Chrysler name, into 2002. Dodge also transferred production of the Viper’s V-10 engine from its Mound Road Engine Plant to Conner Avenue in May of 2001.

A current Dodge Viper undergoes final testing before leaving the Conner Avenue plant. Recognizing the importance of the Viper as a halo car for then-parent Chrysler Group LLC, the decision was made to launch an all-new Viper for the 2013 model year. Work began on refurbishing the Conner Avenue plant in early 2012, and in December of that year, the first fifth-generation Viper rolled off the assembly line. Initially, Chrysler throttled back production to ensure that quality standards were met with each Viper produced, and in 2013, a total of 591 examples left the plant. In 2014, sales remained relatively flat, prompting Chrysler to reduce the selling price by $15,000 in September, creating a temporary spike in sales. The calendar year saw production reach 760 units, followed by 676 in 2015 and 630 in 2016. Even for a halo car, the expense of producing the Viper in such low numbers was hard to justify, and when changes to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards made side curtain airbags mandatory after 2017, the cost of such changes to design and construction sealed the fate of the Viper, and with it, the fate of the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant. The 86 workers employed by the facility will reportedly be offered jobs at other FCA facilities.

These Are the Classic Cars Americans Can’t Get Enough Of It’s a tale as old as time: A gearhead gets to a certain age or place in life where they have a little bit of time and money to play with and wants to invest in a classic car. They want their dream car — the one they lusted after as a kid but until now never had the means to afford. They want it in the perfect color, with the perfect powertrain and the perfect options. It’s their car — the unique one that represents them like no other car in the world could. And if they’re American, there’s about a 90% chance all they want is a Chevy Corvette. The classic car world is vast and endlessly fascinating. From historical oddities, such as the Tucker 48 and the King Midget, to mass-market muscle cars and overbuilt European classics, you could spend a lifetime studying old cars and still come across something you’ve never seen before. But even with all that variety out there (it is the spice of life, after all), most gearheads would really just be happy with an old Corvette. How do we know this? Because Hemmings, the authority on classic cars, analyzed every classified ad it ran since 2010 and came up with the most advertised classics in every state. Overwhelmingly, the answer came back Corvette. To make things interesting, it excluded America’s sports car from its other searches. From Maine to Alaska, here are America’s most popular classic cars. 1. Chevrolet Corvette

Each generation of gearheads seems to lust after the Corvette of their youth. Not all Corvettes are created equal, but Chevy’s halo car has offered something for almost everyone over its 64-year production run. From the space-age optimism of the ’50s cars, the timelessness of ’60s-era C2 and C3s, or the wild excess of ’70s and ’80s C3s and C4s, more Americans want to relive the good old days from behind the wheel of a Corvette than any other classic. In its first analysis, Hemmings found the Corvette was the most popular car in 40 states.

Mecum Denver 2017 Auction Results FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Mecum Auctions Gone Farmin’ Division 262-275-5050 Mecum Collector-Car Auction in Denver Achieves $11.4 Million, 70 Percent Sold Diversity in Offerings Demonstrated by the Eclectic Mix of Top Sales

WALWORTH, Wis. – July 25, 2017 – Mecum Auctions took the collector-car auction action to the Mile High City this past weekend with 591 vehicles on offer at the Denver Convention Center. In just two days, 411 vehicles hammered sold for a 70-percent sell-through rate and an overall sales total of $11.4 million. The eclectic mix of cars at the auction was evidenced by the variety among the top 10 sellers. Complete with Shelbys, Corvettes, a Mustang and a Land Rover, the top sellers were led by a 2016 Ferrari California T Convertible that demanded $165,000 and a 1960 Volkswagen 23-Window Samba Bus that brought $120,000. The complete top 10 sales at the Denver 2017 auction include (individual prices do not include buyer’s premiums):

1. 2016 Ferrari California T Convertible (Lot S127.1) at $165,000

2. 1960 Volkswagen 23-Window Samba Bus (Lot S81) at $120,000

3. 1965 Shelby Cobra CSX4000 Series (Lot S137) at $115,000

4. 1964 Shelby Cobra CSX7000 Series 50th Anniversary (Lot S142) at $110,000

5. 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback (Lot S120) at $95,000

6. 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (Lot S122) at $89,000

7. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 (Lot S176) at $87,500

8. 1936 Autocar Car Hauler (Lot S151) at $86,000

9. 1994 Land Rover Defender 90 (Lot S92.1) at $86,000

10. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (Lot F167) at $85,000

For access to complete auction results, sign up for the free InfoNet service offered at Mecum.com. Mecum’s next collector-car auction is this Aug. 3-5 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with an anticipated 1,000-vehicle lineup featuring an unprecedented selection of American muscle cars. Just two weeks later, Aug. 16-19, will be Mecum’s Daytime Auction in Monterey, California, with 600 vehicles headlined by Ferrari LaFerraris, Bugatti Veyrons, a 2010 Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita and a 1958 Lister-Jaguar “Knobbly,” to name a few. For more details on upcoming auctions, to consign a vehicle or to register as a bidder, visit Mecum.com or call (262) 275-5050.

Mecum Auctions, Denver CO, July 20-22 37 of 65 Corvettes found new owners. A very good sell through rate of 66%. 718 lots total. Mecum Denver

Lot Year Model High bid Sold Price

S122 1962 Corvette Convertible  $89,000

F167 1967 Corvette Convertible  $85,000

F116.1 1960 Corvette Convertible  $80,000

S113 1966 Corvette Convertible  $72,000

F119 2015 Corvette Callaway  $70,000

F118.1 2013 Corvette Callaway  $67,500

S126 1960 Corvette Convertible  $67,500

S155 1965 Corvette Coupe  $60,000

S114 1967 Corvette Coupe  $53,000

S167 1963 Corvette Convertible  $50,000

S85 1963 Corvette Convertible  $47,500

F152 1962 Corvette Convertible  $47,000

S77 1972 Corvette LT1 Coupe  $47,000

S107 1968 Corvette Coupe  $40,000

F108 1966 Corvette Convertible  $38,000

F118 2004 Corvette Z06  $35,000

S150.1 1968 Corvette Convertible  $35,000

F117.1 1982 Corvette Collector Edition  $26,000

S74 1969 Corvette Coupe  $26,000

S75 1981 Corvette Coupe  $24,000

S130.1 2005 Corvette Coupe  $20,000

T42 1979 Corvette Coupe  $18,500

F97 1975 Corvette Convertible  $15,500

F117 1996 Corvette Collector Edition  $14,000

F29 2000 Corvette Coupe  $13,500

F150 2005 Corvette Coupe  $12,500

T166 1977 Corvette Coupe  $12,000

S15.1 1986 Corvette Coupe $12,000

T133 1980 Corvette Coupe  $11,500

F114.1 1993 Corvette 40th Anniversary  $11,500

T29 1996 Corvette Convertible  $9,000

T55 1986 Corvette Coupe  $8,500

S276 1976 Corvette Coupe $8,500

F231 1976 Corvette Coupe  $8,000

T38 1990 Corvette Convertible  $7,000

T64 1992 Corvette Coupe  $7,000

F282 1990 Corvette Coupe $6,500

S70 1966 Corvette Coupe  $77,500

S32.1 2016 Corvette Z51 Coupe $55,000

S40 1967 Corvette Coupe  $50,000

S134 1964 Corvette Convertible  $48,000

F187 1964 Corvette Convertible  $35,000

F82 1970 Corvette Coupe  $34,000

F41 2001 Corvette Coupe  $24,000

F162 1982 Corvette Collector Edition $22,000

F218 1991 Corvette ZR1 $19,000

F7 1973 Corvette Coupe  $17,500

T31 2003 Corvette Z06  $17,000

F283 2003 Corvette Z06 $15,000

Lot Year Model High bid Sold Price

S278 2003 Corvette Z06 $15,000

T39 1997 Corvette Coupe  $10,000

T163 1993 Corvette Convertible $9,500

T127 1986 Corvette Coupe  $9,000

T13 1987 Corvette Coupe  $7,000

T110 1990 Corvette Coupe  $6,500

F237 1992 Corvette Coupe $6,000

GAA. Greensboro, NC By, Bob Kroupa Dean Green rolled out the red carpet for buyers and sellers at the July 27-9, 2017 GAA Classic Car Auction and scored a sold out event. Top Corvette sales honors went to a 1967 Corvette Coupe with a 427-400 4-S with optional wheels, side exhaust, A/C, Bloomington Gold Certification that sold at $195,000. A 1967 Resto Mod with a LS3 motor, 5-speed manual transmission and A/C sold for $110,000. Also ringing the bell at $91,000 was a 1967 Red Roadster with a 427-435 motor with side exhaust. Mark your calendar for the next GAA Classic Car Auction on November 2-4, 2017.

GAA CLASSIC CAR AUCTION - GREENSBORO, NC - JULY 27-29, 2017Year Body Miles Trans Motor 2-Tops Opt Whls Side Ex Cert A/C Color Cond Price Sold

1967 C 4-S 427-400 X X B X BLK 1 $208,650 YES

1967 C-Resto 5-S LS3 X BLU 1 $117,700 YES

1966 R 4-S 427-425 X X N BLU 1 $99,510 YES

1967 R 4-S 427-435 X RED 1 $97,370 YES

2009 ZR1 3K 6-S LS9 X GRY 1 $71,690 YES

1967 C 58K 4-S 327-350 X GRN 2 $59,920 YES

1961 R 4-S 283-230 WHT 2 $57,780 YES

1962 R 4-S 327-300 X SLV 2 $56,710 YES

1960 R 4-S 383-Stroker MRN 2 $56,175 YES

1965 R 64K 4-S 327-350 X RED 1 $42,800 YES

1969 R 4-S 350-350 X X GRN 2 $34,240 YES

1965 R 4-S 327-350 NOM X RED 3 $33,170 YES

1973 C 75K 4-S L-48 RED 2 $29,960 YES

2003 Z06 15K 6-S LS6 X YEL 1 $29,425 YES

1971 T 4-S LT1 BLU 2 $27,285 YES

1970 T 4-S 350-300 X BLU 2 $25,680 YES

1996 GSC 27K 6-S LT4 X BLU 2 $23,273 YES

1969 T A 454 NOM X GLD 3 $18,190 YES

1971 C A 454-365 WHT 3 $17,388 YES

1998 R 55K A LS1 Tw in Turbo X WHT 2 $16,585 YES

2000 R A LS1 X SLV 2 $11,770 YES

1974 T A L-82 X X GRN 3 $10,165 YES

1993 ANR 86K A LT1 X X MRN 3 $9,630 YES

1981 T A 350-190 X X WHT 3 $7,490 YES

1990 R 76K A 350-245 X RED 3 $7,490 YES

1976 T 71K 4-S L-48 X RED 3 $6,955 YES

1992 R A LT1 X BLK 3 $6,206 YES

1992 C 6-S LT1 X BLK 3 $5,885 YES

1984 C A 350-205 X RED 3 $5,564 YES

1988 C A 350-240 X RED 3 $4,815 YES

1965 C 4-S 327-350 X X SLV 2 $53,000 NO

1965 R 4-S 327-300 X RED 2 $40,000 NO

1964 R 83K 4-S 327-350 NOM RED 2 $39,500 NO

1999 C A LS1 X RED 1 $34,000 NO

1968 R 4-S 350-350 X YEL 2 $25,000 NO

1968 R 4-S 327-350 X RED U $21,500 NO

2003 C 22K 6-S LS1 X GRY 1 $18,750 NO

1969 R 4-S 350-300 X YEL U $15,000 NO

1978 SA A L-48 X X SLV 3 $7,800 NO

1995 C A LT1 X RED 3 $4,000 NO

LEGEND: C=Coupe, R=Roadster, T=T-Top, CE=Collector Edition, PC=Pace Car, SA=Silver Anniversary, Z06=High Performance

MILEAGE: K=1,000 Miles

CERTIFICATION: B=Bloomington Gold, N=NCRS, T=Triple Crown

CONDITION: 1=Excellent, 2=Good, 3=Street-Driven, 4=Poor, needs paint, body and/or interior work, U=Unrestored

Upcoming Auctions

Mecum: Harrisburg 2017 August 03 to August 05, 2017

Mecum: Monterey 2017 Monterey, CA August 17 to August 19, 2017

1957 Chevrolet Corvette Fuel-Injected

Roadster

First year for fuel-injection

Verified numbers matching example Rare desirable factory power top, power windows and

Wonderbar radio Superb restoration in a striking color combination

283 cid OHV V-8 engine with Rochester fuel-injection rated at 283

HP, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension

with semi-elliptic leaf springs, live axle rear suspension with semi- . . .

See More Details

Date Lot Year Description

8/19/2017 S73 1955 Corvette Roadster 

8/18/2017 F101 1957 Corvette Big Brake Airbox 

8/18/2017 F97 1962 Corvette Convertible 

8/17/2017 T114 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe 

8/18/2017 F115 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe 

8/19/2017 S31 1963 Corvette Race Car 

8/18/2017 F52 1965 Corvette Convertible 

8/18/2017 F2 1967 Corvette Coupe 

8/18/2017 F49 1967 Corvette Convertible 

8/18/2017 F122 1967 Corvette Convertible 

8/19/2017 S67 1967 Corvette Coupe 

8/17/2017 T84 1968 Corvette Coupe 

8/19/2017 S43 1968 Corvette L88 Convertible 

8/17/2017 T182.11969 Corvette Convertible

8/18/2017 F24 1969 Corvette Coupe 

8/18/2017 F12 1970 Corvette LT1 Coupe 

8/16/2017 W74 1972 Corvette LT1 Coupe 

8/16/2017 W19 1985 Corvette Coupe 

8/16/2017 W53 1988 Corvette Coupe 

8/17/2017 T31 1988 Corvette Coupe 

8/17/2017 T176 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible 

8/17/2017 T23 2003 Corvette 50th Anniversary 

8/17/2017 T194 2005 Corvette Convertible

8/17/2017 T92 2013 Corvette 60th Anniversary 

1958 Chevrolet Corvette Barris Custom

Roadster

Built by Barris Kustoms as a promotional vehicle for Accessories International

Customized from new with Bill Mitchell’s GM XP-700 as design inspiration

Equipped with many Accessories International items and widely exhibited

327 cid V-8 engine, single four-barrel carburetor, four-speed

manual transmission, independent front suspension with A-arms, coil

springs, and anti-roll bar, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf spr . . .

See More Details

1962 Chevrolet Corvette 'Big Brake' Fuel-

Injected Roadster

Factory 360 horsepower V-8 with fuel-injection Rare and desirable factory code 687 heavy-duty brakes Exquisite restoration ready for exhibition

327 cid V-8 engine with Rochester mechanical fuel injection rated

at 360 HP, four-speed manual transmission, independent front

suspension with coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf spri . .

. See More Details

Formerly of the Otis Chandler Collection

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 'Tanker' 'Split-

Window' Coupe

Offered Without Reserve

1 of only 63 Z06 fuel-injected ‘Big Tank’ cars produced NCRS Top Flight and Bloomington Gold® Winner Formerly the property of Helen Matteson Top of the line performance, Split-Window desirability,

and immaculate condition Well-known and highly regarded amongst collectors of

significant Corvettes

327 cid fuel-injected V-8 engine, 360 HP, four-speed manual

transmission, four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel drum

brakes; wheelbase: 98"

Ten years after its initial introduction, the . . .

See More Details

1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Race Car

Successfully campaigned in IMSA and SCCA Trans Am and A/Production

The 1973 SCCA New York Region A/Production Champion; Invited to AARC

Invited and raced in 2010 and 2011 Monterey Historics winning the prestigious Monterey Trophy

Long-term current ownership Listed in the Registry of Corvette racecars; Total

restoration to 1972/73 form Built and raced by Fred Kepler; co-drivers included Bob

Sharp and John Orr

Identification No: 026-037 427 cid L-88 competition-specification

V-8 engine, single Holley 850 CFM four-barrel carburetor, 650 HP,

Muncie M-22 “Rock Crusher” close-ratio four-speed manual transmis . .

.

See More Details

1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Sunray-DX

Race Car

Second in class, 1968 24 Hours of Daytona Don Yenko/Peter Revson

GT-class lap record, 1968 Sebring 12 Hours Don Yenko/Pedro Rodriguez

Winner, 1968 SCCA Midwest Division road-racing title with Don Yenko

Built by Don Yenko with factory L-88 engine Restoration by Kevin Mackay to 1968 Sebring livery NCRS American Heritage Award; Bloomington Gold®

Special Collection Incredible documents include full owner history and

Sunray-DX papers A thrilling piece of living American motorsports history

427 cid L-88 V-8 engine, single Holley 850 CFM four-barrel

carburetor, 560 HP (Est.) (Factory-Rated 430) at 6,400 RPM, Muncie

M-22 close-ratio four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel hydraulic

disc . . .

See More Details

Owls Head Transportation Museum: 40th Annual New England Auto Auction Owls Head, ME August 18 to August 19, 2017

The Wall Street Journal has heralded the auction as "the real thing".• The sale represents one of the finest and most diverse selections of automobiles available in the Northeast. RM Sotheby's: Monterey Sale 2017 Monterey, CA August 18 to August 19, 2017 Every August, the collector car world gathers

to the Monterey Peninsula to see the magnificent roster of best-of-category and stunning rare automobiles that RM Sotheby's has to offer. For over 30 years,...more>> Gooding & Company Presents the Pebble Beach Auctions Pebble Beach, CA August 18 to August 19, 2017

Since the 1950s, Pebble Beach has been the ultimate destination for lovers of collector cars. Today, enthusiasts from around the world enjoy this

singular experience: the spectacular California coastline, the prestigious concours,...more>> Auctions America: 2017 Auburn Fall Auburn, IN August 31 to September 03, 2017

The focus of the collector car world returns to the Classic Car Capital of America as Auctions America hosts its flagship Auburn Fall event at Indiana's historic Auburn Auction Park. A Labor...more>> Mecum: Dallas 2017 Dallas, TX September 06 to September 09, 2017

Nobody provides more complete, current auction results than Vette-N-Vestments, NOBODY

DREAM CARS, SHOW CARS AND PROTOTYPES Zora’s dream, almost realized: the mid-engine Aerovette Ronnie Schreiber on May 15th, 2013

SHARE CHEVROLET CORVETTE FOR SALE Car companies have recycled plenty of concept and show cars, but few of those concept cars have gone through as many iterations as this one. It started out as the XP-882 in 1969, one of Zora Arkus-Duntov’s mid-engine Corvette dreams, and a decade later it almost became reality, probably the closest that particular unicorn has come to actually being produced. The car contains technical ingenuity cloaked in one of

the most sensual and appealing car bodies ever created. Its story has twists and turns, with cat-like multiple lives and a provenance that includes at least a couple of bigger-than-life personalities. It’s had a big-block engine, it’s had a small-block and, in one of those twists, it’s even been powered by another stillborn project, the GM rotary. Its history even includes an aluminum-bodied version of America’s fiberglass sports car. The car is the Aerovette, currently on display at the GM Heritage Center. Two XP-882s were built in 1969, but to build a mid-engine car, you first need a transaxle, which combines the transmission, differential and final drive into one unit. Today, transaxles are fairly commonplace, in part due to the widespread adoption of front-wheel drive for passenger cars. In the late 1960s, though, mid-engine transaxles were rare, expensive and usually sourced from Italy. The Corvette team couldn’t make a business case to the GM suits for the cost of a dedicated mid-engine transaxle, so Duntov came up with a clever solution using

the automatic transaxle from the front-wheel-drive Oldmobile Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, which itself was a fairly clever piece of engineering. GM’s first front-wheel-drive cars have traditional longitudinal engines, so to power the front wheels, GM engineers ran a chain drive from the engine output to the transmission, now turned 180 degrees from its original position, mounted on the left side of the engine, down low. That put the differential facing forward in the correct orientation for front-wheel drive, but it also left the engine’s oil sump sitting between that differential and the front right wheel. So they put a tunnel through the sump. That’s not uncommon today, but back then it was novel. For the XP-882, Duntov could have just used the same transmission, as is, with a longitudinal engine layout, but that would have put the engine right over, not in front of, the rear wheels, changing the car’s balance. Instead, he turned the entire Toronado drivetrain (though he used a Chevrolet 454 V-8 instead of an Oldsmobile engine) 90 degrees, mounting the engine

transversely so the transmission was now sitting in front of the engine. He substituted a simple bevel gear setup for the differential mechanism. A single driveshaft then ran back through the oil sump to a conventional Corvette differential. It was heavier than a dedicated transaxle, but it used mostly off-the-shelf components, met cost objectives and it worked. Duntov’s career was marked by butting heads with GM executives. He didn’t always get his way. For example, he hated Bill Mitchell’s split rear window on the 1963 Corvette coupe, though in that case he eventually won out. After all the work turning XP-882 into a functioning automobile as opposed to a pushmobile show car, when John DeLorean became head of Chevy he killed the project – only to revive it shortly later after Ford announced that it would be marketing the mid-engined and Ford-powered De Tomaso Pantera. An XP-882 was dusted off and shown at the 1970 New York Auto Show. DeLorean authorized further work on one of the XP-882 cars and, in 1971, it was restyled under Chuck Jordan

and Bill Mitchell’s supervision. With the new styling came a new experimental designation, XP-895. Around the time that XP-895 was nearing completion, executives of the Reynolds Aluminum company saw the prototype and the result was a near copy of XP-895, only with an aluminum skin.

The Reynolds mid-engine Corvette. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, GM spent a couple hundred million dollars licensing and developing its own version of the Wankel rotary, originally intended in two-rotor form for the Chevrolet Vega. It’s not clear whose idea it was, but to promote GM’s new engine, the big-block Chevrolet V-8 was removed from XP-882 and replaced with a four-rotor Wankel made from two of the units designed for the Vega. This became known as the “Four Rotor Car,” and Duntov persuaded Mitchell and his team to design yet another new body for it. That body is the car now known as the Aerovette, and it’s damn near perfect, though determining exactly who designed it is problematic. With so many versions in the car’s history, sources are a bit fragmentary, which makes putting together a comprehensive account difficult. In addition to the design managers mentioned above, Hank Haga has been mentioned as designing the XP-895 and Jerry Palmer has been credited with the

Aerovette. Ron Will also worked on the project, as circulated 1973 sketches show. Anybody who worked at GM design in the 1970s is welcome to contact us and clarify the Aerovette’s parentage.

Unlike some aero cars, it has a distinctive shape. You know right away that it’s a Corvette. It’s also one of the few mid-engine sports cars that doesn’t really give away the engine’s location. It could be a front-engine car, the proportions are that even. Few cars look good from every angle; this is one of them. First shown publicly in 1973, it looks as fresh today as it did 40 years ago. One of GM Design’s masterpieces, it has undoubtedly influenced Corvette design in those intervening 40 years. Unfortunately for the Four Rotor Car, soon after it was revealed, the Yom Kippur War broke out with attacks by Egypt and Syrian forces on Israeli positions in the Sinai peninsula and the Golan Heights. President Richard Nixon sent jets and tanks to Israel, and Arab countries that produced oil responded by declaring an embargo on oil shipments to the United States, while simultaneously raising the price for everyone else. After more than half a century of stable prices, petroleum started to rise in price. A lot of the money GM spent on developing its version of the Wankel was to make it compliant with increasingly

more stringent emissions standards that started kicking in in the 1970s. The Wankel is a relatively dirty engine, but GM engineers thought they could get the engine to meet the standards. In addition to being dirty, though, Wankels are also thirsty. There’s a reason why Mazda is the only automaker that has made and sold Wankel-powered cars for the past few decades. Facing the double whammy of poor fuel economy and expensive pollution fixes, GM killed its rotary program even though it was as production-ready as an engine can be. Rotaries were out at GM.

The Four Rotor Car sat in a GM warehouse for three years until Bill Mitchell, who had earlier dashed Duntov’s dreams about a mid-engine production Corvette, finally got mid-engine Corvette fever. He dusted off the Four Rotor Car, had the Wankel replaced with a 400-cu.in. small-block Chevrolet V-8, renamed it the Aerovette due to its coefficient of drag of 0.325, and put it on the 1976 show circuit. On the covers, it probably sold more car magazines than any other mid-engine Corvette ever. This time, “the new mid-engine Corvette” was actually close to reality, as Mitchell successfully pitched GM management to produce the car. GM chairman Tom Murphy gave the Aerovette the green light to production for the 1980 model year. By then, John DeLorean had left GM to start his own sports car

company and there were concerns that the Corvette was not keeping up with the times. The Aerovette went one up on the De Lorean’s gullwing doors. As with the De Lorean, the Aerovette’s doors were hinged in the middle of the roof, but they had an extra hinge, like the new Tesla Model S “falcon” back doors, that allowed the doors to be opened in tight parking spaces. The mid-engine Corvette, though, was not to be. Duntov had already retired in 1974, though he kept his hand in as a consultant. Mitchell retired in 1977, and with Ed Cole gone too, the mid-engine Corvette lost its three biggest advocates. Duntov’s replacement as chief Corvette engineer, Dave McLellan, preferred having the engine up front. Also, by then there had been a handful of mid-engine sports cars offered to the U.S. market: the Porsche 914 and 914/6, the Fiat X1/9, and the Lotus Europa. None were big sellers. Besides, production Corvettes had dropped to 180 horsepower and were once again boulevard cruisers as they’d been in 1953. A maximum Corvette sports car was the stuff of magazine covers, not reality. By 1980, the mid-engine Corvette that should have been was once again relegated to a General Motors warehouse.

Since then, GM has built its Heritage Center to put historic production and concept vehicles on display,

and the Aerovette is usually there, along with many other significant Corvette concepts and production cars. Ronnie Schreiber, a native Detroiter, spent two decades working for DuPont Automotive. He edits Cars In Depth, a realistic perspective on cars and car culture and the original 3D car site. If the 3D thing freaks you out or if you think it’s a conspiracy to get you to buy yet another new TV set, don’t worry, all the photo and video players used at the site have mono options.

Corvette Panel Maker MFG Will Undergo Temporary Shut-Down as Corvette Plant Retools By Mitch Talley - Jul 25,

Corvette Panel Maker MFG Will Undergo Temporary Shut-Down as Corvette Plant Retools The upcoming temporary shutdown of the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green is affecting other companies in the supply chain, too. Molded Fiber Glass Composite Systems Company in Ashtabula, Ohio will lay off 52 full-time workers starting Friday, July 28, the same day the Corvette plant closes temporarily for improvements, too. Hidden in the story, though, is what could be intriguing news for Corvette enthusiasts. During the layoff, MFG – which has made body panels for the Corvette since 1953 – will be installing two new molding presses to meet the demands of new business, starting in 2018. President and CEO Richard Morrison said he could not reveal the

nature of that new business at this time, but it will require hiring 110 more employees to help the current 350 people on the payroll. Could these new presses be needed to make body panels for the widely rumored mid-engine Corvette? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, we’re definitely impressed with the way MFG is taking care of the workers it has to lay off. “Call backs to work at MFG will begin in late October with everyone expected back to work by January,” Morrison said. “To ease the heavy burden this causes for our valued teammates, MFG will provide a monthly retention bonus and health insurance.” Morrison said the company is paying the health insurance and retention bonus “because we want to retain everyone we can. We want to do it; we are not required to do it.” Morrison’s father, the late Robert S. Morrison, is a big reason why the Corvette has a fiberglass body today instead of metal. He founded MFG in 1948 to mass-produce the first commercial products using polyester resins and fiberglass reinforcements. His persistence at winning the Corvette contract to make body panels for the inaugural 1953 Corvette earned him a spot in the Corvette Hall of Fame. From those early years, MFG has expanded greatly and currently produces car and truck components, material handling trays, wind turbine components, HVAC parts,

architectural products and more. Trivia note: On a per capita basis, Ashtabula County industry makes more plastics than any other place in the country, with products ranging from auto parts and household appliances to cooking utensils and computers. 31MARCH2017 BUNKIE KNUDSEN WAS RIGHT: A CORVETTE SEDAN IS UNHOLY By: Yoav Gilad, Hagerty

CorvetteForum.com C7 photoshopped four-seat Z06 (Internetguru)

The rumors of a mid-engine Chevy Corvette are now common. Confirmation, however, remains elusive. Some purists may already be in shock by the prospect of a

Corvette with its engine in the “wrong” place, and now the web delivers another fiberglass bombshell: The specter of a new four-door Corvette. What began as a thread on CorvetteForum.com about the Callaway C7 AeroWagen, a package that can be purchased to increase the storage space beneath the seventh-generation Corvette’s hatch, escalated to include the possibility of a four-door ‘Vette. Before you send hate mail to General Motors, Chevrolet, or Hagerty, calm down. The four-door Z06 is only a forum member’s Photoshop attempt at humor (or horror). But that rendering of a fictional yellow car prompted us to dig through some Corvette history and to discover that at least one four-door Corvette actually was built, and at least two four-seaters were considered. The first attempt at a four passenger 'Vette was developed in 1956 and called the Corvette Impala. It didn't see production as a Corvette but proved to be the 1958 Impala's inspiration. Another four-seat concept followed in 1961 and looked like a stretched 1963 Split-Window, codenamed XP-796. It was created at the behest of Ed Cole, GM car and truck chief and, later, GM president, likely as a possible Ford Thunderbird competitor, as he was tired of seeing the Corvette beaten in sales. The T-Bird had gained two seats in 1958. Chevrolet also purchased a Ferrari 2+2 for the Styling department to study the potential for a four-seat Corvette. Ultimately, the XP-796 project was undermined by Bunkie Knudsen, Chevy

Division general manager Bunkie Knudsen. According to Corvette Fever magazine (Dec. ’07), Knudsen frequently criticized the notion of a two-plus-two Corvette: “ ‘It’s the wrong thing to do,’ he told GM Vice President Bud Goodman, feeling sure it would be turned down. Three days later, on Thursday, October 18 [1962], Knudsen tersely described the meeting in which the four-passenger Corvette was thrown out.” But it wasn’t. Early in 1963, according to Corvette Fever, Knudsen expanded in his diary: “ ‘For some time now Mr. Cole has persistently asked me for a four-pass Corvette. Our Sales Dept-our advertising department and myself feel that a four-passenger Corvette will only ruin the Corvette image and not sell any great quantity. I have also asked our largest Corvette dealers, and they do not want a four-passenger Corvette. On arriving in town last weekend, I found in Styling Modeling a four-passenger Corvette. I understand this was Mr. Cole's instructions.’ ” The four-place Corvette probably died, finally, shortly thereafter. Although Corvette historian Jerry Burton says that designer Larry Shinoda told him that the four-seater was actually killed because a GM vice-president got stuck in the back seat. Apparently, a seat release jammed, trapping the exec. Still, through the late 1970s. Chevrolet explored production of a four-seat, four-door Corvette. According to Super Chevy (March ‘01), the project was outsourced to California Custom Coach, which built the prototype. After five personalized production vehicles were

built, however, the project was scrapped due to the exorbitant cost: While a standard, new 1979 Corvette cost roughly $13,000, these four-doors stickered at about $35,000. One detail that did survive the Corvette America, as it was named, was the glass hatchback. It went into production on 1982 Collector Edition Corvettes and returned on all non-convertible models when the C4 launched. Finally, Chevy was also rumored to have been playing with a sixth-gen four-seat Corvette to compete with Porsche’s Panamera (which this C7 resembles), but no evidence surfaced. Bunkie Knudsen was right. A four-seat model would have hurt the Corvette’s image back then, and it would now. Witness the extinct Ford Thunderbird. Now, where is that mid-engined monster Corvette?