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| Back Story to 1970 Corvette GT Victory | |
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|  | | June 10 2008 07:17:17 PM EST | |
| In 1968 Bob Lutz was the Promotions Manager for GM of Europe. Henri Greder was a French race car driver noted for almost winning the 1963 Tour de France in a Ford Galaxie powered by a big 427cu V8. Together both saw the exciting potential of Corvette L88's powerful, low-revving V8 at endurance venues like Le Mans.
Lutz and Greder chose Scuderi Filipinetti, the Swiss racing team of experience [most notably with Ferrari], to race the Corvettes.
A call to Zora, who fitted the L88 427 monster with extra tall 2.56 rear gears, and 191 mph instantly appeared on the speedo down Mulsanne. 2 mighty L88's, #3 and #4, made their way to the grid. Greder and Umberto Maglioli dominated the GT class until engine problems caused a 6th hour retirement. Might have been the fact they had to 'engine brake' to slow the inertia-enhanced, but brake-deprived, Corvette properly. The Sylvain Garant / Jean-Michel Giorgi team car lasted 14 hours until they crashed.
1969 was no luckier and Filipinetti moved on to field more Ferrari prototypes.
Cut to 1970. Two Corvettes were sold directly to Greder who resold one to Jean-Claude Aubriet, aka the "Ecurie Leopard" white #1 with the black hood. Greder's car was the yellow #2 and both were entered at Le Mans. Greder finished 1st in the GT 5000+ category! He repeated the victory in 1973, this time with the team finishing 1st AND 2nd in GT.
Co-driver in the 1973 win was female sensation Marie-Claude 'Beaumont' Charmassont, who had been driving for Greder since 1971, when she debuted as the 1st women at Le Mans since 1951.
Greder fielded his L88 at Le Mans for the next 6 years. In fact, it was THE SAME Corvette - A Le Mans record unequalled in La Sarthe history.
.......anyway, more Corvette destiny awaits... |
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