Two Exceedingly Special Corvettes Are Coming to Auction
Outside of Zora Arkus-Duntov, there are perhaps no people more important to the history of the Corvette than Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell. Both served as the head of GM Styling during the early generations of the Corvette, helping to ensure its long lasting success as both a performance and style icon. Thanks to the folks at Mecum Auctions, Corvette fans now have the chance to take home two unique C2 models owned by the pair of famed executives.
The two C2 Corvette models are slated to be offered at the upcoming Kissimmee 2024 auction, taking place from January 2 through 14. The earlier of the two cars is a 1963 model, which was given to Harley Earl as a retirement present after 33 years of service with GM.
Earl was a revolutionary force in the world of automotive design, introducing the use of clay modeling and concept cars to the industry at large. Earl and fellow executive Ed Cole were responsible for the birth of the Corvette, making a custom factory build more than appropriate as a farewell.
The drop-top doesn’t feature the iconic split rear window of the coupe, but it is packing a 300-horsepower 327 V-8, which made its debut in 1962. Backing up that engine is a four-speed manual gearbox. The car packs a ton of unique elements, including four-wheel disc brakes that wouldn’t arrive on the production model until 1965. It also features a 1-of-4 side pipe setup, a design element that never made it to the road cars. The blue-over-blue appointments are an elegant choice, with white accents throughout to tie the look together. Aircraft-inspired gauges in the cluster are also a bespoke addition. Earl would drive this car throughout the 1960s, even using it during his duty as Grand Marshall during the 1965 Daytona 500.
Bill Mitchell got a custom Corvette of his own in 1964, at which point he was serving as the head of GM styling. According to the listing, this particular car was modified with Mitchell’s passion for Italian sports cars in mind. Up front you’ll find a custom die-cast grille, which uses a bright egg-crate pattern in place of the standard horizontal strakes. Chrome side vents line the fenders on either side, while knock-off wire wheels do their best Ferrari impression. Out back there are some extended exhaust tips, another nod to the folks over in Maranello. Inside, there's a fully leather-wrapped interior unlike anything we got from GM in that period, as well as a bespoke Nardi steering wheel. The vent windows have also been replaced by a solid sheet of glass, cleaning up the profile of the coupe. You won’t find a third pedal inside, however, as this car is equipped with a 327 V-8 and a three-speed automatic. Of course, the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 in this car wouldn’t actually arrive until the 1968 model year, making for a truly special configuration.
Neither car is listed with a guiding estimate, but don’t expect either one of these special Corvettes to go cheap. There will certainly be more than one die-hard Corvette fan looking to add both of these machines to their collection at the start of 2024. Hopefully, they have a thing for blue.
You Might Also Like
