The one-of-five '63 will cross the block in California via Canadian-headquartered RM Sotheby's, and could clear US$13 million
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In the end, despite obstacles erected by GM executives internally, Arkus-Duntov built five Corvette Grand Sports, including three coupes. The cars were tested and honed on the track, and in their final evolutions were fitted with tried-and-tested iron-block 377-cube V8s topped by four-carb cross-ram intakes, and good for roughly 600 horsepower.
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The Grand Sport racked up wins in its SCCA C-Modified class through 1963, and in December of that year succeeded in trouncing the Cobra and securing victory at the 252-mile Nassau Trophy race in the Bahamas. Chevrolet execs officially put the kibosh on Corvette racing directly after, though the cars continued to compete under private ownership.
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1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport chassis 003, auctioned by RM Sotheby’s in August 2026 Photo by Genau AutoWerks Ingo Schmoldt /RM Sotheby'sArticle content
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Grand Sport chassis 003, the car set for auction this weekend in Monterey, California via Ontario, Canada-headquartered RM Sotheby’s, and the first of the three coupes engineered by Arkus-Duntov, built up an impeccable motorsports pedigree and was retired largely unchanged from its factory specifications. It entered the hands of a noted collector in 1975, and had its bodywork carefully restored; it then found its second owner in 1989; and finally was purchased by its present caretaker in 2003, and treated to a meticulous restoration of some 4,000-plus man-hours.
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The record for most expensive Corvette sold was just broken some 18 months ago, by another racing prototype engineered by Arkus-Duntov; that car, the ’57 SS, hammered for US$7.7 million (CDN$11 million). It’s estimated the Grand Sport could gap that number by a sizable sum, if it indeed ends up selling for US$11 million (CDN$15 million) or more. We’ll update this story with its final sale price in a few days.
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Nicholas has been part of the Driving.ca team since 2018, and writes specifically about classic cars – like his first and currently only car, his 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp – whenever possible, though he also enjoys exploring vehicular history, automotive design, and car culture. His specific areas of focus include American cars of the 1930s, ’60s, and ’70s.
SummaryDriving.ca News and Features editor; and a Driving.ca contributor since 2018 Professional writer and editor for over 10 years, seeing publication in some of the most widely read outlets in Canada and the U.S. Specialties include classic-car profiles, automotive history, and stories exploring obscure Canadian car culture
EducationNicholas graduated from York University with a Bachelor’s in Professional Writing, and a minor in Philosophy. He also holds a Canadian Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL); and has been training to be a concours judge.
ExperienceNicholas started out writing news for Sympatico Autos (later renamed Autofocus) before eventually becoming that website’s chief editor. In 2018, he joined Driving.ca, and was not long after made the News and Features Editor. Nicholas has also contributed to the Toronto Star’s Wheels section; to Hagerty’s editorial efforts; and to an assortment of other publications. Nicholas has owned and maintained a 1971 Plymouth Valiant Scamp since 2012; and previously tinkered on a 1929 Ford Model A. He is a regular volunteer with the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Owen Sound, Ontario; and a frequent participant in Classic Car Adventures’ Maple Mille event in southern Ontario.
Major works by the authorNicholas loves exploring overlooked corners of Canadian car culture. For Sympatico Autos, he put together a deep-dive look at General Motors’ disastrous introduction of its European Firenza to the Canadian market; drafted an authoritative history of the built-in-Canada MCV CH4 supercar; and arranged the first wind-tunnel test of a 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona “aero warrior” available online. For Driving.ca, he’s profiled Chris Hadfield’s passion for first-generation Ford Thunderbirds; proven that pre-war cars, excepting the Chrysler Airflow, were more aerodynamic backwards than forwards; and unearthed the story of the Ferguson Super Sport, a one-off roadster built in Toronto in the 1960s.
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| 1 | [VIDEO] SOLD! 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Chassis 003 Sells for $18.7 Million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction | 0 | 8.66 | 16-08-2026 |
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