A 63-year-old Chevrolet Corvette modified for endurance racing will go on sale in the USA soon estimated at $2.0–2.1 million despite having a non-stock engine (the original one drowned near Australia). The seller claims it is the world’s only ‘Vette to win prizes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Back in 1960, a private team called Camoradi USA Racing prepped the car for professional motorsports. In the same year, the Corvette took part in a number of races spanning several continents including Europe and both Americas. It won silver in its own competition category at the Le Mans race and the 12 Hours of Sebring and managed to win Havana GT. The Camoradi team had also driven it to victory in Sweden before crashing it in a severe road accident.
The sports car proceeded to stay in Sweden as a wreck for a few decades. In 1995, a collector picked it up for a token sum – nobody bothered to have it restored after the crash, and the car was in a fully disassembled state. The engine was sold separately and went to New Zealand, where it was first installed into a Maserati 250F racecar and later into a sports motorboat. The boat subsequently sank near the coast of Australia, taking the Le Mans-tested engine with it.
The rest of the car was brought to the United States, pieced back together and completely restored with a period-accurate 4.6-liter V8 rated at 290 PS (286 hp / 213 kW) under the hood. Once it was whole again, the Corvette went on to participate in several classic motorsport events and score more victories for itself.
The winning bidder will be receiving a full package of documents confirming the authenticity and the background of the car.
