Monterey Car Week: Two Historic Corvettes Cross the Block

Monterey Car Week always brings out some of the most valuable collector cars in the world. This year, Corvette enthusiasts have two especially important cars to watch: Betty Skelton’s 1965 Corvette L79 Convertible and one of the five original 1963 Corvette Grand Sports.

These are two very different Corvettes with two remarkable stories. One is connected to a woman who broke barriers in aviation and motorsports. The other was built to prove that the Corvette could compete against the best race cars in the world.

Betty Skelton’s 1965 Corvette L79 Convertible

Betty Skelton’s Rally Red 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible will cross the block at the Mecum Monterey auction on Friday, August 14.  Lot F34 

Skelton was much more than a Corvette owner. Known as the “Fastest Woman on Earth,” she was an aerobatic pilot, test driver, automotive record setter and Chevrolet spokesperson. She worked closely with some of the most influential people in early Corvette history, including Zora Arkus-Duntov, Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell.

She also became the first woman inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame.

This particular 1965 Corvette was delivered to Chevrolet’s Central Office in December 1964. After appearing in Chevrolet print advertising, General Motors presented the car to Skelton in May 1965.

The Corvette is powered by a 327-cubic-inch L79 V8 producing 350 horsepower and paired with a four-speed manual transmission. Finished in Rally Red with a black interior and side exhaust, it is a beautiful example of a midyear Corvette even without its famous ownership history.

Mecum has placed the auction estimate between $120,000 and $130,000. Its connection to Betty Skelton, however, is what makes this classic Corvette truly difficult to duplicate.

LINK:  https://www.mecum.com/lots/1176088/1965-chevrolet-corvette-l79-convertible

The 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Chassis 003

The second Corvette is in a completely different price category.

RM Sotheby’s will offer the historic 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport chassis 003 during its Monterey auction. The estimated value is an incredible $11 million to $13 million.

Only five original Corvette Grand Sports were built under the direction of Zora Arkus-Duntov. Chassis 003 was the first of only three Grand Sport coupes, making it rarer than many of the world’s most celebrated competition cars.

The Corvette Grand Sport program was created to challenge cars such as the Shelby Cobra. A standard 1963 Corvette weighed approximately 3,200 pounds, while the purpose-built Grand Sport reportedly weighed around 1,900 pounds. Its lightweight construction and tremendous V8 power made it a serious competition car rather than simply a modified production Corvette.

Chassis 003 competed during the 1963 Bahamas Speed Week and finished second in its class at the 1964 12 Hours of Sebring. It returned to Sebring in 1965 and earned another podium finish in its class.

Its list of drivers reads like a page from American racing history, including A.J. Foyt, Jim Hall, Augie Pabst, Dick Thompson, John Cannon and Delmo Johnson.

Today, the Corvette is presented in its authentic 1964 Sebring racing livery. It has also earned two Bloomington Gold certifications and recognition from the National Corvette Restorers Society.

LINK:  https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mo26/lots/r0081-1963-chevrolet-corvette-grand-sport

Two Important Chapters in Corvette History

It is unusual to see two historic Corvettes of this significance offered during the same Monterey Car Week.

Betty Skelton’s 1965 Corvette represents the personal side of Chevrolet and Corvette history. Skelton helped introduce the Corvette to a wider audience while establishing records and opening doors for women in aviation, motorsports and the automotive industry.

The 1963 Corvette Grand Sport represents the racing vision of Zora Arkus-Duntov. It was built during a time when Corvette was still fighting to establish itself as a legitimate international competition car. Every generation of Corvette racing that followed owes something to the original Grand Sport program.

One Corvette is expected to sell for around $125,000. The other could bring more than $11 million. Their values may be dramatically different, but both cars have earned a lasting place in Corvette history.

We will be watching to see where the bidding ends.

Which historic Corvette would you choose: Betty Skelton’s Rally Red convertible or the legendary 1963 Corvette Grand Sport?

Sources: Mecum Auctions—1965 Corvette L79 Convertible, RM Sotheby’s—1963 Corvette Grand Sport and the National Corvette Museum—Betty Skelton