- GM gifted this 1974 Corvette to Zora Arkus-Duntov as a retirement present.
- A close friend of Zora later repainted the car in a two-tone blue finish.
- The National Corvette Museum has comprehensively restored the car.
Next month, one of the most historically significant Corvettes ever built will take center stage during the 31st anniversary celebration of the National Corvette Museum. It’s not a special edition, nor does it feature record-breaking horsepower or a one-off design. What sets this 1974 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray apart is its owner.
This is the only Corvette ever personally owned by Zora Arkus-Duntov, the legendary engineer widely known as the “Father of the Corvette.”
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Zora received the car as a retirement gift from Chevrolet, and in recent years, it has undergone a full restoration. It’s now set to be the highlight of a new Corvette Hall of Fame exhibition and is easily among the most historically valuable Corvettes of its era.
Currently, the car has an eye-catching two-tone blue paint finish, but it didn’t always look this way. It was originally presented to Zora painted in silver, but was then resprayed in green. Zora then had a friend repaint the car in the current two-tone blue shade, complete with his initials ‘ZAD’ on the doors.
The National Corvette Museum’s Collections and Preservation team has been delicately returning the car to its former glory, completing a thorough restoration. This has seen the body separated from the chassis, allowing for the frame, suspension, and underbody to be cleaned and restored.
Photos Corvette Museum
The original 454 cubic-inch V8 has also been stripped and rebuilt, while keeping the original automatic transmission. The museum’s team has been so eager to retain the car’s originality, it preserved the original driver’s side armrest, which is gently worn away by Zora as he rested his elbow on it.
“This car represents Corvette history in its purest form,” said Robert Maxhimer from the National Corvette Museum. “Preserving Zora’s personal Corvette is the first of many in-depth preservation projects that will ensure our collection lasts for generations.”
