1964 Chevrolet Corvette 327/365 Coupe Race Car

327ci OHV V8 Engine
Single 4-Barrel Holley Carburetor
365bhp at 3,200rpm
4-Speed Muncie Manual Transmission
Independent Front with Independent Transverse Leaf Spring Rear Suspension
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*Raced extensively from-new by legendary Canadian privateer racer Laurie Craig
*Driven in-period by Stirling Moss and Ken Miles
*Well-known history documented extensively by present owners
*A genuine period racing Corvette, eligible with further preparation for numerous events worldwide

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

This extraordinary Corvette was completed on September 19, 1963, and shipped four days later to original selling dealer Dueck on Broadway, Ltd., a highly noted Chevrolet salesroom in Vancouver, British Columbia. As-new it was equipped with the most potent available small-block V-8, the L76 327 with 365bhp, and finished in the ever-popular color code no. 923, Riverside Red.

The car was purchased by highly successful privateer racer Laurie Craig, who victoriously campaigned the car extensively throughout Canada between 1964 and 1966. His career in the Corvette included numerous hillclimbs and many laps at the famed Westwood Racing Circuit, the first purpose-built road racing course in North America. Revered racing legend Stirling Moss had a hand in the design of Westwood, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the circuit's opening, and was, as it happened, an old friend of Mr. Craig's. As confirmed in documentation provided by Sir Stirling and Mr. Craig, he drove this Corvette at Westwood in 1965. Mr. Craig later confirmed to the consignor, prior to his passing in 2021, that another of his famous associates, Ken Miles, drove the Corvette around Westwood, as well, in March 1966.

This was no machine for mere parade laps, however. In the still-stock Corvette, Mr. Craig won multiple heralded events, including being the overall winner of the 1966 Westwood Player's Pacific Championship Series, later named Formula Atlantic Racing Series, which played a major role in helping him secure professional sponsorship for his future racing endeavors. As author, competitor, and racing historian Tom Johnston noted, because of the Player's Series transformation into the Formula Atlantic series in later years, "Craig's victory puts him in the same category of drivers like the legendary Gilles Villeneuve" – and he did it in a showroom-stock car. Wade Carter, Jr., recalls his father racing against Mr. Craig in a Porsche 904 – and Mr. Craig won, which will be something of a surprise to those who knew the senior Carter's prowess. Reportedly the Corvette still holds hill- and mountain-climb records today. A complete list of its racing history is available in the history file for review.

At the end of 1966, the new Z/28 Camaro became available, and Mr. Craig traded the Corvette in at a sponsor's dealership, Mander Chevrolet, ending the car's highly successful career with its original owner. He continued to race for many years, culminating with his successful re-entry at 55 years of age into the 1988-89 GM Players Challenge series, but always fondly recalled the 1964 Corvette, remembering it as being "the best racing car I ever owned." In fact, he is said to have often wondered what happened to his former mount after it had been traded in. The answer was that the car changed hands through no fewer than 15 owners before finding its way into the hands of the consignor, who after buying the Corvette in September 2012, diligently worked back through each owner over a period of three years until finally locating Mr. Craig in January 2015. The original owner confirmed the car's VIN and thus finally no longer wondered what had happened to his old race car, now reincarnated after more than forty years.

Extensively documented and beautifully presented, the Corvette had a replacement four-speed Muncie transmission fitted in 1967, and was later restored in 1978 with Fuel Injection badges added to the flanks. The present engine is a 1962 327ci V-8, rebuilt in 1996 with 20,000 miles since completion of that work. Otherwise the car is cosmetically much as it was raced so many years ago, having been finished in the original Riverside Red color with Mr. Craig's number, 220, on the doors. It is also still a winner, having received an award as the Best Original car at the 2017 Westwood 50th Reunion Memorial Race at Mission Racing Circuit – obviously a very meaningful honor for this Corvette! Mr. Craig autographed the glove-box door, underlining the connection between car and man.

Included with the sale is the extensive history file, documenting the car's competition and ownership history with a GM Vintage Vehicle Manufacturing Certification, a letter from Corvette historian David Burroughs, and correspondence from Laurie Craig and Sir Stirling Moss. Further, the Corvette is accompanied by Mr. Craig's original owner's and service manuals, owner's Corvette pin, associated vintage racing programs from Mr. Craig's career, decals, patches, signed photographs, and official archived racing film/videos. The car is offered with a spare rebuilt original 1964 Corvette Super High Performance 327 engine with block no. 3782870, front ID pad no. F1017RF, and VIN no. code 4103393, cast October 13, 1963, and set up with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor as for the 365hp specification. Additional information on this engine and its specifications are also available in the history file.

This would be a superb Corvette to return, properly prepared, to the vintage racing circuit, as a genuine period competition car now eligible for so many events worldwide – in remembrance of its highly skilled original owner and driver, Laurie Craig, the man who first piloted it to victory.