Yes, it is indeed an ugly duckling. In some photos from back in the day, the seams in front of the windshield are covered with duct tape in an effort to make it more aerodynamic..\ Uglier still! :-). And of course, as pictured here, it’s been partially restored. When Duntov was through with it, it was chipped and scarred. Today’s collectors would have left it alone, but when this car was first found, restoration was the order of the day. Fortunately, the cockpit has not been restored, and the red leather seat is still worn and cracked.
Paul > On Nov 22, 2016, at 5:56 PM, Gonz <[email protected]> wrote: > > Excellent pic, very sharp and great angle(s) > > The car on the other hand, is kind of an ugly duckling with that > asymmetrical fin in the back. It's in absolutely amazing condition > though. > > > On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 4:45 PM, Paul Stenquist <[email protected]> wrote: >> Zora Arkus Duntov escaped Hitler and advancing Nazi troops in 1940 by hiding >> in a Paris bordello. He somehow obtained Spanish visas and escaped to the >> U.S. on a Portuguese ship. He formed the Ardun company in the U.S. and built >> overhead-valve hemi-head conversions for Ford flatheads that elevated the >> Ford engine to a world-class contender. After seeing the Corvette, which was >> powered by GM’s anemic I-6 engine at the NY auto show, he wrote to GM and >> told them he could fix it. He did, using one of the many unsold ’54 Vettes >> to refine a powertrain. In this car, which was originally available only >> with the I6, he clocked 163 mph at GM’s Arizona proving grounds. Under the >> hood was a modified version of Chevy’s new V8. Much of the tuning technology >> that made the car so potent would be adapted for production within a year or >> two. Duntov’s work saved Corvette. >> >> Today, this car is part of the Lingenfelter Collection in Michigan. >> Lingenfelter owns 65 Corvettes, many of them milestones for the brand. I >> shot the Duntov Mule just after dawn in the parking lot outside >> Lingenfelter’s museum-like garage. Note the minimal windscreen, the tonneau >> cover over much of the cockpit, and Jaguaresque tail fin, which was meant to >> improve high speed stability. The shoot was for Hagerty publications, and >> hasn’t appeared yet, so please don’t pass them along. >> >> http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18313232&size=lg >> http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18313231&size=lg >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. > > > > -- > -- Reduce your Government Footprint > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
