Grand Sport Corvette- Ahead of its time and Ultimately Scrapped

**Steve Shauger** · #1 02-20-2023, 03:38 PM

This car was the brainchild of Zora Duntov who found a loophole (no displacement limit) in the GT class. It was game-on, and Zora Duntov put together a design team comprised of the best of the best, with the goal of winning at Le Mans. Unfortunately, after submitting paperwork to the FIA in early 1963, for car recognition, they were immediately withdrawn after GM corporate banned all racing programs. These cars were sparingly raced but never fully developed or prepared. One can only imagine the impact and history of success they might have achieved.....

As a youngster I will never forget walking along Rt. 252 with my dad to our fishing spot near the Springton Reservoir dam and hearing and seeing one of Penske's Grand Sports drive by with sound and speed, I hadn't ever heard before.

**AnthonyS** · #2 02-20-2023, 04:28 PM

What might have been!...

**Too Many Projects** · #3 02-20-2023, 06:18 PM

AND, who is sitting on the original, all aluminum, engines...

muscle_collector · #4 02-20-2023, 06:26 PM

anyone notice that curb weight? thats a lot of weight shaved off of the original curb weight.

**TimG** · #5 02-20-2023, 07:30 PM

Could you imagine if they made the intended 100 of these?

**napa68** · #6 02-20-2023, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimG

Could you imagine if they made the intended 100 of these?

Would have rivaled the Cobra's. These cars were so underdeveloped. Duntov only scratched the surface of their potential.

**olredalert** · #7 02-20-2023, 08:46 PM

----It was our privilege to restore Grand Sport No.1 at Classic Motors in Hinsdale, Il. There was a whole bunch of stuff from the Tech Center that escaped to Hinsdale to make the car as close as possible to original. We finished it in 1979 literally the day we took it to Bloomington Gold. The crowds around the car were unbelievable all weekend long. It appeared in Corvette News in the Feb/Mar issue on the cover with a really in depth article as well. We painted it red as the only real customer we had for No.1 was Jerome Shinkay and he loved red. Just how historic the GS's were wasn't quite as extreme as today.....Bill S

**TimG** · #8 02-20-2023, 09:26 PM

I remember seeing it there, Bill. It looked great under the tent, if I remember correctly.

**1967Z28** · #9 02-21-2023, 01:46 AM

Grand Sport engine with side draft webers and experimental 16 plug Grand Sport engine.

**67ssmn** · #10 02-21-2023, 03:41 AM

someone has 1 of the original engines???

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