Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Planning a Mid-Engine Corvette Reunion for 2020

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Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Planning a Mid-Engine Corvette Reunion for 2020


Want to see what is being billed as one of the largest mid-engine Corvette gatherings featuring both historic GM prototypes as well as the new 2020 Corvette Stingray? The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is planning such a display for their March 2020 show in Northeast Florida.

The star of this gathering is Chevrolet’s mid-engine 1964 GS IIB (Grand Sport IIB) which will be making its first appearance outside the Chaparral Gallery of the Petroleum Museum in Midland, TX. Considered to be a successor to the 1963 Grand Sports built by Zora, the GS IIB was created by GM Chief Engineer Frank Winchell as a state of the art Chevy powered race car that was the successor to the GS II that was built and then destroyed after a brief testing period. The GS IIB featured a prototype 327 V8 engine while the monocoque body designed by Larry Shinoda was covered in 0.32″ of sheet aluminum. A radical single-speed automatic transmission developed by Chevy’s Jerry Mrlik was also included.

Following the construction of the GS IIB, the car was shipped down to Jim Hall in Texas where it underwent high-speed testing. With a total weight of 1450 lbs, the car reportedly reached a top speed of 198 mph.

1964 Corvette GS IIB


One of the crazier stories we’ve heard told about the GS IIB is that at one point while engineers were making a high-speed run, airflow got under the doors and they “just popped off” according to the account at Remarkable Corvettes.

“The Mid-Engine Corvette Class is a dream class,” said Bill Warner, founder and Chairman of the Amelia Island Concours. “Having a historically significant car at The Amelia that’s never been seen in a concours before is a dream for us. Thanks to Chaparral and the Petroleum Museum that dream has come true.”

Joining the 1964 Corvette GS IIB on the Amelia Concours’ Silver Anniversary field will be CERV I, CERV II, CERV III, Corvette XP-819. XP-895, XP-897 GT, Aerovette, and the Indy Corvette. The Mid-Engine Corvette reunion is scheduled for March 8, 2020 to celebrate the arrival of the mid-engine C8 Corvette.

1964 Corvette GS IIB


Discounted advance sale tickets for the Silver Anniversary Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance are available now for $100. at www.ameliaconcours.org.


Source:
Amelia Island Councours d’Elegance

Related:
[PICS] Kevin Mackay’s Drivable Cutaway 1953 Corvette Chassis #003 to be Shown at Amelia Island
1957 Corvette Super Sport Concept to be Shown at Ameila island
See Mid America Motorworks’ 1968 Rebel L88 LeMans Corvette Racer at Amelia Island

 



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2 COMMENTS

  1. To understand the relationship between the G.S. IIB and the Chaparral 2, reference “Chevrolet=Racing…? Fourteen Years of Raucous Silence!!” authored by Paul Van Valkenburgh.

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