1963 Pininfarina-penned 'Vette to be sold

[Flybrian]

Rare Pininfarina Corvette Heading for Barrett-Jackson

Link to Original Article @ CorvetteBlogger

We are about 100 days out from January's Barrett-Jackson's Collector Car auction in Scottsdale, Arizona and details are beginning to emerge about some of the "talent" that will be hitting the auction block. Corvettes are always well represented and that should remain the case despite plans to cut back the number of vehicles from around 1,200 to 1,000.

One of the cars expected at January's event is this one-of-a-kind 1963 Rondine Corvette, a car that was hand-built by renowned Italian coach builder Pininfarina for the 1963 Paris Auto Show. Built on the newly introduced 1963 Corvette chassis, this steel-bodied car contained many styling cues that showed up later in the Fiat 124 Spyder.

The Corvette has remained in the hands of Painifarina since its introduction and has been displayed at various events including the 2005 Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este as part of the coachbuilder's 75th anniversary.

Barrett-Jackson's CEO Craig Jackson declined to estimate the value of the Rondine Corvette, other than to say it is worth "lots". "Two bidders will determine that," he said. "It's an American in an Italian suit" is how Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson's President described the Corvette.

Whatever the final gavel price may be, Corvette fans following the auction will be sure to do a double-take when this gem is introduced.

[balthazar]

This thing is a plucked chicken compared to the iconic C2. It's not quite ugly (actually, IMHO; it is)- it just doesn't have any fluidity or cohesiveness- the smooth, gradual radiuses of the body mixed with the sharp-edged RR quarters and the Stude Cruiser taillights.... it doesn't work. It's highly European in an era when being that struggled to approach 2nd best. Prediction: $500,000K

[loki]

not quite a looker, but if it flew by you on the highway you'd stare, but it's not ugly either.

[toesuf94]

Italian bodied Americans have not fared well at B-J...I would say somewhere in the $350,000-475,000 range. And mentioning styling cues from the Fiat 124 is not going to help. It has no American show heritage, nor the appeal of the C2 Corvette ( to me. )

Kind of a different car though.

[Sixty8panther]

I'd take any old beat up '63 split-window coupe over this!

[toesuf94]

I'd take any old beat up '63 split-window coupe over this!

You sure? They do have a B-pillar!!!! And I guess the split would be a D-pillar??? Edited October 4, 2007 by toesuf94

[balthazar]

Well, the '60s vette is a coupe, not a hardtop. I believe technically it has an A-Pillar & a C-Pillar.

The 'split' would not enter into it.

[Camino LS6]

I'd like to see a pic of the front.