Vehicle Description
The General Motors Futurama Pavilion was the largest exhibit at the
1964-65 New York World's Fair, with three unique elements in 1965:
the new Mako Shark II (later transformed into the Manta Ray that's
now part of the GM Heritage Center collection), a very special
cutaway '65 Sting Ray fuel-injected coupe and a cutaway Mark IV 396
engine. It was a banner year in technology for the Corvette. This
unique Cutaway Engine from the World's Fair display has been
restored to its 1965 glory, powered by a starter motor, with
careful and well-thought-out incisions made into all the major
components to illustrate its build quality and overall operation.
As part of the Futurama exhibit at the World's Fair, presenting the
world's most advanced technology, GM engineers were eager to
showcase this new engine they were introducing in mid-1965, which
produced 425hp with 396ci - more horsepower than any of the other
396 engines manufactured from mid-1965 until production ended in
1969. Ultimately, this engine spelled the end for the Rochester
fuel-injection system, as the carbureted 396/425 option cost much
less than the fuel-injected 327/375. However, by the time the
Cutaway Corvette and Cutaway Engine displays were complete, they
were both obsolete. The Fuelie Corvette was not produced after
1965, and the 396 was immediately replaced by the 427 to keep up
with the competition: Ford, Chrysler and other GM models all had
420-plus cubic-inch engines by late 1965. A 396 just wasn't enough.
This one-of-a-kind Cutaway Engine represents not only a unique
piece of General Motors and Corvette history, but an opportunity to
look inside an incredible example of automotive engineering.
