The Corvette Grand Sport: The Legendary Racer That Never Was

The Corvette Grand Sport is one of the most iconic names in American motorsport history. It conjures up images of a sleek blue-and-white sports car with red fender stripes, roaring down the track with a thunderous V8 engine. But did you know that the original Grand Sport was a secret project that was almost killed by GM executives before it even saw the light of day?

A Rebel with a Cause

The father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov was a man with a vision. He wanted to make the Corvette more than just a powerful and beautiful American muscle car. Arkus-Duntov had a passion for racing and wanted to make the Corvette a world-class competitor on the international stage. He was inspired by the success of Caroll Shelby’s Cobra, a lightweight roadster with a powerful Ford V8 engine that dominated the GT class in the early 1960s.

Arkus-Duntov decided to create his own version of the Cobra, using the new C2 Corvette Sting Ray as the basis. He secretly developed a race car that he called “the Lightweight”, with the goal of homologating it for the GT category. The Lightweight was a true purpose-built racer, with a tubular aluminum frame, thinner fiberglass body panels, wider fenders, and a specially built 377 cubic inch (6.2 liters) small block V8 that produced around 550 horsepower. The car weighed less than 2,000 pounds and had a top speed of over 200 mph.

Arkus-Duntov planned to build 125 examples of the Lightweight to qualify for the GT class and hoped to challenge the Cobras and Ferraris at Le Mans and other prestigious races. He had the support of Bunkie Knudsen, the general manager of Chevrolet, who shared his vision of making the Corvette a racing legend.

A Dream Denied

However, Arkus-Duntov’s dream was soon shattered by GM’s top brass, who had imposed a ban on factory-backed racing since 1957. GM’s president, Frederic Donner, was not interested in motorsport and saw it as a waste of money and a potential liability. He ordered Knudsen to stop the Lightweight project and destroy the cars that had been built.

Knudsen, who was loyal to Arkus-Duntov, managed to save five of the Lightweights from the crusher and secretly sold them to private racing teams. He also gave them the unofficial name of “Grand Sport”, which was originally intended for a high-performance version of the production Corvette. The Grand Sport name was never officially used by GM, but it stuck with the fans and the media.

The five Grand Sports made their debut in 1963, and despite their limited numbers and lack of factory support, they proved to be formidable machines. They raced in various events across the US and abroad, often beating the Cobras and other rivals. They also attracted some of the best drivers of the era, such as Roger Penske, A.J. Foyt, and Dick Thompson.

The most famous race for the Grand Sports was the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring, where they faced a formidable field of Ferraris, Cobras, Porsches, and Ford GT40s. Two Grand Sports were entered, one as a coupe and one as a roadster. The coupe, driven by Foyt and John Cannon, led the race for several hours and was on pace to win, until a mechanical failure forced it to retire. The roadster, driven by Penske and Jim Hall, finished third overall and first in class, beating all the Cobras and Ferraris.

A Legend Lives On

The Grand Sport project was short-lived and never achieved its full potential, but it left a lasting impression on the Corvette and the racing world. The Grand Sport became a legend among Corvette enthusiasts and collectors, and the original five cars are among the most valuable and sought-after Corvettes ever made. They are also considered to be the ancestors of the modern Corvette Racing program, which has won multiple championships and races, including Le Mans, with the C5-R, C6.R, and C7.R models.

The Grand Sport name was revived by GM in 1996, as a special edition of the C4 Corvette, featuring a distinctive blue-and-white paint scheme and ZR-1 wheels. The name was used again in 2010 and 2017, for high-performance versions of the C6 and C7 Corvettes, respectively. These models combined the power of the base Corvette with the handling and aerodynamics of the Z06, creating a balanced and versatile sports car.

The Corvette Grand Sport is a testament to the vision and passion of Zora Arkus-Duntov, who wanted to make the Corvette a racing icon. It is also a reminder of the challenges and obstacles that he faced, and the sacrifices that he made, to achieve his goal. The Grand Sport is a symbol of the Corvette’s spirit and heritage, and a tribute to its loyal fans and supporters.