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By Zach Doell

The year is 1956, and GM design boss Harley Earl has a dilemma – a Ferrari, namely his son’s car. Harley’s son Jerry Earl could be seen racing his Prancing Horse on weekends, which was something that we doubt went over well with General Motors’ top brass. But the senior Earl had an idea.
He told Jerry to sell the Ferrari, and with the backing of GM behind him, Earl and his team set out to build Jerry the very first official Corvette racecar – the SR-2 Sebring Racer. And this is it.
RELATED: See more photos of this 1956 Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer

Expectedly, the build process on this car differed quite a lot from your average C1 Corvette. The lucky Corvette chassis was plucked from the St. Louis plant’s assembly line and traveled straight to GM’s styling offices in Warren, Michigan, where it was extensively modified for racing. A team of 17 engineers overhauled the Corvette’s chassis, added heavy duty brake and suspension components, and Halibrand racing wheels. Other notable unique touches include the parking lamp cold air intakes and a striking rear fin (originally a smaller unit), used for stabilization.
On June 13, the car was finished, and made its racing debut at Road America a short 10 days later, as such, becoming the very first GM sponsored ‘Vette race car. Jerry Earl continued to campaign the car through 1957, adding a more powerful 331-horsepower engine that winter, along with an improved four-speed gearbox, larger rear fin, and lightweight Porsche racing seat. It apparently worked quite well.



The car exchanged hands a number of times over the years, which included time spent with SCCA champion Jim Jeffords, Chevrolet dealer and racer Bud Gates, and the car’s current private collector, who has raced it in vintage events for the past two decades. Need it in your life? According to duPont Registry, Corvette Mike is offering this rare sports car for sale and will display the car next week during the Scottsdale auction festivities.