6 Ultra Rare Chevrolet Corvette Models You've Likely Never Seen

Over a production span exceeding 72 years and still ongoing (with the exception of 1983), the Chevrolet Corvette stands as one of the most prevalent and beloved sports cars ever made. Additionally, it’s among the more affordable grand tourers, with pricing similar to that of mid-level luxury vehicles. This affordability has propelled the Corvette from being an unknown fiberglass convertible in 1953 to earning the title “America's Sports Car,” with cumulative production nearing an impressive 2 million units. slightly more than 1.9 million as of 2024 .

We’re all acquainted with numerous well-known and legendary variants such as the C6 ZR1, the C4 Grand Sport, or the C5 Z06. Undoubtedly, they frequently embody some of the best Corvettes within their particular eras. Nevertheless, what about those lesser-known versions lurking at the opposite end of the spectrum? It’s worth noting, there’s a lot Of various Corvette models and special editions.

Actually, the sole year that might not feature any notable anomalies could be 1953, primarily because this marked the debut of the Corvette, with just 300 units produced. Of course, exceptions include special builds such as toolroom prototypes, limited editions like the Astrovette (which was exclusively provided to the three Apollo 12 astronauts), and racing variants. However, suppose you went into a properly equipped showroom from that specific year and placed an order for one model. In that case, what would be among the most uncommon Corvettes available at that dealership?

Read more: 5 of The Most Powerful Muscle Cars from the 1990s

1975 Greenwood Sportwagon: Fewer Than Twenty-Four Kits Were Sold

We're truly taking off with our wheels already turning for this initial entry. Admittedly, this wasn't technically A factory Corvette was not what this vehicle was; instead, it was a kit car crafted by the Greenwood siblings. Racecar drivers and mechanics John and Burt Greenwood initially conceived the Sportwagon as an answer to the C2’s absence of a practical storage space at the back. They transformed the whole rear section into a shooting-brake design.

This included reducing the height of the roof and adding custom-tailored glass featuring the Greenwood emblem on the lower left side at the back, as well as equipping it with a practical rear door. Despite this specific model having an impressive background, fewer than 20 to 25 units were actually produced. Similar to other exclusive Corvette modifications such as those done by Callaway or Hennessey, these Sport wagons stayed extremely rare.

Essentially, sport wagons ended up suffering from their distinctive nature. In other words, when you buy an adored grand tourer, often after considerable savings, it’s quite demanding to invest additional funds into converting it into something that, realistically speaking, appears peculiar to many casual observers. Admittedly, shooting brakes are stunning automobiles, but they have indeed faded away as documented. A shooting brake version of a Corvette could perhaps have seemed excessive during the mid-1970s. Nevertheless, Greenwood did manage to sell approximately two dozen units; however, estimates vary regarding the precise count. Today, only two original vehicles remain known.

1971 Corvette ZR2: Only 12 Vehicles Were Sold

The name Zora Arkus-Duntov holds significant weight among avid Corvette enthusiasts because he had good reason to affix his signature to the ZR2 designation. Although less radical than some cars mentioned earlier, the ZR2 stood out as one of the top-tier options available for a third-generation Corvette during an age dominated by powerful vehicles. At a period when large V8 engines were both stylish and formidable—much like sharp suits and tough leather jackets—the ZR2 embodied that spirit perfectly. Essentially, it felt akin to cruising around in a toy car but designed for adults; noisy, bold, and completely unabashedly speedy, even at the cost of comfort and user-friendliness.

This doesn’t mean that a 1971 ZR2 was an exceptionally poor choice for a Corvette. In fact, it was intentionally created with large engines in mind, modeled after the The Mako Shark II concept featuring its Mark IV engine Nevertheless, these engines often fell short, particularly due to persistent overheating issues across all C3 big block 'Vettes. This was also true for the ZR2 model. Moreover, General Motors refrained from featuring the ZR2 in any of their advertising campaigns and remained silent about the inclusion of the LS6 big-block within the ZR2 package.

The engine that followed the legendary L88 offered an underappreciated (as usual) output of 425 horsepower. Combined with its hefty price tag of $7,672.80, this proved fatal for the iconic block in the Corvette lineup. Ultimately, just 188 Corvettes rolled out of the factory equipped with the LS6, including 12 units that also had the RPO ZR2 option selected.

In 1980, only six Corvette Americas were sold despite plans for producing forty.

If the idea of a shooting-brake Corvette seems strange to you, consider this oddity born during the Malaise Era. By the late '70s, both Corvettes and grand tourers had hit rock bottom. Due to the oil crises of 1973 and 1979, U.S. auto manufacturers drastically changed their focus, effectively ending the muscle car era with sudden finality.

Alongside this trend emerged the remarkable surge in popularity of the American sedan and station wagon. As a result, General Motors focused extensively on enhancing efficiency and catering to familial preferences within their range of vehicles, leaving the Corvette as somewhat of an outlier. 15 pages completed in their 1980 pamphlets This didn’t really affect the Corvette, though, which sold 53,807 vehicles in 1979—the first time surpassing the 50,000-unit threshold. How about having the best of both worlds: a family-oriented Corvette?

As such, the Corvette America came into existence, potentially the most peculiar-looking C3 to emerge from any dealership. This vehicle epitomized extreme extravagance, crafted by California Custom Coach in Pasadena. Like the shooting brake, the Corvette America falls under the category of a kit car, transforming a regular C3 by extending its wheelbase by 30 inches.

The primary concern doesn’t lie with the construction quality. Instead, it’s about the staggering $35,000 price tag, equivalent to around $133,000 nowadays. This cost rivals that of a Lamborghini Countach for what appears to be nothing more than an extravagant stretch limo. Ultimately, just six units were officially recorded as having been sold. Despite Chevrolet’s ambitious plan to produce 40 annually—which unsurprisingly didn’t materialize—this remained wishful thinking.

1963 C2 Grand Sport: Five Vehicles Constructed From The Intended 125

Did you ever dream of having your own personal racecar? In 1963, this aspiration came close to reality. Although just five were produced at the facility in St. Louis, designer and father of the Corvette, Zora Duntov, initially planned for 125 units. This decision stemmed from the original intent behind the Corvette: serving as America’s response to European sports cars designed for road racing.

As GT racing gained traction in the United States, the Corvette and AC Cobra emerged as prominent models. The sole automobiles making a significant appearance during the 1962 SCCA season were In the late 1950s and early 1960s, numerous independent squads entered Corvettes into various competitions, aided by several experimental designs from Chevrolet that set the stage for the C2’s triumphs on racetracks. Although the C2 eventually evolved into a luxury touring vehicle for public roads, Zora Duntov's concept allowed significant potential for its competitiveness on tracks. This led to the introduction of the Grand Sport – an embodiment of Duntov's ambition to cement General Motors' supremacy in sports car racing over multiple years.

The Grand Sport quickly emerged as one of the most powerful production racecars in recent history, serving as an early instance of what would later be known as a homologation-special model. However, the primary challenge lay in its legitimacy because General Motors had formally prohibited factory-backed racing efforts starting in 1957. As a result, the future of the Grand Sport seemed doomed from the outset. Despite these setbacks, each of the surviving five vehicles boasts impressive competition histories, including participation in significant races. staying in their original, un-restored state . Featuring a 377 cubic-inch V8 engine “quoted” at around 550 horsepower, the C2 Grand Sport was also notable as representing the most potent production Corvette (based on stated power figures) to exit the factory up until the 2009 ZR-1 .

Scaglietti Corvette: Three Custom-Built Vehicles Created

If American V8s are known for one thing, it's for producing reliable power. And they don't just make large power figures, but they generally don't leave drivers stranded, something which stands in stark contrast to (many) Italian high-output engines of the 1950s. However, while Ferraris weren't exactly reliable, their GT cars were unquestionably fast and won races. This became the primary focus of Texas oil contractor Gary Laughlin, who contracted Italian coachbuilder Scaglietti to construct three "Ferraris" using Corvette components. This marriage resulted in the Corvette Italia by Scaglietti: Three unique and totally-bespoke GT cars featuring aluminum bodies around a C1 Corvette chassis.

Their primary benefits were attributed to their lightweight design and reliability, with the customized bodies being approximately 400 pounds lighter compared to standard production Corvettes. Nevertheless, their handling was noted as "heavy" and "imprecise," and they never lived up to their expectations. To be fair, these vehicles blur the line between what's considered "production" versus "experimental." However, they all used original 1959 Corvette running gear and engine components, being more akin to coach-built cars of old like Duesenbergs or Bugattis Some were indeed stunningly beautiful, I must say, yet they were typically crafted completely by hand.

Conversely, the Scaglietti Corvette is more akin to a regular Corvette with a handmade body on it. A handmade body built specifically for legends like Gary Laughlin, Jim Hall, and Carroll Shelby, granted. But underneath that exquisite Italian exterior lies the beating heart of a fuel-injected 283 sat on a production frame. And if you had the money and connections, you could feasibly contract Chevrolet to give you a bare frame and Scaglietti to build you a body, like what Laughlin did. That makes the Scaglietti Corvette among the rarest (and certainly most expensive) ever produced.

1969 Corvette ZL1: Two Sold To The Public

This final model represents the pinnacle of rarity. It's not the most expensive, nor is it the oddest-looking. But in terms of what you could go into a dealership, order, and walk out with, nothing beats the 1971 ZR2's older brother — the 1969 ZL1 . Its rather innocuous (for a 'Vette) exterior hides a very, very dirty secret indeed: A grossly-underrated aluminum-block variant of the L88 427 big-block. This engine produced a quoted 430 horsepower, five less than the top-rated L71 427.

Moreover, Chevrolet promoted the ZL1 RPO code exclusively for “off-road usage,” suggesting their underlying intentions. Similar to how the 1968 Hemi Hurst Barracuda and Dart were positioned, Chevy did not plan for the ZL1 to be used on regular roads; instead, it was meant strictly for racing purposes but installed within a street-legal frame. The high cost further discouraged potential buyers: an astounding $4,718.35 added onto additional mandatory components — excluding the basic model’s starting price of $4,781. Essentially, customers would have to pay double what they'd spend on a Corvette yet receive a vehicle without essential features such as power steering, heating systems, or radios, and limited to using specialized fuel types designed specifically for races.

When discussing collector Corvettes, none stand more rare than these. According to General Motors' official documentation, only two such vehicles have been recorded as being sold. Nonetheless, estimates suggest that the actual count of 1969 ZL1 Corvettes might be significantly higher, ranging from seven up to an astonishing 94 examples equipped this way. The narrative surrounding them echoes numerous legendary stories from back then; since L88 engines weren’t exceptionally scarce, swapping one wasn't overly complex. Moreover, because race-oriented ZL1 models didn’t go through dealership channels for sale, tracking down accurate information becomes increasingly difficult over time.

Nevertheless, there is one clear figure: precisely two were made available to the public. Both of these vehicles, multimillion-dollar Corvettes, have been documented. Although a rumored the third appears occasionally , it's typically acknowledged that the known pair is expected to stay one of the most uncommon production Corvettes ever produced.

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