Twas the Night Before Christmas - Corvette Style - Description ...

The new appearance package celebrates the performance heritage of founder Louis Chevrolet and the
100-year anniversary of the company founded by the early automotive racing pioneer. The Centennial
Edition comes exclusively in Carbon Flash Metallic, a black color with metallic flake. Satin Black
graphics of Louis Chevrolet and the “100″ are displayed throughout the car. The black wheels are
lightweight cast-spun aluminum and include a thin red line around the perimeter. Magnetic Selective
Ride Control is included on all Centennial Edition Corvettes.
Inside the Corvette Centennial Editions, you‟ll see an Ebony leather-wrapped instrument panel and
doors with complimentary red stitching on the steering wheel, seats, console and shifter. Microfiber suede
accents are on the seating surfaces, steering wheel, shifter and armrests. The crossed-flags logo also sees a
change with “100″ in place of the traditional fleur-de-lis symbol.
1965 396 L78 Corvette – The First Big-Block Corvette
Were it not for NASCAR Chevys trailing behind nearly
everyone in the early ‟60s, there may never have been a
big-block Corvette. Fuelie Corvettes were doing very sell
in SCCA sports car racing, but the NASCAR Chevys
where in trouble. While GM was officially not racing in
the late ‟50s and early ‟60s, Duntov and a few other
Chevy engineers kept select Chevy racers supplied
heavy-duty specialty parts for field testing. Engineers
tried to help with the Z11 Impala option that made a 427
out of the 409 truck motor. The car performed well as a
drag racer, but wasn‟t a competitive stock car racer.
In the Summer of ‟62, Chevy engineer Dick Keinath was
tasked to design the next generation big-block Chevy engine. Since the 348/409 was called the Mark I, the
new engine was named, Mark II. The new block was based on the thick bottom end design of the 348/409
for low end strength, and new free-breathing heads.
Over in the Corvette camp, Duntov was making jaws drop at the GM test track with his CERV I and in
June got approval from Chevy general manager, Bunkie Knudsen for the CERV II. A few days later,
GM‟s president, Frederick Donner ordered the project stopped. Days later, Knudsen approving Duntov‟s
Grand Sport proposal. By the end of the year, Donner had had it! On January 21, 1963, lightning bolts
fell from upon high. “Thou shall not race GM cars!” Thus ended Chevrolet‟s direct involvement with the
racing.
Meanwhile, the Mark II was ready for some NASCAR field testing, so Smokey Yunick, the perfect backdoor
privateer racer, was called upon. With Johnny Rutherford at the wheel of Yunick‟s 427 ‟63 Impala,
the car set the fastest speed of the month and a world‟s record for a closed-course at a then-blistering
165.183-MPH! Yunick guestimated that the Mark II was pulling at least 500-HP and everyone could tell
that was no ordinary Chevy and Also, Duntov loaned a Mark II prototype to Micket Thompson to install
into a ;63 Z06 for some road racing field testing. The legend of the “Chevy Mystery Motor” was born
Aware of the GM ban on racing, the press was left to speculate the fate of the Mystery Motor. The
following March at a press conference, Donner was asked about that fast Chevy that was raced at
Daytona the month before. Donner replied that he didn‟t know anything about it. Seriously embarrassed,
Donner was determined to forbid GM‟s direct involvement in racing.