Thursday, March 6, 2014

1963 Chevrolet Corvette 7 11 Race Car Used in the Movie Viva Las Vegas

 S129.1 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 7 11 Race Car Used in the Movie Viva Las Vegas Photo 3
 Visited many a Virginia girl's college riding in one of these.

In the 1960s Harry Mann advertised his Los Angeles dealership, Harry Mann Chevrolet, as the largest Corvette dealer in America, but when the new 1963 Z06 made its race debut in the October, 1962 Times Grand Prix at Riverside, Mann and his driver Gary Pickens were relegated to the sidelines. Chevrolet had issued only four Z06 Corvettes for the race; none of them had gone to Mann, and none would be available to dealers until December 1962.

Undaunted, Mann and Pickens ordered a new 1963 Corvette Split Window coupe equipped with the L84 fuel injected 327/360 HP engine as used in the Z06, the goal being to assemble all the other pieces needed to build their own. The new car arrived to a flurry of modifications that included a roll cage, a comprehensive weight-reduction program and competition brakes. A recreational gambler, Pickens completed his new racer by painting his number - 711 - as dice on the doors, hood and rear deck.

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2 comments:

  1. Favorite all time. Only one with the bar between the back window. 1963. What a year! Wish we could go back there.

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