Cherry Smash 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Gasser Is Not the Usual American Sports Car

Some of the rarest such builds come in the form of the famous drag-strip oriented gassers. Almost absent from the more recent versions of the Corvette, this kind of conversion rocked the shows back in the 1960s and 1970s.

One of the most high profile such builds is the one we have in the gallery above. Known as the Cherry Smash, the drag racer is based on a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette and back in the 1970s it was the star of racing and auto events, being crowned winner of several major competitions.

The build is your standard gasser, only this time with the unlikely body of a Corvette: tilted front end, straight chrome front axle, roll cage, and a mighty 327ci (5.3-liter) V8 that with the help of a Cragar supercharger churns out in excess of 600 horsepower sent through a four speed transmission to the rear wheels.

Despite the many decades that have passed since the car was first shown, it has traveled just 376 miles, so as far as engine wear and tear is concerned, the thing can be considered practically brand new.

The other defining elements of the gasser, its wheels, are there in the right format as well. At the front, the wheels are wrapped in period correct Stahl tires, while at the rear the larger rubbers are more recent.

Sporting a funky yellow and red velour interior, this particular Corvette gasser has changed owners repeatedly over the years. In the summer of last year, it was for sale on eBay, and now is on the lot of cars being sold by an Illinois dealer.