1965 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CUTAWAY COUPE

Details

The 1965 Corvette Stingray sitting atop this demonstration stand was not originally purpose-built for this use. It actually began its life as a road-ready early-production example that was finished in Le Mans Blue and had a white interior. When new, it was shipped to a specialty company that produced dramatic and attention-grabbing exhibits for commercial and industrial shows. There, the car was fully disassembled and rebuilt as this one-of-a-kind display stand for use by General Motors and

Chevrolet on the auto show circuit. In order to properly demonstrate all of the hidden mechanical components of the car, the body was mounted on elevating rams that would raise the exterior nearly two feet off of the chassis, leaving its internal running gear exposed. Careful and well-thought-out incisions were made into all of the major components to further illustrate its build quality and overall operation. The exterior of the 327ci 8-cylinder engine, transmission, driveshaft and other mechanical parts were finished in bright red to provide clear contrast to the body, and the casting of the 4-speed manual gearbox was cut out to showcase the clutch and flywheel. The heads received custom-made, transparent valve covers, with additional cutout panels revealing the critical inner workings of the fuel-injection unit, exhaust, intake manifolds and the block itself. The muffler’s exhaust chambers, sections of the chassis and the right front disc brake were exposed as well, to allow for further inspection of their designs. At the show, a series of electric motors would operate all of the cutaway internal components. Rather than function in real time, the components were geared to work at just a few revolutions per minute, as this would allow for observers to fully digest and understand how to underlying mechanical components functioned. Just like any other engine, the turning cam pushed the corresponding intake or exhaust valve, while the crankshaft pushed each piston to and from. Brightly plated U-joints, which were attached to the posi-traction rear axle, drew onlooker’s eyes to where the wheels spun and moved, activating the rear suspension and thus demonstrating the Corvette’s road-holding abilities. ***SOLD ON BILL OF SALE***