[VIDEO] 1961 Corvette Racer Sells for $55,000 at Mecum’s 2011 Kissimmee Auction

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1961 Corvette Racer Sells for $55,000 at Mecum's 2011 Kissimmee Auction

This ermine white and blue stripe 1961 Corvette was built for one reason – racing. A radio/heater delete car, this Corvette came from the factory equipped with a solid-lifter 315 horsepower fuel injected 283 ci engine and is one of 233 Corvettes with RPO 687 – the special heavy duty brakes and suspension package. Last weekend, this vintage 1961 Competition-spec Corvette Race car was sold at Mecum’s 2011 Kissimmee auction for $55,000.

Although this Corvette raced its entire life, the selling price confirms the adage that for a Corvette racer to be valuable, it all depends on WHERE the Corvette was raced and WHO raced it. We don’t know much about the WHERE, but on one notable occasion, the Corvette racer was driven by Corvette race engineer Bob Clift who was the man most responsible for developing the RPO 687 option.

In 1980, the Corvette was purchased and the 315 hp fuelie was set on a shelf and a race-prepped small block was installed in its place. The Corvette returned to competition at vintage events at Road America and in 1992 Bob Clift drove the car at a vintage race at Sebring where he set a new record in the HSR GP class.

After appearing at the 1996 Rolex Legends of Daytona, the Corvette was dismantled and reassembled to its original configuration which includes the original 283/315 hp engine. Also included in the sale is documentation including HSR and SVRA race logs and the original fuelie heads and cam.


Source:
Mecum Auctions

Related:
[VIDEO] 1969 L89 Corvette Sells for $62,000 at 2011 Mecum Kissimmee Auction
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Mecum Kissimmee 2011 Preview: 1956 Arctic Blue Corvette Roadster
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