Not that you really need any further proof that Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina has penned some of the most attractive cars in the world, but here’s another example of the fine work the company has produced over the years. It’s the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Speciale “Rondine” (Ron-di-nay) Concept built by Pininfarina for the Paris Auto Show of the same year.
Penned by Tom Tjaarda while he was employed at Pininfarina, the one-off model brings together sleek Italian design with raw American power. The car was based on the 1963 Corvette C2 Chassis with power coming from a 327ci (5.4-liter) Fuel Injected V8 pumping out 360 horsepower, linked to a 4-speed manual gearbox turning the rear wheels.
While Corvettes traditionally feature fiberglass bodies, the Rondine’s enchanting European style-suit was made from steel.
From its inception and up until 2008, the coupe was on display at the Pininfarina Museum in Italy, at which point, it was sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale (Arizona) auto auction for a cool (but utterly disappointing for those of us interested in the car) $1.76 million. Now, time has come for the current owner of the car at the Corvettes at Carlisle auction event later this summer (August 23 to 25) in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.
“I’m so VERY excited about having the only steel bodied Corvette ever produced to be showcased as part of Chip’s Choice at this year’s Corvettes at Carlisle weekend,” said event manager Lance Miller in a press statement. “GM commissioned this car through Italian based Pininfarina and it’s a must see! We’ve got the absolute ‘best- of-the-best ’63s’ for our attendees to enjoy seeing up close. Heck, I’m eager to see these amazing vehicles too,” he added.
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