BLENHEIM.- Some cars are collectible. Others become legends. The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport belongs in a category of its own. RM Sotheby's is proud to announce the offering of Grand Sport, chassis 003, at Monterey, one of the most important American competition cars ever created. One of just five Grand Sports built—and the first of only three coupes—it represents Chevrolet's boldest racing ambition and remains the most coveted Corvette ever produced.
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Corvette 1963–1967
By Larry M. Galloway
Explore the classic 1963–1967 Corvette through automotive history, design, performance, restoration detail, and the enduring appeal of an American sports car icon.
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The result was astonishing. At roughly 1,900 pounds—nearly 1,300 pounds lighter than a production Corvette—the Grand Sport became one of the most radical racing cars America had ever produced.
"The Grand Sport occupies a place reserved for only the rarest automobiles," said Gord Duff, President, RM Sotheby's. "Its rarity, engineering, and enduring mystique have elevated it beyond the world of Corvettes. Cars of this stature belong in the world's finest collections, and opportunities to acquire one are exceptionally rare."
Driven by Dick Doane, it captured three SCCA class victories before leading the Road America 500 outright for 93 laps until engine trouble intervened. At the 1963 Bahamas Speed Week, Jim Hall and Augie Pabst helped cement the Grand Sport's legendary reputation. The following year, A.J. Foyt and John Cannon drove the car to a second-place class finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring after Foyt delivered one of the race's most memorable opening laps. It returned to Sebring again in 1965 to claim another podium finish.
Few competition cars can match its résumé. Fewer still can match its influence.
Presented today in its authentic 1964 Sebring livery, chassis 003 has benefited from more than 23 years of meticulous ownership and a comprehensive sympathetic restoration. Accompanied by an extensive history file and spares package, it has earned multiple Bloomington Gold certifications, an NCRS award, and appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Sonoma Motorsports Festival, and Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion.
The Grand Sport's racing career was cut short before Chevrolet could fully realize Arkus-Duntov's vision. Yet that only deepened its legend.
Today, it stands not only as the ultimate Corvette, but as one of the greatest competition cars ever built—a machine that forever changed what an American sports car could become.
