Photo: Mecum Auctions
Back when racing was more visceral of an experience, the golden bowtie turned the first generation of the Corvette into this fellow here. Known as the Airbox Corvette, 43 cars were ever made, and 22 are still in existence.
According to Mecum Auctions, this is the earliest example of the breed, completed on May 15th, 1957. An award-winning racing car bearing serial number 4007, the Airbox Corvette was restored to perfection in Cincinnati, Ohio by Joel Lauman in 2007. After being selected for that year’s Bloomington Gold Special Collection, the old-timer then won the Ault Park Concours d'Elegance Award in 2008.
Fast-forward to 2010, and that’s the year the Airbox Corvette “was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Great Hall as one of the most significant cars in Corvette history.” As if those weren’t enough, the list of accolades continues with multiple NCRS Top Flight awards.
Featured in “The Corvette In the Barn” by Tom Cotter and the Velocity television documentary “One Of A Kind,” this car changed hands in 2004. During that timeframe, the owner tasked several Corvette experts “to perform a forensic examination” of the vehicle. What did they found, you might be wondering? As it happens, number 4007 is “the pilot car for the Airbox induction system introduced on 1957 Fuelie Corvette models.”
Designated RPO 579D by General Motors, the Airbox option came with a 283-horsepower V8 displacing 4.6 liters. The engine also boasts fuel injection from Rochester and an intake plenum made from fiberglass on the left inner fender. An opening in the radiator bulkhead helps channel the air through a filter along a rubberized duct, translating to more suck-squeeze-bang-blow.
Exclusively offered with the four-on-the-floor by Borg Warner, the Airbox Corvette also features an AC tachometer on the steering column, no radio, no heater, and no shielding for the ignition system. Along with the performance-oriented induction system, the Airbox Corvette also came with RPO 684. That’s General Motors for heavy-duty racing suspension, also known as the Big Brake option.
Mecum Auctions doesn’t give an estimate on this car, but considering the rarity and status within the Corvette lineage, this car will certainly change hands for top dollar. The sale will take place during the Kissimmee auction week, held between January 3rd and 13th.
Fast-forward to 2010, and that’s the year the Airbox Corvette “was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Great Hall as one of the most significant cars in Corvette history.” As if those weren’t enough, the list of accolades continues with multiple NCRS Top Flight awards.
Featured in “The Corvette In the Barn” by Tom Cotter and the Velocity television documentary “One Of A Kind,” this car changed hands in 2004. During that timeframe, the owner tasked several Corvette experts “to perform a forensic examination” of the vehicle. What did they found, you might be wondering? As it happens, number 4007 is “the pilot car for the Airbox induction system introduced on 1957 Fuelie Corvette models.”
Designated RPO 579D by General Motors, the Airbox option came with a 283-horsepower V8 displacing 4.6 liters. The engine also boasts fuel injection from Rochester and an intake plenum made from fiberglass on the left inner fender. An opening in the radiator bulkhead helps channel the air through a filter along a rubberized duct, translating to more suck-squeeze-bang-blow.
Exclusively offered with the four-on-the-floor by Borg Warner, the Airbox Corvette also features an AC tachometer on the steering column, no radio, no heater, and no shielding for the ignition system. Along with the performance-oriented induction system, the Airbox Corvette also came with RPO 684. That’s General Motors for heavy-duty racing suspension, also known as the Big Brake option.
Mecum Auctions doesn’t give an estimate on this car, but considering the rarity and status within the Corvette lineage, this car will certainly change hands for top dollar. The sale will take place during the Kissimmee auction week, held between January 3rd and 13th.
Google News