Chevrolet he made the history of racing and the American car with the various editions of his Corvette. But few have been as closely linked to Ferrari as the 1966 development version for the L88 engine, a collaboration between Zora Arkus-Duntov (GM) and Luigi Chinetti, the man behind the brand ‘NART‘. The red car will be offered for sale by Mecum Auctions as part of the auction in Kissimmee, Florida, scheduled for January 6 to 16, 2022 (specifically, January 15).
It is a Corvette built specifically for racing on the track in the L88 version. It was jointly developed by Chevrolet Engineering Center and North American Racing Team, Luigi Chinetti’s famous team, as a car to be sent to the racing fields to evaluate durability and performance. of aluminum cylinder heads for the 427 CI (7 liter) V8 and other related racing components. His baptism was supposed to have taken place at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 1966.
Once completed, the car underwent a shakedown at the GM Tech Center by Zora Arkus-Duntov (known as the ‘godfather’ of the Corvettes, great model promoter) before being shipped to Sebring. Chinetti’s original race plan called for Pedro Rodriguez and Mario Andretti to drive the Corvette, but incredibly Chinetti decided to transfer the drivers to a Ferrari 365 P2, with which they had finished fourth at the 24 Hours of Daytona in February. The car did not finish the race, while the Corvette did not even hit the track. However, it is assumed that the two pilots have briefly tested it previously, thus giving the first feedback for development.
However, later on, the car accumulated a long history in motor racing. With corporate sponsorship of Union 76, the Corvette returned to Daytona, driven by local heroes such as Harold Whims, Don Yenko, John Finger and John “Sam” Henderson. The car helped set the parameters for the production of the L88 engine, with features such as the original 36.5 gallon N03 fuel tank, M22 4-speed transmission, F41 special suspension, G81 position differential, radio and the elimination of the heater / defroster, the J50 brake booster, the K66 transistor ignition and the telescopic steering wheel. Among its most outstanding features are an L88 intake manifold dated 1965 and aluminum cylinder heads dated January 1966., the front brake cooling intakes integrated into a special front spoiler and the transistor ignition module moved behind the driver’s seat, to facilitate both easy access and improved cooling.
Mecum Auctions did not disclose the possible value of the car, but it is known that in 2013 it received a complete restoration.
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