LOT 142
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray "Z06" Coupe Chassis no. 30837S112064 (see text)
Sold for US$445,000 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 142
The Edelbrock Collection Ex-Bob Bondurant
Ex- Shelton 'Shelley' Washburn
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray "Z06" Coupe
Ex- Shelton 'Shelley' Washburn
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray "Z06" Coupe
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray "Z06" Coupe
Chassis no. 30837S112064 (see text)
Chassis no. 30837S112064 (see text)
327ci OHV V8 Engine
Rochester Fuel Injection
360bhp at 6,000rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
4-Wheel Independent Suspension
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
*An incredible, storied 1960s sports racer
*Fabulous West Coast racing history
*An integral part of Edelbrock history
*Documented with original logbooks from the 1980s
THE CAR OFFERED
The Edelbrock race car Collection - of Torrance, California - grew to reflect Hot-Rod and racing Sedan achievements deploying Edelbrock components. Here Bonhams|Cars is delighted to offer the Collection's supremely well-known and much-admired, ex-Bob Bondurant 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting.
Within the wonderful world of immediate post-World War II Hot-Rodding, the name Vic Edelbrock ranks virtually supreme. The name of course applies not just to one multi-talented entrepreneur, but to two – father and son Victor Edelbrock Sr (1913-1962) and Victor Edelbrock Jr (1936-2017).
Vic Sr made his sporting name as early as 1938, using his initial 'Slingshot' manifold in his 1932 Ford Roadster, which set a record of 121.42mph at Harper dry lake in southern California on November 16th 1941 when he was named SCTA Champion. From 1950, driver Rodger Ward dominated West Coast midget car racing in Edelbrock's V8-60 machine, bringing clients flocking to Vic Sr's door for high-performance parts. Cancer claimed Vic Sr aged 49 years old, but 26-year-old son Vic Jr just stepped up brilliantly to grow the Edelbrock Corporation into the high-performance auto parts powerhouse it became.
This stunning early racing Corvette was originally one of Chevrolet Division's famed pilot batch of the Zora Arkus Duntov-master-minded GT design for 1963. Those six RPO Z06 cars were supplied new to selected Chevrolet dealers keen to promote the brand and model through racing. The batch became one of the most famous in Corvette history.
Vic Edlebrock Jr would later explain in an interview with John R Wright: "In 1963, the Z06 Corvette came out of the back door at the St. Louis plant. GM was being looked at for an anti-trust suit, and the government people basically said what's this racing thing? While GM agreed they wouldn't race any more, Zora...built six cars, four of which he sold to people who would race them. Washburn Chevrolet (of Santa Barbara) had Bob Bondurant." McDonald and Jerry Grant also raced cars for other dealership who were fortunate to receive an allocation of the original six cars. It is worth noting at this point the passenger side dashboard of this Corvette is signed Zora Arkus-Duntov himself.
Bob Bondurant had been racing Corvettes since 1958. Through his sixth season with the brand in 1963 he drove Washburn's 'No. 614' to wins at Santa Barbara and Riverside, seconds at Pomona and Candlestick Park, third at Dodger Stadium and fourth back at Santa Barbara before being recruited by Carrol Shelby of Shelby American to move to the newly formed Ford-powered Cobra team. Bob Bondurant went on to FIA World Championship-winning success for Shelby Cobra, competed at World-class Formula 1 level and from 1968 cemented a fine reputation with his Bondurant High-Performance Driving schools.
In the same interview with John R Wright, Vic Edelbrock explained a little more about this Corvette Sting Ray and how he came to acquire it, describing how it was prepared through until 1965 by Washburn specialist Bob Joehnck Ownership then passed to racer/historian Mark Dees who purchased the car with Bob Joehnck. With a supercharged Chevy V8 installed, Dees drove it at Bonneville, clocking over 200mph. Vic later recalled that when Bob Joehnck showed him the car for the first time, "it was a frame with holes cut in it. Bob started to restore it with a body he had. I bought the car from him, restored it and now I race it".
In 1988, in Vic Jr's ownership, the car was given its HMSA Logbook and assigned the number 0103H016. The original 1988 HMSA Logbook bearing this number survives with the car today. During 1988 Vic began racing the Corvette in West Coast events. Unfortunately, that same year at Palm Springs, as is confirmed and well documented, a mechanical failure in which the ball joint pulled out of the front-right lower control arm, caused Vic Jr to lose control and collide with some water barrels, inflicting substantial damage.
After this accident, this important Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray received the comprehensive restoration it had always deserved. A new frame replaced the original which had been "over-lightened" by Bob Joehnck in 1963. The replacement frame was a correct vintage (but unspoiled) 1963 unit.
The tag bearing VIN number '30837S113864' the number found on the replacement body of this Edelbrock Collection car can be located behind its passenger glove box and has been confirmed to be an original 1963 Coupe VIN number by John LeGate of the National Corvette Restorers Society.
This extremely handsome, mouth-wateringly desirable, first-batch piece of highly-significant Americana is now offered as last raced by Vic Jr at Vintage level and as displayed in the Edelbrock Collection for many years. The car presents well, carrying the scars of its storied racing career. Accepted by the HMSA as being one of that historic first batch of only six Z06 Corvettes produced, this fabulous Corvette Sting Ray requires only some recommissioning to return to the racetrack and continue its fascinating story.
Footnotes
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