Zora Arkus Duntov had a hand in the creation of this boosted C3 Corvette.
Zora Arkus Duntov is known as the Father of the Corvette, and although it wasn’t built by General Motors, he played a key role in the production of this turbocharged Chevy sports car from 1980. Working with American Custom Industries of Sylvania, Ohio, Duntov developed what he considered to be the ultimate C3. One of which is available for purchase now in the UK.
The Duntov Turbo
If you aren’t familiar with the Duntov Turbo Corvette, here is a quick rundown of the unique features. To put it simply, just about everything on this car was modified by American Custom Industries with Duntov’s guidance, creating a Corvette that performed better in every way.
The Duntov Corvette had a unique fiberglass body with more extreme lines than the standard production model. Unique Bilstein suspension bits are combined with a retuned factory steering box for improved handling. The new tires and wheels, coupled with the custom bodywork, make this Corvette six inches wider than a standard 1980 C3.
The most important feature is under the hood, where the L48 V8 was equipped with a Martin turbocharger setup. While adding 4 pounds of boost, this forced induction system added an extra 70 horsepower.
Ask for Documentation
In writing this piece, we did some research on the Duntov 1980 Corvette and based on the pictured included in the sale listing, this car has been customized. Or, perhaps it is not a legitimate Duntov Corvette.
It does have the turbo setup, but it does not have the unique Duntov-branded air cleaner assembly. The body does appear to have the same sleek lines as the other Duntov cars shown online, but it lacks the fixed-upright headlights of the other cars. Additionally, this car has spoked wheels, while the other cars shown online have a sportier two-piece rim design.
Most notably, the other Duntov Turbo Corvettes online have a unique emblem on the fender that reads “Duntov Turbo 200 Limited Edition”, but this car does not have that. It does have the huge “turbo” logos running down the doors and it appears to have the digital gauges, but compared to pictures of other Duntov C3s online – this one is missing a few key items.
However, with just 86 built, the Duntov Corvette is incredibly rare, so a hardcore Corvette collector might want to look into this car – but we would ask for more information on this particular car.
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