Space Pioneer Gus Grissom had the right stuff when it came to his Red 1967 Corvette Convertible. Nights were spent on the deserted tracks and back roads of Melborne, Florida racing other astronauts. The story goes fellow astronaut Alan Shepard, who fashioned a reputation for himself as "Mr. Corvette", couldn't beat Gus' 427 Corvette as Gus had installed a 4:56 rear end giving him a tremendous edge in 1/4 mile racing.

Grissom, the second American in space, and the first American to travel into space twice, was also one of the first to die in the U.S. space program. His Corvette went through four owners before winding up with Jim Falkowski, who purchased the Corvette in 1985 for $9,995. During Jim's ownership, the Corvette won many awards including NCRS Top Flight, multiple Cypress Gardens, the National Corvette Homecoming in Bowling Green and has been featured in numerous magazines, news articles and calendars.

There is something about a car once owned by a national hero. When paired with a '67 427/435 Red Convertible, the myth grows exponentially. Now the Gus Grissom Corvette is listed on eBay, giving someone a chance at owning history. Current bid as of June 20th was $178,099 with the Reserve not yet met. The auction runs through June 26th.

Source: eBay, Wikipedia

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