There’s a list of very important people tied to the Chevrolet Corvette’s history. Whether we’re talking about longtime chief engineer Tadge Juechter or the NASA Apollo Program astronauts, some folks are inextricably linked to the American sports car. You could argue that none were as crucial, though, as Zora Arkus-Duntov. The Father of the Corvette was responsible for some of the model’s biggest moments, and now, his personal 1974 Stingray has been preserved by the National Corvette Museum through a years-long effort.
Arkus-Duntov purchased the C3 new, just one year before departing from General Motors. It’s a three-speed automatic 454 car with power steering, power brakes, aluminum wheels, and air conditioning. Originally, the ‘Vette was silver, but it was later repainted green before being refinished in its current two-tone blue livery. There are a few other slight personal touches, like the initials “ZAD” hand-painted on the doors.
The National Corvette Museum’s Collections and Preservation wing undertook a big-time project to keep the car in the state you see. Rather than restoring it in the traditional sense, they separated the body from the chassis to clean, stabilize, and preserve every little part. Great pains were taken to ensure that all of the Bowtie’s character stayed intact, like the worn leather armrest on the driver’s door from Arkus-Duntov’s left arm. Ever a driver, that fella.
Take a closer look and you’ll notice some other special details about this particular Corvette. The wheels you see fitted here didn’t become available to the public until 1976, as these were just prototypes at the time Arkus-Duntov purchased the Stingray. There’s also a console-mounted Holley controller to toggle the fuel mixture between rich and lean.
Amazingly enough, this is the only Corvette that Arkus-Duntov ever owned. He drove it for years before selling it in 1989, though it was donated to the NCM in his honor after he passed away in 1996. (Crazy fact: His body was actually laid to rest at the NCM, too.)
This car will be the focal point of the museum’s Corvette Hall of Fame exhibition gallery, which opens August 28 in celebration of the facility’s 31st anniversary. It’s also the first in a run of similar projects, as the NCM launches a new wave of in-depth preservation jobs to keep the greatest Corvettes in order for years to come. That’s big, considering just how much work went into the Zora car.
Here’s a big ol’ gallery for you to flip through. What a beaut.
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