Australian Right Hand Drive 1963 Z06 Corvette Heading Back Home

We’ve all heard tales of those rare finds discovered in a friend’s or relative’s nearby garage or barn. Sometimes, however, those treasures aren’t quite so close. Here’s a very rare right-hand-drive 1963 Z06 that was living in Australia since new. It will be returning back home to the USA courtesy of our friends at Proteam Corvette next month.

Just 199 Corvettes had RPO Z06 on the options list in 1963. Far less than that are known today and they carry a healthy six-figure price tag with them. Z06’s were factory racecars. They were equipped with heavy duty brakes and suspension, the 360hp fuel injected 327CI engine, and a 4 speed transmission. A 36 gallon fuel tank was available for a portion of the production run. The option package added $1,818.14 to the base Corvette price of $4,252.

According to the listing on Proteam’s website and a thread we read last month on the NCRS discussion board the car spent its entire life overseas. The conversion to right-hand-drive likely took place in Australia shortly after it landed there. Its early years were spent as a GM show car. Outings included appearances at the Sydney and Melbourne Motor Shows in 1963. The original owner took delivery of the car through R.C. Phillips Sports Car World. Check out the dealer’s tag that’s still riveted to the back of the car above the license plate. In 1980 it won best of show at the First Corvette Car Club of Australia convention. Since 1964, it’s had just one additional owner prior to be acquired by Proteam who was one of 4 recent suitors for the car.

The car today remains in a highly original state and shows only 22,723 miles. Only normal wear items like belts, hoses, tires, and the battery have been replaced. An aftermarket radio and antenna were added at some point during its lifetime as the Z06 was originally radio delete. As you can see in the photos, all of the other Z06-specific items remain including the brakes, suspension, and fuel injection unit.

The full story of this car is not yet fully known and the folks are Proteam are looking for your help. They’d like to find (1) information regarding the car’s build and purpose by Chevrolet/GM as well as (2) the April 1980 Melbourne Sunday Press article concerning the Corvette convention and this Z06 Corvette.

If you have some information on this truly unique car contact Proteam via emai at [email protected].

The right-hand-drive 1963 Z06 should arrive on our soil sometime next month.

Sources:
Proteam Corvette and NCRS

Related:
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Mirror Image: Aussie Converts 1964 Corvette to Righthand Drive
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