The GM Heritage Center, in Sterling Heights, Michigan, is an 81,000 square foot facility that is home to a collection of nearly 200 of the General’s most valued and ground-breaking vehicles. The collection includes everything from the 2010 Camaro SS Concept Car, to the first production GM to feature front-wheel-drive, the 1966 Olds Toronado. One of the true automotive treasures that calls the GM Heritage Center home is the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer Concept.
This Corvette was a privately funded concept car designed by Bill Mitchell, Pete Brock, and Larry Shinoda. The car featured a fuel injected small-block, lightweight fiberglass body, and the aluminum de Dion rear suspension. The Stingray Racer lived up to its name, and was raced extensively, even winning an SCCA Championship in 1960. The car’s sharp curves and aggressive lines were clearly precursors to the styling of the production C3 Corvettes introduced in 1963 that we all know and love.
This video shot by Mr. Chris Ashworth, of the blog “DTRockStar1”, shows this amazing piece of automotive history in wonderful detail as it is displayed at the GM Heritage Center. This is a particularly special glimpse of the Stingray Racer Concept, as the center’s collection is not open to the public, and access to the collection is “limited to GM internal sources and external organizations seeking a unique, exclusive venue” for events. So enjoy a rare look at this piece of Corvette history!