The oldest Corvette racer, aka ‘number 211’

11 March, 2015

This 1953 Corvette racer is, believe it or not, the earliest-known Corvette race car — known as ‘number 211’ (on account of its VIN E-53F-001211) — and has been faithfully restored by ProTeam, in Ohio. These were the cars that made the Corvette desirable as a ‘proper’ sports car, and saved the production Corvette from an almost certain extinction in light of its then-poor sales figures.

Chevrolet’s first-generation Corvette is an aesthetic work of art; the supple lines, which have transcended over half a century of automotive design, still manage to look fresh. Of course, a car needs more than just looks to carry it, and that was true even in 1953, when the Corvette was first unveiled at the New York Auto Show.

Powered by a 235ci straight-six, which was nicknamed ‘The Blue Flame’, the Corvette didn’t quite have the performance its looks promised — a sentiment shared by Zora Arkus-Duntov, who said it was “visually superb” but “mechanically stunk.” Ed Cole, the Corvette’s chief engineer, was struggling to make the Corvette into the sports car it should have been.

The result of the Corvette’s underwhelming performance showed through dwindling sales figures, that were becoming increasingly difficult for GM to justify, and the Corvette’s end looked certain when a 1956 Chevrolet advertisement was released with a notable omission — the 1956 Corvette. What saved it was largely attributable to the success of the 1955 Ford Thunderbird, or more specifically Ed Cole’s unwillingness for the Corvette to fail where the Thunderbird succeeded.

The future of the Corvette came down to Chevrolet’s then-new V8 (small block) engine, proven by resounding success in both the Pikes Peak Hill Climb and the Darlington Southern 500. What better way to assert the Corvette’s performance ability by setting speed records and winning races? Zora Arkus-Duntov, whose technical knowledge was outstanding, told Ed Cole that the Corvette was capable of reaching 150mph. Cole, though unsure, allowed Duntov to prepare a special Corvette for speed testing.

The car Duntov used was a 1954 Corvette, modified to suit a high-speed run. The aero included a fibreglass tonneau cover for the passenger’s side of the cockpit, a flat underfloor, a tail fin/headrest, and a smaller windscreen. A high-performance small block V8, fitted with twin Carter four-barrel carburettors, was also installed, though Duntov soon realized that the engine’s 225hp output would not suffice to push the car to 150mph — hence the design of the now-legendary Duntov camshaft. At the Mesa Proving Grounds in December of 1955, Duntov’s Corvette went on to record a 156.15mph pass.

With the Corvette’s straight-line performance proven, Ed Cole quickly formed plans for a Corvette assault on the Sebring Road Race and Daytona Beach. Along with three 1956 Corvettes prepared for the Daytona effort, two Corvettes (VIN E-53F-001211, aka #211, and VE-55F-001399, aka #1399) were also being prepared for Nascar — including the latest V8 engines and twin four-barrel carburettors, with close-ratio, three-speed gearbox. Bear in mind that despite all of this the Corvette was selling badly, and desperately needed the allure of performance, and thus sales, to draw its neck from the chopping block.

The Daytona run took a big step towards cementing the Corvette’s performance credentials, with Duntov placing first in both the standing mile and flying mile, at 89.75mph and  147.3mph respectively. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Sebring effort in February of 1956. The Corvettes were not prepared for such a gruelling race, especially in the braking department. With hard yards put in by the Chevrolet team, and Smokey Yunick, the Sebring race in March 1956 went a little better — Ray Crawford and Max Goldman finished in 15th, and John Fitch and Walt Hansgen claimed ninth place, and first-in-class in the prototype.

Though the Corvette is now a badge at the pinnacle of the production-performance-car game, it was not always so. Through the efforts of a dedicated team, one of America’s — and indeed the world’s — most iconic cars was narrowly saved from a corporate fate that has befallen many of the world’s finest vehicles. Thankfully, the iconic car’s legacy lives on in the beautifully restored 1953 Corvette number 211.

Thanks to the fastidious research done by Terry Michaelis, president of ProTeam Corvette, and the work of the team at ProTeam, that has allowed this piece of automotive history to be shared with the world.

Grand Routier — in the french tradition

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.