The all mighty 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is often referred to as one the most fascinating enigmas in motor racing annals and certainly the most valuable. As General Motor's contender to Ford's venerable Shelby Cobra, the Grand Sport reached mythical proportions by taking on other fierce competitors such as the Ferrari GTO, the Ford GT40 and the Chaparrals.

Envisioned by the legendary "father of the Corvette" - Zora Arkus-Duntov, these top secret, hand-built, race cars were designed to win at FIA endurances races and ultimately the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Only five Grand Sports cars were eventually built, out of an expected 120 car run, before General Motors management pulled the plug on all its competition activities in early 1964.  The cars miraculously escaped the head office order to be destroyed and found their way into the
hands of private racers.

Starting out as a coupe, #002 was converted into a roadster making it the lightest and fastest Grand Sports of all. Aluminum was used extensively and sparingly. Combined with a lightweight tube frame and special ultra-thin fiberglass body, the Grand Sports tipped the scales at under 2000 pounds - 1100 pounds less than production Corvettes.  Other than its similarity with the new Sting Ray body style for 1963, there was nothing underneath its skin that bore any resemblence to it's
assembly line cousins. Most significant was its full-race aluminum 377 cubic inch engine that kicked out over 550 horsepower.

Competing in the 1966 US Road Racing Championship, veteran racer George Wintersteen and chassis #002 delivered impressive results at Bridgehampton, Watkins Glen and Mosport. In the book "Corvette-Grand Sport" by Dave Friedman, former owner of Grand Sport #001 and #002 Roger Penske, was quoted as saying "when you really stood on the gas, the front end would come off the ground like a dragster".  When passed by a Grand Sport, A.J. once said "It went by me like I was stopped!" 

From this elite fraternity, Grand Sport #002 with its original un-restored race body, is being offered for the first time at auction, at RM's "Vintage Motor Cars of Arizona" event - January 16, 2009 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.  This legendary car will be presented along with one hundred extraordinary automobiles and motorcycles from the glory days of motoring.  www.rmauctions.com