1962 Chevrolet Corvette C1 Competition Coupé

Registration no. 501 UYN Chassis no. 20867 S 106281

Footnotes

The Corvette C1 was the first generation of sports car produced by Chevrolet, launching in 1953 and produced through to 1962. It was also the model that began Chevrolet's heritage in motorsport with Corvette C1s competing during the mid-to-late 1950s at US circuits including Daytona, Watkins Glen and Sebring. In 1960, Corvettes made their first appearance in Europe with Briggs Cunningham entering a three-car team at Le Mans, alongside a fourth car entered by Camoradi U.S.A., and resulting in a class win for Cunningham's #3 car. Corvettes were also active in the UK including a C1 competing at both the 1961 and 1962 Goodwood Tourist Trophy races.

The car offered here is a tribute to the only Corvette that ran at Le Mans in 1962, entered by the Scuderia Scirocco race team from Modena, Italy, and driven by Tony Settember (USA) and Jack Turner (UK). Given the competitor number '1', the Corvette started at the front of the 1962 Le Mans grid as starting positions were determined by engine capacity and as a result briefly led the race at the drop of the flag.

This car was imported into the UK in 2011 and was restored and rebuilt over a five-year period to FIA-HTP competition specification by Adam Ruddle, a Tesla engineer, with assistance from Claremont Corvette of Kent.

Great attention to detail was employed to faithfully recreate the Scuderia Scirocco Le Mans car including sourcing a correct 1962-built car from the St Louis, Missouri, GM Assembly Plant with the powerful 327 engine specific to that year. Aside from general race preparation and full engine rebuild, detailed modifications from the original Le Mans car include: special brake cooling intakes in the front bumper; perspex bug deflector on the bonnet; additional tachometer and gauges on the dashboard; side-exit exhausts; extra Lucas driving lights flanking the grille, and, of course, the distinctive Scuderia Scirocco livery.

Since completion at the beginning of 2016, the car has raced at some of the most prestigious race meetings in Europe, including the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, and Silverstone Classic. The Corvette was well-received at Goodwood's 1-hour race for pre-1963 GT cars, The Kinrara Trophy. Up against some of the finest GTs of the early 1960s, including Ferrari 250 GTOs and SWBs, Aston Martin DB4GTs, and Jaguar E-Types, the Corvette was a real crowd pleaser and was specifically featured in Goodwood's event coverage. The car has since continued to campaign around Europe with the current owner in historic racing series run by leading race organisers Peter Auto.

This C1 is eligible for all the best race meetings, including the Goodwood Revival and Le Mans Classic, and offers a unique and relatively cost-effective way of racing against some of the finest 1960s GT cars ever built. Indeed, due to its circa 350bhp, 5.4-litre, V8 engine it also has the ability to challenge some rather more valuable and technologically advanced machinery in the process.

The car is offered with an entry to Le Mans Classic 2022, current FIA HTP papers and a UK V5C Registration Certificate. Transfer of the entry is not guaranteed and subject to the agreement of Peter Auto, as well as reimbursement of the entry fee to the current owner. Two exhaust systems (road and straight-through) plus sundry spares and parts are included in the sale.