Corvette Curiosity
This last Corvette was a lucky find. Slot cars have become very sophisticated in recent years and some are so nice that they are collectable in their own right. This 1:32 scale 1968 Corvette Coupe is an excellent example and represents a real car with a fascinating history I found by chance and would make an article in its own right. Suffice to say, it was a factory-built lightweight with a 560bhp, 427cu in OHV L88 V8 engine and four-speed M22 Rock-Crusher manual transmission. After successful racing it was sold to the Race Engineering & Development (RED) team in 1971.
It happened that an American extension of Ferrari’s racing programme, the North American Racing Team (NART) had a spare entry for the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hour Race. Pressure from sponsor Goodyear enabled the Corvette to compete, as long as it wore Ferrari red colours and emblems. The car was suitably repainted with the famous horse badge. A crash in practice severely damaged the nose, which was gaffer taped back together. At the last moment, sponsor TWA backed out, and BP stepped in. As a result, the TWA logos were stickered over.
Remarkably, despite the damage, the Corvette finished 15th overall and seventh in class, the fastest Corvette fielded. It continued to race for several years, being eventually restored to its pseudo-Ferrari livery and appearing in the 2015 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it took part in the L88 Race Car special class. It was later auctioned by RM/Sotheby’s with an estimate of between $1.4m to $2m. Details can be found here: https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ mo15/monterey/lots/r206-1968-chevroletcorvette-l88-rednart-le-mans/180640.
The Scalextric version faithfully replicates the Corvette as raced at Le Mans, complete with the Ferrari decals on the doors and the BP logos half obscuring the TWA double ovals. It has clear covers over the lights, Cibie auxiliary spotlights, side exhausts and a driver figure encased in a sturdy roll cage. A fitting tribute to an unusual race car. Prices from £35 to £40.