1971 Chevrolet Corvette 454 ZR2 T-Top Coupe
- Engine
- 454 ci (7.4L) LS6 OHV V8, single four-barrel carburetor, 425 bhp at 5,600 rpm
- Colour
- Classic White over black vinyl
A 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 coupe, one of only twelve examples fitted with the racing-oriented ZR2 package and one of two in coupe form. Ordered new by Oklahoma road racer Anatoly 'Toly' Arutunoff specifically for the 1971 Targa Florio, the car was disqualified at scrutineering due to the absence of a required roll bar and subsequently sold to intended co-driver Charles Lucas on the spot. It has resided in the United Kingdom ever since, accumulating a well-documented ownership history and later winning a class Judges' Choice award at a Corvette Club UK concours event.
Ownership
- 2023-01-27Auction saleSold US$197,500
- 1971 → 1971Factory deliveryAnatoly 'Toly' Arutunofffull documentation
Ordered new through a dealer in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with the ZR2 package specifically for competing in the Targa Florio; sold the car on-site in Italy after it failed pre-race scrutineering.
- 1971 → 1973Private saleCharles Lucaspartial documentation
Purchased directly from Arutunoff in Italy; car suffered a blown head gasket during transit to the UK and was registered there on 6 August 1971.
- 1973 →Private saleJohn Perrypartial documentation
Acquired from Lucas; subsequently sold the car through City Motors in Newark-on-Trent.
- → 1975Private saleCity Motors Newark-on-Trentpartial documentation
Dealership that acted as intermediary between Perry and the next private owner.
- 1975-12-17 → 1977Private saleMalcolm 'Mal' Bishopfull documentation
Sheffield-based classic car dealer who paid £2,400; sold when he received an offer he found impossible to decline, but later sought to reacquire the car.
- 1977 → 1987-04-01Private saleDonald Simspartial documentation
Deep-sea diver from Leicestershire who kept the car for roughly a decade before family circumstances required him to part with it.
- 1987-04-01 →Private saleMalcolm 'Mal' Bishopfull documentation
Reacquired the car after persistent efforts; maintained it diligently, corresponded with all prior owners to document its history, and kept a comprehensive service file; the car passed to his estate after his death.
Competition
- 1971Targa Florio1971 Targa FlorioDriver: Anatoly 'Toly' ArutunoffDNS — failed scrutineering
Regulation changes mandating a roll bar caused the car to be rejected at pre-race inspection; Charles Lucas had been lined up as co-driver but the entry never started.
- —Corvettes at the Lakes showJudge's Choice — 1968-72 C3 class
Exhibited at the Corvette Club UK annual show following the most recent owner's passing; won the judges' award in its class.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1971Repair
Head gasket failure sustained during transit through southern Italy on the way to the United Kingdom, repaired before the car was registered in Britain.
Damage occurred after the car was excluded from the Targa Florio and was being driven north toward the UK.
- —Service
Ongoing routine maintenance carried out during Malcolm Bishop's second period of ownership, evidenced by a collection of invoices retained in the car's history file.
Servicing history assembled as part of a broader documentation effort by Bishop, who also gathered written accounts from previous owners.
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