Dan Long Talks About Superformance & The 1963 Corvette Grand Sport

Vettes of Atlanta Magazine

The 1963 Grand Sport is the stuff of legend among the Corvette faithful.

The year was 1962, and Corvette's Chief Engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, was tired of losing. Chevrolet had been getting its backside kicked by Carroll Shelby and his Ford Cobras on road courses.

At this point, Zora had enough, so he began secretly developing a lightweight race car to win the upcoming Sebring and Le Mans events. But Chevy's boardroom got wind of it and quickly put the kibosh to production.

Fortunately, five of the Grand Sports were already completed and out the door before the project shutdown order was given. In the hands of renowned drivers like Roger Penske and Jim Hall, these five special Grand Sports dominated the competition from 1963 to 1967.

Fast-forward to today, and these historic track cars easily fetch high seven figures when they come to market. So, what do you do if you want to experience this legendary track beast?

This is where Superformance and its American distributor, Downforce Motorsports, enter the story. Superformance produces a complete rolling chassis replica of the much-sought-after 1963 Grand Sport.

Needless to say, we were excited to talk with Dan Long, owner of Downforce Motorsports, to learn more about the famous Corvette and his other replica offerings.