$18.7 Million: Meet the Most Expensive Chevrolet Corvette in History (7 Photos)
A 1963 Grand Sport Coupe has become the most expensive Chevrolet Corvette ever sold at public auction, fetching a staggering $18,705,000. The winning bid nearly quintupled the previous record and blew past auctioneers' estimates by more than $5 million. The astronomical price tag reflects both the car's immense historic significance and its exceptional condition. 
The Grand Sport project was spearheaded in the early 1960s by Zora Arkus-Duntov, the legendary "Father of the Corvette." He set out to build a world-class race car capable of going toe-to-toe with the Shelby Cobra and Ferrari 250, but top brass at GM refused to back the effort. Operating virtually under the radar, Duntov built just five cars—three coupes and two roadsters—and this was one of those legendary coupes going under the hammer.
While the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport bears a passing resemblance to the production C2 Corvette on the outside, it is a completely different beast under the skin. Built around a lightweight tubular space frame, the body was crafted from fiberglass and aluminum, with light alloys used throughout key components to shave off every possible pound. Duntov’s team also re-engineered the suspension geometry and dropped in a high-output V8.
Because GM had officially pulled out of major motorsport competitions at the time, these Corvettes were fielded by privateer teams, and the lack of factory backing severely curtailed their racing schedule. Notably, the Grand Sport missed Daytona, though it did clash with Carroll Shelby's entries at the 12 Hours of Sebring. By 1965, Duntov was forced to sell off all five cars. The seller, who acquired this rare gem in 2003, is only its third owner and spent roughly $1 million on a painstaking restoration to return the Grand Sport to its original factory specifications. 
