@Ryan funny I watched this video yesterday on Petrolicious and figured it would right up your alley. Neat little car, and quite the collection the fella has too.
Look forward to watching g the video a little later on but I can't believe how much that front end shot looks like the t bird reboot from a few years back at a first glance.
Enjoyed that, beautiful car. That is some serious chutzpah, managing to get GM and an Italian coach builder together to make your one-off, personally designed car. Impressive. Hard to escape the hard truth that here is a guy who took a modern car and popped a different body on it, transforming it into something completely different; but like the owner says, it is still like driving a '61 Corvette. A time-honored tradition, one that we still see going on, just so rare to see it done with a scratch-built one-off body. Beautiful.
The only 928 similarity I see is the backlight/deck lid. The rest looks more Maserati to me. The theme of long nose, short deck has been used on many of Europe's best efforts, especially from Italy's most exclusive coachbuilder/designers. The wheels wear me right the fuck out (!), and seem like they may have inspired Mr DeLorean or his crew at Pontiac. So delicate but robust as well. Thanks for the story and video. Inspiring...
Might have some awkward angles today...but compared to what else was out in 1961, even the Corvette it's based on...this thing was a spaceship. Love the wheels...wonder what they are?
There were also three Scaglietti Corvettes built. I just saw one of them at the Petersen Museum. http://www.supercars.net/cars/360.html
I don't know of any 60's era Ferraris with such an abrupt deck. The closest would probably be something like a 250 GT, but even it has a good ten inches of additional sheet metal past the rear wheel opening. I mean, this thing was crazy:
What I find good to see, like I saw at Jay Leno's, that you have to be careful walking around his shop so you don't trip over all the trickle charger cords. He does drive them. I would love to know what was used from the Vette and are the wheels the wide pattern Pontiac?
If I cover up the 3/4 front/side view from the front door edge forward and ignore the wire wheel, it looks like a Pinto hatchback to me. I'm serious.
Not just Ferrari my friend, many of the exclusive customs from over there had a tendency toward that ideal. Although earlier, and surely a bit more car in total, Cunningham closed or coupe designs look very related as well. I'm there though, it's so abrupt and "ends" so fast it has a vibe all its own. The only thing I'd have liked added to this one is some bright trim around the door/window appature. As it is though I'd only change the name on the title. Awesome one off hybrid...
I wouldn't call this car's design a "interpretation" of the 928. It's the other way around, as far as the back end goes. The 928 didn't exist back in that time period. Cool video though and the stock Corvette interior blends well with the new body.
Not much of that interior is stock --- used to own a '61 Corvette! I like the body design. However, it is based on a chassis that was essentially the same from '53 to '62. The same design chassis was introduced in 1949 on the much improved Chevrolets. They were OK driving along a smooth, even highway --- as shown in the video.
I'm not feelin' it, personally. Neat history and all and glad it survives intact but I can't say I'm fond of the design. The side view reminds me of the BMW Z3 coupe, AKA the Bavarian Clown Shoe. And as mentioned above, the first thought in my head seeing the front end pic was the T-bird reboot, which was another I'm not real fond of. The Pininfarina and Scagletti cars on the other hand, both look like very pretty designs to me.
Think i've seen this car before...... View attachment 3132529 Friend was asked to work on it years ago because he worked on it when it came back from italy, he knows the old FI units. might have actually sat in it
Somebody has to say it......they fucked up a really pretty car. While 1961 isn't my favorite 'vette, it's more proportional than that thing...
front 3/4 view it isn't bad, from the rear it makes me think "baby with a full diaper". a little Porsche and a little Datsun Z car blend......two of my least favorite cars but because of the drivetrain i can stomach it. neat story i appreciate the vision and ability to get it done.
Intresting ,GM has in there collection a Firebird with a Ferriari engine ,the front nose was redesign with a Italian flavor not sure if the body was shipped over seas for the install or a group of them came over to do the work here
Great story, I'm glad these things happen. Thank you for sharing. As to the car... well it is a piece of history and it materializes a man's will. That is a noble thing and something to really look up to. But I dont like it. My beaten up 56 4 door is prettier.
Concur with the observations of 928, Cunningham, & T-bird cues. Good on you, Ryan as a history exercise, but I can't say I'm a fan of it.
Great, eye-popping body on the car ! But, even though it's a '61 Vette underneath, nothing was mentioned about whether they "tweaked" the suspension, or, drivetrain, to accommodate placement of the body panels when they did the final design and got it on the road. If they did, I'd sure like to know what it was...'cause that thing still seems to run, and track, like a scalded cat ! Jonnie www.legends.thewwbc.net