Vehicle Description
1960 Chevrolet Corvette - VIN Sequence 0002: A Rare Test Legend
This second-off-the-line 1960 Corvette is no ordinary classic-it's
a pilot car believed to have tested GM's experimental aluminum
heads with Rochester fuel injection. Built in September 1959 at St.
Louis, this fuelie rarity sports a 283 V8 with lightweight heads
that never hit production, a project tied to Zora Arkus-Duntov's
performance vision. After component testing, GM sold it to
Rochester Products engineer Bill Anderson in Rochester, New York,
home of the Ramjet fuel injection system. In 1970, 16-year-old Dana
Kuhl snagged it on his birthday for $900, making it a teenage dream
turned automotive treasure, this gem stands as a possible missing
link in Corvette's racing and engineering legacy. There's something
fantastic about having a car from very early in a series, and this
1960 Corvette is just that. Bearing Serial No. 2, this Corvette
comes with the original frame with chassis number present. A fuelie
car, the CZ-suffix 283/315 HP V-8 is equipped with a Rochester
fuel-injection unit (Serial No. 1006, Part No. 7017320), a 4-speed
manual transmission, finned valve covers and a 7,000 RPM
tachometer. It also has aluminum heads, which were not made readily
available, making this machine an even more unique discovery. After
a comprehensive restoration, the Corvette has only traveled about 5
miles and is presented in Ermine White with a white soft top and
red interior. Options include a heater, a defroster, a clock and a
radio, while small-diameter, chrome cross-flag hubcaps adorn
color-matched steel wheels outside. The 1960 model year would be
the last time the tail lights would be spear shaped; four circles
replaced them in 1961, a trend that would sustain through today.
Corvettes were also available with fuel-injected engines, though
all had to be equipped with manual transmissions, which might have
something to do with the re-engineered 283 powerplant. Equipped
with solid lifters and a higher compression ratio of 11.0:1, two
fuel-injected engines were available, one with 315 HP and the other
with 275 HP. Aluminum radiators helped compensate for Corvettes
equipped with the Duntov Cam, and aluminum clutch housings for
manual transmission cars helped reduce weight. Engineers also opted
for stiffer anti-sway bars front and rear, as well as additional
wheel travel to improve ride comfort. Interestingly, with all this
performance engineering going on, Corvette won its class at Le Mans
in 1960, the first time a Corvette raced on that legendary
circuit.
