While we enthusiasts eagerly await the next special variant with Zora’s name, our National Corvette Museum has been busy with a piece of Zora history. A piece, singular, significant for more than just the man’s name. Did you know the legendary father of our iconic brand only personally owned ONE Corvette? The man who is credited for compelling GM to shoehorn the first V8 into the Corvette in 1955 technically owned only one Corvette. While this feature is about the car, it would be a disservice not to tap into CorvSport’s vast archives to give you a glimpse of what made Zora Arkus-Duntov so special. Then, after that, we will dive into the “The Only One.” [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. If/when any pop-ups occur, please click to make them disappear and continue enjoying the article. One requires two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
What’s Inside CorvSport’s Coverage Of “The Only One”:
- Profiling Greatness: Get to know Zora Arkus-Duntov better
- Meet “The Only One”
- Full Photo Gallery
- Facebook Fun: Join the conversation on NCM’s FB post
- Ground Zero: Featured video from the NCM
Profiling Greatness: Zora Arkus-Duntov
(Published by CorvSport’s Josh Boyd)
“Though it is certainly difficult to imagine today, some 65 years ago, the Corvette was well on its way to being discontinued after only two years of production. Upon its release, the Corvette rode an initial wave of popularity that died as quickly as it began. By 1954, critics were relatively unamused with the American sports car’s not so sporty performance. At the heart of the Corvette was the “Blue Flame,” an anemic inline-six powerplant that did well to muster 150 horsepower.
The public’s relative disinterest came as little surprise to then assistant staff engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov. After all, Duntov had pointed out the Corvette’s less than impressive performance attributes a year earlier, in the very letter to Chevrolet Chief Engineer, Ed Cole, that left a sizable enough impression to warrant his immediate hiring. It should likely have come as no surprise then that Duntov would go on to pen a second memo only two years later, titled “Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders, and Chevrolet.”
In this memo, Duntov outlined his ideology that the Corvette must exude performance appeal, in order to find favor with consumers of a younger age demographic. Top Chevrolet brass took note, and the Corvette became the benefactor of an optional 195 horsepower 265 cubic-inch, small-block V8. This addition has more often than not, been cited as the Corvette’s saving grace…” Continue Reading or Save For Later
Meet “The Only One”
The story surrounding this iconic 1974 Stingray is as interesting as the man himself, and the long and arduous project of restoring Zora’s only Corvette will be coming to an end soon. Zora acquired this piece of Corvette history after his retirement in 1975, and it’s reported that he drove her for years before selling the Stingray in 1989. After his passing in 1996, it was donated to the National Corvette Museum in his honor.
Let’s get to know this 1974 Stingray better:
- Reported to be a “fully-loaded” Stingray and is equipped with the 454ci big block.
- It had prototype wheels that didn’t see production until 1976.
- Initially finished in Dark Green, Zora later commissioned the custom two-tone paint, which included his initials lettered on the doors.
- During the extensive restoration, the frame was stripped to bare metal, rust was cut out with fresh metal welded in, and then the frame was coated with anti-rust sealant.
- The suspension was completely restored.
- The 454ci big block was removed and rebuilt and has been recently reinstalled.
This amazing restoration is scheduled to be completed in August. If you’d like to see the car in progress, it will be on display during the annual National Corvette Museum Bash on April 24–26 as part of the Artifact Pitstop exhibit.
Photo Gallery
Join In On The Facebook Fun
This recent post from the National Corvette Museum is getting lots of action, and you can click on the F in the top right corner of the post to join in on the conversation.
- 804+ Reactions
- 59+ Comments
- 82+ Shares
Ground Zero: Featured Video
We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of “The Only One,” and thanks for joining CorvSport today! Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to see more of my features.
Additional Sources:
