On March 21, 1964, racing legends Roger Penske and Jim Hall took the checkered flag at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, securing a Prototype GT class victory in their Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. “It’s incredible to think that 62 years ago, Jim Hall and I drove the Corvette Grand Sport to a class victory at the Twelve Hours of Sebring,” Penske said. “I have great memories of driving the Grand Sport as we were fortunate to earn three wins across five races in the car during the 1963 and 1964 seasons”.
C2 Grand Sport (1963)
The Grand Sport story started with a pure race car. An effort led by legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, the C2 Grand Sport was a lightweight purpose-built to challenge the best sports cars around the world. With prodigious horsepower from a 377-cubic-inch V8, the Grand Sport put its competitors on edge. Chevrolet built just five.
- Production: Only 5 original cars were ever built before GM executives shut down the program due to a factory racing ban.
- Specifications:
- Weight: Approximately 1,800–2,000 lbs, nearly 1,000 lbs lighter than a standard 1963 Stingray.
- Engine: Originally designed for an all-aluminum 377 cubic-inch V8 producing over 550 horsepower.
- Design: Featured a tubular frame, wider magnesium wheels, and “hand-crafted” thin fiberglass body panels.
- Current Status: All five original cars still exist today and are valued in the millions of dollars.
C4 Grand Sport (1996)
The 1996 C4 Grand Sport was a limited-edition, final-year tribute to the 4th-generation Corvette, with only 1,000 units produced (810 coupes, 190 convertibles). Instantly recognizable by its Admiral Blue paint, with a white stripe running the length of the car and Torch Red hashmarks on the driver’s side fender.
A farewell to the beloved fourth-generation Corvette, the C4 Grand Sport was a one-year special that combined a more powerful version of the naturally aspirated 5.7-liter LT4 Small-Block 330hp V8 with chassis upgrades from the ZR, it featured a 6-speed manual transmission, and specific black wheels. Available in all-black or a special Torch Red/Black combination, with “Grand Sport” embroidered on the headrests.
- Unique Identifier: The RPO Z16 code and a special VIN sequence (beginning with 0001, ending at 1000)
- Production: The 1996 Grand Sport was produced from April 3, 1995, to June 14, 1996, to commemorate the end of C4 production.
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