Owning a 1963 Corvette Kit Car Ain't Bad
 

Owning a 1963 Corvette Kit Car Ain't Bad

Daily Slideshow: The Superperformance Grand Sport Corvette is about as authentic as you're ever going to get!

By Nathan Piscopo - February 8, 2019https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...15a1af1294.png

I like it!

:thumbs:

Mongoose Motorsports is also a Officially Licenced Manufacturer of the Grand Sport

http://mongoosemotorsports.com/grandsport/

Jay leno did a spot on the Superformance Corvette Grand Sports. I found it to be a fun watch.

These are really spectacular cars and I would love to drive one. I believe that Duntov Motors is the exclusive licensee and that Superformance and Mongoose are sub-licensees. Duntov Motors has a great big book on the history of the original Grand Sports which I would recommend. It has 350 photos, many of which I have not seen before. I have seen two of the original Grand Sports at the Simeone Museum and the Revs Institute as well as a Lingenfelter-powered replica at the Concours of America and have to give credit to Superformance for a very exact reproduction.

It is interesting that a Superformance Grand Sport was on the Jay Leno's Garage program in June . Jay did not seem particularly excited about it, noting it drove like a 1963 car (well, yes). I am not sure that these really are what you can call "kit cars" since according to Superformance it comes as a rolling car minus engine and transmission only, so it seems you don't really build anything. I have a friend with a Superformance Cobra and the quality of the fiberglass and the paintwork is exceptional so you get what you pay for. I have seen some finished cars for sale and they run US$170,000 and up. Sigh.

Mongoose has their own GM license to produce Corvette Grand Sports. They are not a sub-licensee of anyone. Superformance, AFAIK, does sub-license from the duntov folks. The duntov people are not a major player in the Grand Sport replica arena, despite their license. And despite the claims, NO ONE builds an accurate reproduction of the original Grand Sports. Note that many pictures in the article reference by the OP are of the real #003, not a repop. Don't confuse the two.

If you want the best book on the Grand Sports, look for the one written by author/photographer Dave Friedman, Shelby's historian. It's titled simply "Corvette Grand Sport 1962-67". He was there. He took the pictures everyone else uses. Ask for his book by name and accept no cheap substitutes.

One final thought: Racing a Grand Sport, even a reproduction, is the most fun you can have in a Corvette with your clothes on.

Jim

Bill Tower owns No#5



Dr Fred Simeon Collection No#12


Car No#3 at Laguna Seca - (the red corvette #40 with white stripe behind driven by John Bowe-Australia)


D & D Grand Sport Replica (Dante Lombardi) Promo Video - this precedes both Superformance and Mongoose