Originally silver in color, this car was the design inspiration for the "C2" generation of Corvettes (1963 - 1967), which took the name "Stingray" from this vehicle. It also served as a test bed for a four-speed manual transmission, a de Dion rear suspension, and extensive usage of aluminum. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links. The Stingray Racer was raced in 1960 SCCA competition by The Flying Dentist, Dr. Dick Thompson, who would bring home the C-Modified class championship in the car. May 22, 2019 - With January 8th being the birthday of Elvis Presley, we look back at the 1967 movie Clambake which also starred the 1959 Stingray Racer concept car.

Billed as “strictly a private effort on the part of Bill Mitchell”, the Stingray carried no Chevrolet or Corvette logos, just a “Stingray” fender badge with a stingray fish, another of the car’s inspirations. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer, according to …

This car was painted red and driven by Elvis Presley in the movie "Clam Bake." In the film Clambake, which came out in 1967, Presley played the role of the son of a wealthy oil tycoon.

Put it up on the walls. It was then retired from racing, upgraded with a 327-cubic-inch V-8 and a passenger seat (among other changes), and became a concept car, which Mitchell joyfully drove on weekends. Thank you…thank you very much! The Car From what Ive seen In Books Raced with Number 11 in Red,then In Silver, Also Raced As #111 in 1960 In Silver at Laguna Seca. After the Sting Ray’s debut, the car did some light show car duty. Our car experts choose every product we feature. When Elvis Drove the 1959 Stingray Racer in the Movie Clambake Then they went racing with it. The ’59 Stingray Racer has its own unique history. Nov 13th National Corvette Museum. To commemorate Presley’s birthday, Corvette Blogger took a walk down memory lane, and looked back to when the iconic singer and actor got behind the wheel of the 1959 Chevrolet Stingray Racer concept. Alfa had done roadster and coupe versions, and Mitchell wanted to do the first Corvette coupe. GM’s styling chief Bill Mitchell purchased the chassis and then directed and funded the design of the car in Chevrolet’s secretive Studio X.

1967 was definitely a tipping point for Elvis, that would see his stardom challenged by a shift in music and cultural tastes.Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Clambake (1967) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Comments about this vehicle. The styling was tamed only slightly for the 1963 C2 Corvette.

The Gentleman Racer posted a gallery of the Carrol... Chevy Spark ad, sexist? Showing all 13 items.

“Three or four of us were there when he walked in,” Peter Brock told us (“He pulled out a bunch of pictures from Turin and laid them out, and they all had a crisp line around the belt separating upper from lower, and aerodynamic shapes over the wheels.

“The ’59 Stingray Racer has its own unique history.

Six decades after its conception, this Chevrolet performance icon still has power to thrill.It has been most of a human lifetime since this car made its mark on automotive history. https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/best-movie-corvettes At one time (according to Karl Ludvigsen, author of the comprehensive book Sept 26th High Voltage Karting. He drives to Florida in his red 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer to find himself. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. The ’59 Stingray Racer has its own unique history.

Elvis played the son of a wealthy oil tycoon who only wants people to like him for who he is and not for his wealth.

Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Early in 1959, shortly after Mitchell succeeded Earl as a GM vice president, it was moved again and finished in Mitchell’s new secret Studio X, in the basement of the Styling Administration building. Cameo: ... Elvis' red sports car in the film is a one-of-a-kind 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray concept car. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io But when the AMA ban lingered, he decided to turn the car into a prototype racer that he would own himself and campaign out of his own pocket to publicly test its design with no clear connection to Chevrolet or GM.He told the designers to lose its roof and make it a roadster.

Once completed, Mitchell took the car racing as a privateer. Oct 12th Clambake. Sept 29th Autocross in Lorain. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette XP-87 in Clambake, Movie, 1967 . One of musical scenes from GM would reacquire the Stingray Racer from Mitchell and it was restored back to its original configuration with a period-correct 283 V8. “Clambake” had a song titled, “Do the Clam.” (no joke!) Then it was moved, in the dark of night during the December 1957 Christmas break, to a secret studio behind a tool room called the Hammer Room.

By Ronnie Schreiber on January 2, GM would reacquire the Stingray Racer from Mitchell and it was restored back to its original configuration with a period-correct V8. Corvette Timeline Tales: 10.18.67 – United Artists premieres Elvis Presley’s new film, “Clambake” featuring Elvis, pretty girls, awful songs, and the 1959 Sting Ray Racer October 18, 2015 October 18, 2015 Scott C1 Corvettes , Corvette History , Corvette Timeline Tales When Scott stops for gas and refreshments, he encounters Tom Wilson (Hutchins), who is on his way to take a job as a water skiing instructor at a Miamihotel. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. GM’s styling chief Bill Mitchell purchased the chassis and then directed and funded the design of the car in Chevrolet’s secretive Studio X. And that completes your history lesson today boys and girls.

So funny that Will Hitchens’ hat stays on in that car, hahahaha!Let us get ALL of our facts straight.

Author Message; antp 2007-09-05 22:48. dudley 2007-09-05 22:52. And I went down in the hammer room and designed this Corvette Stingray in clay.