This stunning 1966 Corvette has German racing roots and boasts insane exclusivity
Although General Motors withdrew from factory-backed racing throughout the 1960s, that didn’t stop individuals from championing GM machines built with performance in mind. One such person was German-American racer Toly Arutunoff, who purchased a rare Corvette in 1966 from Capital Chevrolet of Nashville, Tennessee to export onto German soil for racing activities.
The Corvette in question, a drop-dead gorgeous C2, now awaits auction by Mecum in Phoenix on March 14-17. But will you be the new owner? Here's why you should be...
Ordered with most all of the race-minded parts GM had to offer, the machine was undoubtedly destined for the track. Besides the obvious L72 427 7.0-liter V8 powerplant making 425-horsepower, the striking Vette was equipped with high performance features from the factory such as power brakes, heavy duty suspension, and a positraction rear end, with the only real comfort features being head rest seats and a tinted windshield. Even the heater was deleted.
The 1966 Chevrolet Corvette N03 former race car was 1 of 382 produced with J56 power brakes, 1 of 66 with the 36.5 gallon big fuel tank, and 1 of 15 with a M22 4-speed transmission, making the original build every bit as rare as its racing history. The rare car received an off frame restoration that was finished with hard to find original parts and includes copies of the NCRS Certificate, original bill of sale, statement of origin and Homologation Recognition Form.
Although there is no record of it on Barrett-Jacksons website, according to a press release on Business Wire, the car was to be featured alongside Mickey Thompsons 1963 Z06 big tank coupe by Barrett-Jackson on January 14-22 in 2017.
The release offers, “Raced in Europe by Toly Arutunoff, this Corvette received a frame-off restoration and features headrest seats, suspension, power brakes and transistor ignition. It is powered by a 427/425 horsepower engine with an M22 4-speed manual transmission. The matching-numbers Corvette includes NCRS and handwritten testimony documentation,” but the listing was pulled from the site - it’s safe to assume the seller had a change of mind at the time.
It is however documented that Barrett-Jackson did sell Mickey Thompsons ’63 Z06 for $247,500. It will be interesting to see just how much this one brings in.
