Callaway has built a firm reputation for producing some of the most sophisticated and advanced Corvette-based automobiles. Introduced in 1998, Callaway’s C12 continued this proud legacy. Designed, developed and constructed by two top German engineering and development companies, Callaway and IVM, the C12 was intended as a bespoke, high-performance car that offered its occupants a civilized interior and relaxed ride.
The European versions of the C12 were built in Bad Friedrichshall by IVM and were marketed as the IVM C12. The European version of the car was offered as a Coupe, Hardtop and a Cabriolet. The car was so different from its Corvette origins that the C12’s produced in Europe were actually titled as Callaways, not Chevrolets.
The Callaway C12 serial number is the same as a standard production Corvette, but the C12 is in no way standard. With aerodynamic bodywork fabricated from fiberglass, carbon fiber and Kevlar, an all-aluminum 440 horsepower LS V-8 engine, heavily revised suspension, enormous disc brakes and a thoughtfully upgraded interior, the Callaway C12 is a custom-built American supercar.
In total, just 20 cars were produced – and no C12 was built so much as it was custom assembled to the specific desires of those placing the order. Each of the U.S. based Callaways sold for approximately $200,000. They are still coveted by leading car collectors worldwide.
