1963 Corvette Grand Sport : From Banned to Brilliant
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, Chassis 003, is a rare gem-one of only five ever built. This car, shown in its 1964 Sebring configuration, stands as a testament to engineering ambition and a pivotal chapter in Corvette’s racing legacy. From its origins in the post-WWII boom to its dominance at the Nassau Speedweeks, this Grand Sport is much more than a car; it’s a symbol of what could have been if Corvette had full factory racing support.
Designed by Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Grand Sport pushed the boundaries of performance with lightweight construction, advanced engineering, and a fierce competitive spirit. Despite the AMA racing ban, this car found its way to the track and proved its potential by beating some of the best from Ferrari and Shelby.
Sportscar racer Johannes van Overbeek, winner at Sebring and Daytona, hosts this exploration of one of the most iconic cars in American motorsport history at Thunderhill Raceway, highlighting its legacy and influence on modern Corvette Racing.
Owned by:
Bowman Motors LLC
Info@bowmanmotors.com
Video by Robert Lyon
www.LyonEliteAu...
#CorvetteGrandSport #Sebring #MotorsportHistory #1963Corvette
Back in 1969-70, I was going to college in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I had been club racing in SCCA A Production for severall years, first in a 427 Cobra, then from 1969 on in my 69 427 Corvette. While in Texas, I became a friend of a gentleman who operated a Corvette specialty maintenance shop and a B Production racer. I used to help out in his shop, where he maintained many Corvettes for well known competitors. One of them was John Mecum, and I was privileged to see, work on, and briefly drive one of his Grand Sport roadsters. Just an amazing car in every respect! That is one of my favorite memories - thanks, Karl! BTW, the four 58 IDE cross-draft Weber carburetors on that 377 ci engine were truly impressive. I'm 73 now, and still driving a Corvette ) though I don't race anymore). Tell that 74 year old gentleman who wants a repro Grand Sport to get it and enjoy it while he can, his heirs will do what they want with it when he's gone, but he will have a great time with it.
Thanks for sharing ..Superformance makes a great Spec Replica Grand Sport Corvette .. GM never committed to racing like Ford ... 100% Too much internal politics ,,even with the Internal GM Brands. NASCAR started to bring them back in the Mid 70's and Corvette Racing brought them to the Worlds Racetrack Spotlights. Culmination.. Cadillac GM F-1 Race Team , Don't forget all the European Race Teams using GM power Plants in since the Grand Sport
Well done. the old footage really showed the lift issue on the track. THANKS for not only showing the car on track, but also the history. CHEERS
You're welcome!
Love this video! I’m a Mopar guy, but love automotive history! This is the only Corvette I’d ever own, and I’m working super hard to get one (not an original, but one from Superformance)!
Thanks for watching!
@@IAMRobertLyon Absolutely, thanks for the great video!💪
Only 10k views? Needs more views! This is a very well done video.
Thank you
Fantastic video! Loved every second of it.!
Thank you
I’m a “dyed in the wool” Blue Oval guy. But this is one of my all time favorite race cars. It looks like RACE CAR. It sounds like a RACE CAR. An all time classic.
Excellent video! I have a Johnny Lightning diecast model of the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport. When I first saw it, I had only a vague idea of what it was, but I knew it looked cool and had to do with racing. I've been fascinated and curious about it since. Thanks for telling its story.
That’s awesome! And thanks for watching!
This thing PWNED the priceless Cobras and Ferraris! 🤯🤯
Oh...the original Grand Sports are worth more than an original Cobra.
I tried to buy a 1967 Corvette 396 w/tri carbs, M22 4spd FACTORY RACE CAR with the roll cage and original racing stickers on the windows in 1998-99 for $33,000!!! 😢😢. I was 19 and couldn’t get the funds together quick enough, it sold two weeks too soon. Ugh. Light blue paint, dark blue interior. Roll cage! Side pipes! An animal!
Great history lesson!
Thanks for watching!
62-63 Mid-Engine Corvette is in the Oilfield Museum in Midland, Texas, with the rest of Jim Hall’s race cars.
Totally awesome 🙌👍
The pressure under the hoods was so intense that it was rumored that you could turn the steering wheel lock to lock at 140MPH on long straights and the car would continue straight ahead...
I’ve been up to 145 to 150 mph in a stock bodied C2 but with a 500 HP small block and a manual 6spd and I can tell you that you do loose some steering. The car starts to float because the front end on a C2 is basically an airplane wing, and my car was lowered 1 1/2 inches, but not to the point you can turn the wheel like that.
It's true. Look at any in-race pictures of the GS on a straightaway. The front valance is almost even with the wheel centers.
@@caribman10 the Grand Sport had vents to let air out. They had vents behind both wheels and they cut holes in the rear body, and the hood had vents. Stock bodied cars don’t. Those cars were designed to go faster than 150 mph.
Another great. Nice work, Robert.
@@Thesinner1800 thanks Ken!
PERFECTION...
Absolutely fantastic video. Wish my career in Motorsports could have been back in those days.
Remember our team competing against Johannes, back in the early 2000’s. Thanks for sharing
JT: Orlando FLA
What team did you race with?
@ Alex Job Racing. One of the full time technicians.
@@jakespeed63 awesome, I was formerly the videographer with Tequila Patron ESM
Love that its driven ❤
Just like everyone else I want one
It's a cool car I love this car💙!
That SOUND
Beast, beast, what a beautimus beast!
It had to be painful for Duntov to have the rug pulled from under him by GM management after all those years of performance development. He finally had his perfect engine, a proper IRS chassis, and an advanced fuel injection that made it the right car at the right time to go racing. Later Duntov must have totally lost his spirit when his fuel injection was ditched for cheaper big block engines and the C3 re-body of the old chassis.
I met him at a corvette meet at 16 years old, very friendly and engaging, and he was head of his time !
Grandsport Corvettes ALL the Way!!!!!❤❤❤❤
They showed up - Shelby was there, Ferrari was there, and these GS were 10 seconds faster than the Cobras & Ferrari GTO's.
Fastest of all the production cars. They went from concept to beating the Cobras & GTO's in less than a year.
IT was a halo car back then and imo still is - what could be IF the engineers were left alone in the workshop to develop the meanest
fastest Corvette on the planet.
Given the recent Ford Mustang GTD sub-7 minute lap record for an American car at the Numbering, I somehow have a feeling
a sixth sense that GM will make a determined effort in the Zora GS Zo6 ZR 1 Corvette come next Spring possibly.
That raw V8 sound, the sight of one of these blasting past your face, is a visceral experience not to be missed.
Awesome story
thanks for watching
This blue Corvette reminds me of a road race I saw as a kid at Green Valley race way back in the early 60's. The Vet was in about 5 place and a Jaguar XKE was just in front of it. And on the home straight the Vet decided to make it's move. It wiped out to pass the XKE and the nose lifted up on that Vet, lost control and slammed into the race way wall. The nose of the Vet fell on the ground. Never forget that. It's a pity we don't have road racing like that anymore that average people can go out and race in. Only the rich can play anymore and that is why only the rich go and watch it. Us poor people are tired of watching rich people play.
Average guys have never raced Corvettes unless they were some kind of beaters - it was the rich guys racing them from the beginning. Regular guys were driving MGs and Sprites, Formula Fords and Formula Vees.
There have always been classes of racing for nearly everyone. These days, there are track days and autocross, Cyclekarts, and 24 Hours of Lemons. Unless you’re truly poor, if you want to race bad enough, you will. And if you are truly poor, not being able to race is the least of your problems.
Your problem isn’t rich guys; they aren’t doing a thing to keep you from having fun. Your problem is that you don’t really want to race all that bad, or you’d make it a priority. It’s fine if you don’t, but quit looking for someone or something to blame for the things you don’t do.
@@jerryp514 Yes the Corvette was a rich guys. It was beautiful metalic blue. And the Jag was green and looked like a beater, a faded green. And yes today I smile thinking of that Vet hitting the wall and the nose falling off of it. But may I add that since there is approximately 325 million people in this country and if you went to the 162 millionth person, his or hers wage would be $36000. Take off 25% for Uncle Sam that leaves you $25000. Rent being a modest $1200 a month and that is another $14400 leaving you with $10600. You have to have a car, insurance, electric, food and any other bills that comes up. Now would you like to resend that statement the a poor person can Race?. Now that income came from GTPchat. And that is the average wage of an American. You use to make it to where it was households because married people out numbered single people, but now that only 49% are married you have to figure it as single income. My problem with rich guts and there are many like me. Just look at the CEO being deleted and the joy that brought the masses, many wanted to see more. And as far as wanting to race, I would love to have raced, H if I didn't thing it would break it I would take my 2004 Cadilac CTS 3.2L 5 speed standard out on a track, but I can afford to be without it. But keep lying to yourself that working people can afford to race, but I wouldn't start any wars if I was you, we won't fight it.
@@jerryp514 I've decided to come back and kick you around some more. You such an arrogant arse. And yes we did have Sprits and MG's back then but we don't have them today. About the only thing we have today is the Mazda. But we also know you arses would dump money to bring home a win that a stock Mazda wouldn't have a chance. Plus putting in the right gas tank in it, plus the roll cage to meet SCCA's specs would cost a ton of money. But you also forgot TR3's and Austin Heleys which you could also pick up back in the early 60's. They were competitive. And that is what was so funny about the Vet that hit the wall. Was that he dumped a whole lot of money into that car but was to stupid to see the aerodynamics of those vets made the front lift off the ground. Especially as soon as he got out of the airstream of the Jag. But that is where America is at right now. We hate watching rich people play. So every sport is seeing a decline in viewership. So your sport has very few in the stands and as soon as their finals are over they leave before the rest have finished their race.
@@jerryp514 But as far as racing, I'd love to race you even though I have no experience. I always loved racing at go kart tracks, Seeing the guy in front of me trying to gain just a little bit each lap until I put enough pressure on him that he makes a mistake. And that is the reason I said what I said, is because I know I can never afford to even get out there because of the cost. But have you heard the people are putting up wanted posters for CEO's in NYC? That shows you that the people are tired of the money being all at the top. But I'm so glade I'm retired and can make it of SS, just so I don't have to listen to stupid rich people that think we make enough money.
I still remember the first time i looked under and saw the rear suspension set up on a 63 vette. It was like seeing an alien.
Interesting. Thanks
We were lucky to have one in the Northwest Region SCCA and SOVREN races back in the 1990's, early 2000's, owned by the Armstrong family of Issaquah, Washington. It also came down to the vintage races at Laguna Seca fairly regularly. Such a unique and cool car to see in action, I wonder if this is the same one? Pretty sure his was #2, so maybe...Great vid.
I was doing some work back in about 07' across the fence from the old museum and one of Toms mechanics was out having a smoke break, I was familiar with the vintage racing relics that were in that building having been involved in a neighboring boundary survey. We had our head tight to the glass tinted windows with hands cuffed around are eyes dying to see what was in there and it was amazing to an old gear head like me. So I told that story to the mechanic and he invited me over to take a look inside, he was working on a Duesenberg getting it ready for a show, the museum was carpet floor and he told me to take my boots off which I couldn't get off fast enough, the three cars cars that stood out the most all parked side by side were 63' gt 40 factory made race car, 63 Corvette factory made race car and a 68 Camaro factory race car driven by Mark Donahue. About that time Tom shows up and starts giving me more details about the vette and that it was serial #001 and the gt 40 was serial #003. He could tell how awe struck I was, we car talked a little more but I was overwhelmed with so much automotive royalty and provenance I had to get out of there before my head exploded, it was so cool to meet him and get a pat on the back from from him is something I will cherish forever.
@@bad2mx I talked with Tom a couple of times, but never saw his collection. Just the Grand Sport and another Corvette that he raced - maybe a '66 raced by Vic Edelbrock or someone. Tom was generous with his time, and was always happy to share some insights into the history of his cars...
I also love that video!!!
I first saw a Grand sport run at Marlboro Speedway, Maryland in 1963 driven by Dr dick Thompson. It was white without flares or anything but looking like a regular Corvette. Only the fact it was faster than anything else on the track in its class (it had a run-in c modified against pure racing cars not production cars), The only tipoff I could see when I got to look at it in the pits was the speedometer that went to the 200 mph rather than production Corvette speedometer that only went to 160 mph.
Nice video. I want to have Superformance build a LS7 Grand Sport for me, but one of the main things holding me back is that I think it wouldn't be right to turn the car over to my heirs after I am gone. They would have to figure out how to sell it, and that's OK, but it would just be easier and more financially sound to pass on the money instead. I am 74 years old and in good health. It takes two years to build a Grand Sport, so I would be 76 when it is finished, and don't know how many years I would be able to enjoy it.
I would say do what feels right and enjoy the hell out of it
@@IAMRobertLyon Exactly. And I would enjoy owning and driving the car very much, but not going ahead with this feels right to me. Thanks for your reply.
Go for it, you only live once on this earth my friend, you deserve it
I think this car weighed about 1000 pounds less than a stock stingray which was a heck of a diet.
And somewhere on TH-cam is a "lost interview" with Carol Shelby and he said a couple of interesting things
He became friends with Zora Arkus Duntov in later years and was saying for him to get anything approved at GM was like "pulling a 10,000 pounds sled".
And if I'm not mistaken it was this car that spurred him into developing the 427 cobra although it came out in 1965 but it was originally designed just for racing if I'm not mistaken
The grand sport was a cobra killer, at least for the 289
I’m in love
I've got vintage photographs in my book. You can see the aluminum Cobra walk away from all of them. For a bunch of laps but you took your car to Nassau if it could survive their it could race anywhere. You've seen it that Cobra that flips front and back. That's the lightweight 390 that didn't survive Nassau
nice video!
Thanks for watching!
I had this as a slot car, never new what it was
Thats awesome!
@IAMRobertLyon this Vette and the chevy Cheetah where the best ones. 😁
Beautiful car
I watched Brian redman going through the paces down in west palm beach raceway in the 004 car and he wasn't babbing it .I couldn't believe how fast and loud it was .I saw the car a few years ago in Naples Florida it is in the collier collection. Amazing what could have been if they let Zora go.
Really? Amazing!
Looks like Thunderhill Raceway Park west of Willows,California which is a town on Interstate 5 north of Sacramento an hour or so.
In the middle of nowhere but an awesome road course. Been there once for a lemon car event. Beautiful.
yes thats the spot!
@IAMRobertLyon .Thanks for the confirmation. I wonder how much it cost for them to rent track time or if they let him use it for free since it such a bitchen car?. Great video!.
@@josephnason8770 Good question, I would lean on the side of rental!
This one and the one in florida at the musuem are the only ones that get exercised regualry from what is known. Very neat they do.ive had the pleasure to see the other one twice so far in person on display and the 57ss the second time as well sitting in the dx 68 #2 yenko rodriguez when it was in miami. They gm archives should release the gs footage on bluray and dvd like they did with the 63 on dvd i have. I also got that silent gs footage burnt onto dvd for me.
After the Mercedes W196 streamline this is the best looking racecar and even better you can get one from Superformance
@@G55STEYR thanks for watching
Man the Superformance Reproductions are so similar!
Nice article. You might want to look a bit further back in GS history though; take a look at the Bridgehampton race in '63 for instance. No hood vents. Standard looking side vents. Small hood scoop. No mudflap-width fender extensions. And so much lift (that you can see in the pictures) the front wheels were barely on the ground at the end of a 3300 foot straightaway. Easy to fix, right? Add vents? Open other areas? Wrong. Take a look at straightaway pictures of the Foyt car at Sebring, and what do you see? The front wheels are STILL almost lifting. A.J. must have had to tap the brakes to see the 1st turn.
A great 'what if' . A shame that GM didn't pursue the program. We would have been spared all the hype about Cobras.
This why the government needs to stay out of business.
There is a white 1963 Corvette grand sport on display in a museum in naples florida. And then there is another 1963 corvette Grand sport a in private collection owned by Bill Tower in somewhere plant city Florida.
Great history! Though all the talk of lightness, I'm very curious how much they weighed.
If money was something I could have, I'd build a clone of one of these! I have always been a skilled driver but being born with spine issues, I was never able to save money as doctors took it all. Didn't leave anything left to spend on nice things. It's sad knowing I never had a chance of living my dreams of being a racing driver... Even when I had them means to try, NOBODY would help me, they didn't want me getting hurt doing what I loved... so I ended up getting rear ended 3 years ago while at a red light, now I'm in a wheelchair and in too much pain to enjoy driving anymore.... I wish I didn't hurt so much, then I could go back to driving for work and not be a burden.
Sorry for your back struggles, I wish you well
Hardcore ford guy, but this is awesome
Actually had a chance to assist in the body resto of 001 car back in 1979. What do I drive? A 2011 Grand Sport, of course!
@@RussellMasa wow amazing opportunity!
@@IAMRobertLyon Think that's amazing, my dad got to drive it! I was in school and didn't even get to see it finished. Dang!
Me and and my son built a 67 Belvedere , tubbed , full cage, bored and stroked 440 it scares me slightly.
Can you even put a price tag on one of these
How much does it weigh? How much does the original street version weigh?
Which would be faster, on road course, 67 L-88 roadsters or that GS there....??
I wonder where all 5 cars are today?
One is at the Peterson Museum in LA
S/N 002 is at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia PA, and S/N 004 is at Rev's Institute in Naples FL.
Guessing the wrap is so you don’t burn the holy heck off of your legs
If ever 2 words were never meant to be used with that car it’s Grand Spirt 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Never outdueled the Cobras. Sadly. That's why the Bill Thomas Cheetahs' were developed.
I thought the originals had hash marks on the fender to distinguish them coming into the pits?
And this story encapsulates the beginning of the end for American car dominance. Don't build great cars people want, let the accountants run the company. Every mfg'er did & every company began the slog to mediocrity.
Would like to know how low they got the weight.
Believe it was around 1900-2000lbs
Good thing Zora wasn't in charge of GM.
Zora had the last laugh, and his name is Edge in History!
Beautiful track, where was it filmed?
Looks like a track l've been to once west of interstate 5 near Williams, California. Good question. I hope we get the answer.
Thunderhill Raceway in Northern California
You're not driving it hard enough, but I get it.
Was this originally purchased or formally owned by Tom Armstrong?
No idea!
Why do they run GT40 and Cobra wheels on such a great original car. The original style wheels in real magnesium can be purchased today.
GM always had the ability to crush the competition, but trying to play nice with politicians hindered them from proving it earlier. Nothing compared with Corvette, especially at its affordable price point. Nothing.
The way this is presented its as if the GS was a modified Sting Ray but that is not anywhere close to being true. You do finally mention the chassis but that fact is that the chassis is entirely different and the body fit to that tube frame isn’t just thinner fiberglass, it’s much smaller than a stock Sting Ray…generally referred to as being 7/8s size. The GS was an absolutely different car than the Sting Ray, only sharing a basic shape.
Halibrands ?
could be why Ford built the GT 40
🇺🇸🦅👍🏻
Please, please, please can someone with waaay more talent and waaaaay deeper pockets than I, take a Corvette GS to the Goodwood Revival? And take the long handled bat to the Cobras, GTOs and lightweight E Types.
Bad to the bone. Que George Thorogood . . . !!
Shelby built. All aluminum 1600 lb 390 cobra. Destroyed the grand sports for a lot before it destroyed itself. If you can survive the Bahamas in a race car.
" He won Le man in '54 & 55 in a Porsche" - NO HE DID NOT, he may have won a class victory but those who won at Le Mans in 1954 = Ferrari, 1955= Jaguar. Porsche in the 1950's were not up with the big boys, their time would come, but there are ZERO Porsche Le Mans wins in the '50's just class wins
Errata: Zora did not "win Le Mans", he won the 1100cc Sports class in both '54 and '55, finishing 14th and 13th respectively. Despite the AMA ban on racing, GM was the worst of the big-3 when it came to cheating. They produced numerous "special" parts, from over-the-counter engine upgrades to light alloy bumpers and body parts. In the end, this hypocrisy led to Henry Ford II's decision to break with the ban and go racing. The cheating also made it possible for Pontiac to go from an old man's car to building the first modern production muscle car, the GTO.
The GS was hardly a modified production car; it weighed about 800 pounds less than a '63 Z-06 and the engine was located rearward for better balance. The cars looked similar but shared very few parts. This was a FACTORY race car, just as surely as the Ferrari GTO of the same era. By comparison, even the FIA Cobras were "production" cars.
I knew John Mecom, Jr. whose Mecom Racing Team entered the most races with the GS. At the Nassau Speed Weeks, it was amazing to see all these "civilian" GM engineers lurking around Mecom's pits, just down in the islands to get away from the dreaded Detroit winter! As an aside, GM's largest market share ever was in 1962, at 50.7%.
Contrary to the legend, the Grand Sports did not dominate at Nassau. In fact, they did not win a single event, although they did finish in the top 5 in 3 events, competing against sports-racing cars like the Lotus 19 and Cooper Monaco.
Thank you for the comment
So is that why chevy did'nt compete at la mans, so gm let ford and chrysler get all the glory, well at least i know why now, they were being ham-strunged by the goverment!
might want to wear a helmet when testing ! surprised it wasnt required by the track owner.
Might want to wear one driving to work.
No Helmet, on a track ?
Closed course , pro driver
Do you wear a helmet when you drive to work? lol
How to beat a Cobra? Copy the frame, build it out of toilet paper thin fiberglass, Aluminum everything, build five prototypes. wait what Cobras were true production cars. Beautiful cars but not a production car.
No helmet?
Why would he wear a helmet while circulating a track alone?
No respect if you’re racing around without a helmet on.
Not racing , closed course buddy and he’s a professional
No respect for nerds.