Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction

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Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction

The owner of two original Granatelli turbine cars says it’s time for someone else to have fun with the vehicles.

That’s why Austin, Texas businessman Milton Verret says he is selling his record-breaking Indy 500 #70 Lotus 56-3 and a one-of-a-kind 1978 turbine-powered jet Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction being held Jan. 10-18, 2015.

Verret believes the two cars rank as some of the greatest technical achievements in the automotive world, built by Andy Granatelli and his son Vince as they pushed the engineering envelope.

“There’s nothing quite like the roar of a turbine-powered Corvette or the whoosh of a jet engine race car at 200 mph,” Verret says. “Since this is the only Granatelli turbine Corvette ever built and the only Granatelli turbine car from the ’68 Indy 500 available, this is a unique opportunity for someone to add a significant crown jewel to their collection.”

The idea for the turbine Corvette came in 1978 when Vince wanted to add his dad’s turbine engine to a modern car for a customer who wanted a fast, turbine-powered car. They chose the only car they could find that could house the length of the engine, a 1978 Corvette.

Granatelli disassembled the Corvette and rebuilt it from the ground up, powering it with the same kind of Pratt & Whitney ST6B turbine engine that powered the 1968 Indy Car also for sale. The Corvette boasted of 880 horsepower and could go from 0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds.

Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction

Granatelli connected the turbine engine to a modified GM Turbo 400 automatic transmission with a beefed up drive shaft. Exhaust for the car was tricky.

The single exhaust vent of the turbine was connected to a wide, shallow box that was mounted under the car. Turbines flow a tremendous amount of air, precluding any kind of tubular exhaust system. The exhaust vent at the rear was as wide as the underside of the car. The heat coming out of the back of the car must have been stupendous.

The rear luggage space was taken up with 6 car batteries required to spark the engine alive. The stock Corvette disc brakes were replaced with heavy-duty NASCAR vented racing brakes. After the car was started, driving technique around town consisted of lifting your foot off the brakes to let the car move forward. Verret said “In fact, nothing in the world came even close to its speed capabilities until the million dollar plus Bugatti Veyron was unveiled decades later.”

Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction

Now, though, Verret says it’s time to send the cars to a new home.

“Car collectors are really caretakers of history for the short time that they possess a vehicle,” he says. “I’ve enjoyed restoring these two fantastic pieces of history that have captured my imagination during the past two decades. Now it’s time to give someone else the chance to have as much fun with them as I have over the years.”

Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction
Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette to be Sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale Auction  

The Granatelli Turbine-Powered 1978 Corvette is Lot #5070 and will be sold with a Reserve Price at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Auction.


Source:
Barrett-Jackson

Related:
Corvette Oddball: Andy Granatelli’s Turbine-Powered C3 Corvette
Corvettes on eBay: Shriner Patrol’s 1967 COPO Corvette
Some Assembly Required: 1969 L89 Corvette Offered for Sale in Australia

 



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