Vehicle Description
The 1965 Corvette Stingray sitting atop this demonstration stand
was not originally purpose-built for this use. It actually began
its life as a road-ready early-production example that was finished
in Le Mans Blue and had a white interior. When new, it was shipped
to a specialty company that produced dramatic and
attention-grabbing exhibits for commercial and industrial shows.
There, the car was fully disassembled and rebuilt as this
one-of-a-kind display stand for use by General Motors and Chevrolet
on the auto show circuit. In order to properly demonstrate all of
the hidden mechanical components of the car, the body was mounted
on elevating rams that would raise the exterior nearly two feet off
of the chassis, leaving its internal running gear exposed. Careful
and well-thought-out incisions were made into all of the major
components to further illustrate its build quality and overall
operation. The exterior of the 327ci 8-cylinder engine,
transmission, driveshaft and other mechanical parts were finished
in bright red to provide clear contrast to the body, and the
casting of the 4-speed manual gearbox was cut out to showcase the
clutch and flywheel. The heads received custom-made, transparent
valve covers, with additional cutout panels revealing the critical
inner workings of the fuel-injection unit, exhaust, intake
manifolds and the block itself. The muffler's exhaust chambers,
sections of the chassis and the right front disc brake were exposed
as well, to allow for further inspection of their designs. At the
show, a series of electric motors would operate all of the cutaway
internal components. Rather than function in real time, the
components were geared to work at just a few revolutions per
minute, as this would allow for observers to fully digest and
understand how to underlying mechanical components functioned. Just
like any other engine, the turning cam pushed the corresponding
intake or exhaust valve, while the crankshaft pushed each piston to
and from. Brightly plated U-joints, which were attached to the
posi-traction rear axle, drew onlooker's eyes to where the wheels
spun and moved, activating the rear suspension and thus
demonstrating the Corvette's road-holding abilities. **SOLD ON BILL
OF SALE**
