VIN 194378S410300

Car Year:	1968
Car's approximate birthday:	January 31, 1968
Owner:	Larry Bowman
City:	Redwood City
State:	California
Country:	United States
Car website	https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/photo/194378S410300.html
Purchase date:	08/21/2000
Status:	Current Owner
State:	Race Car
Exterior:	974 Rally Red	(10.21%)
Interior:	Other Color
Softtop:	Other Color
Wheels:	Other Color
Delivery Dealer Zone:	Unknown
Delivery Dealer Code:	Unknown
Options:	RPO	Option	Percentage Sold [%]	Sales Price [$]
	19437	Base Corvette Sport Coupe (BB 430hp)	34.78%	4,663.00
	A85	Custom Shoulder Belts (std with coupe)	36.01%	26.35
	F41	Special Front and Rear Suspension	6.15%	36.90
	G81	Positraction Rear Axle, all ratios	94.55%	46.35
	J50	Power Brakes	33.46%	42.15
	J56	Special Heavy Duty Brakes	0.28%	384.45
	L88	427ci, 430hp Engine	0.28%	947.90
	M22	4-Speed Manual Transmission, close ratio, heavy duty	0.28%	263.30
	Total		0.000000000000087% (1 Cars)	6,410.40
Factory job nr.:	Unknown
Export Car:	Swiss
Car history:
Generation: C3, Year: 1968, VIN: 194378S410300. Race Numbers: 3, 1, 71, 69. Ownership: Georges Filipinetti - Scuderia Filipinetti (1968-69); Jean-Claude Aubriet - Ecurie Leopard (1970-73); intervening owners under research; Kevin Mackay (19__ to 2000); Larry Bowman (2002 - present Sponsors: Scuderia Filipinetti / Georges Filipinetti Drivers: Henri Greder/Umberto Maglioli (1968) Henri Greder/Umberto Maglioli/Reine Wisell (1969); Jean-Claude Aubriet/Jacques Bourdon (1970); Jean-Claude Aubriet/Jean-Pierre Rouget(1971); Jean-Claude Aubriet/Sylvain Garant/Depnic (1972); Jean-Claude Aubriet/Depnic (1973). Status: restored and used in historic racing Original Color: red Tires/Wheels: 15 Goodyear Engine: RPO L88 Unique Characteristics: ran six conseutive years at LeMans (1968 to 1973) Modifications: FIA rules required near full interior and limited modifications to safety and fuel capacity. Notes/Race History: (VIN 194378S410300) Numbers: 3, 2, 1, 71, and 69. In 1968 Bob Lutz and Henri Greder convinced Swiss financier George Filipinetti to sponsor a two car team at LeMans. Two 1968 L88 Corvettes were purchased and entered for the first year. In 1968 Henri Greder and Umberto Maglioli dominated their class in car # 3 (VIN 194378S410300), until problems in the 6th hour of the race. The second team car (VIN 194378S408067) which ran as # 4 under Sylvain Garant and Jean-Michel Giorgi did not produce significant results (crash!). In 1969, Greder again drove the primary car (VIN 194378S410300) numbered as # 1, together with Umberto Maglioli and Reine Wisell (S). It lead the GT class up to the 16th hour. The second car was listed as an entry only. During 1969, the primary car won seven of eleven events in the Tour de France and was then sold to Jean-Claude Aubriet. Jean-Claude Aubriet ran the car under Ecurie Leopard. The car ran variously as # 1 (1970 and 1971), # 71 (1972), and # 69 (1973). Race history: 1968 LeMans 24 Hour Greder/Maglioli DNF. 1969 Lemans 24 Hour Greder/Wisell DNF (Gear selection). 1969 Magny Cours Greder 6th. 1969 Tour De France Greder/Vigneron 1st. 1970 LeMans 24 Hour Aubriet/Bourdon DNF. 1971 Lemans 24 Hour Aubriet /Rouget DNF. 1971 LeMans 3 Hour Aubriet /Sylvain 5th overall, 2nd in class. 1971 Spa-Francorchamps 1000 Kms Aubriet/Sylvain 16th overall, 1st in class. 1972 LeMans Aubriet /Depince/Rouget DNF. 1972 LeMans 4 Hour Aubriet/Rouget DNF. 1973 LeMans Aubriet/Depince 18th overall, 2nd in class. NOTE: Henri Greder ran the second car (VIN 194679S706401) for several more years with Jean-Pierre Rouget (1970) and Marie-Claude Beaumont (1971 to 1974). Looks like she's got a 454 motor now. Who knows what has happened to the original motor? The car was offered for sale on Saturday, August 15, 2009 by RM Auction. March 4, 2010. Chassis No. 194378S410300; Engine No. V8S410300; Engine: 6998cc (427 cu.in.) V8, pushrod operated overhead valves, 4-barrel carburetor, 500hp; Gearbox: M22 close ratio 4-speed; Suspension: front, independent by A-arms and coil springs; rear, independent 5-link with transverse leaf spring; Brakes: 4-wheel power assisted ventilated discs with 4-piston calipers En 1968, il y a plusieurs demandes d?engagement de Corvette pour les 24 Heures du Mans. Ainsi, l'une mane de Piggins Chevrolet qui peut tre considr comme un prete-nom de GM. En effet, Vince Piggins est l'un des responsable du dpartement haute performance de Chevrolet. Il est en outre charg d'assurer la promotion des produits Chevrolet via la comptition, mais de faon officieuse. Ayant une grande exprience de la comptition aux USA, via les succs de Hudson en Nascar, il a intgr Chevrolet et va tre en charge de dvelopper les produits haute performance. La Corvette modele 68 semble bien ne pour la comptition et le staff, dont Arkus Zora Duntov, vont envoyer une demande d'invitation pour les 24 Heures du Mans 68 au nom de Piggins. Deux autos sont prvues. Chevrolet ne veut pas paratre en reste vis vis de Ford, mais ne dispose pas de machines capable de s'imposer au gnral. La Corvette semble tre par contre une excellent arme dans la catgorie GT. Est-ce cause du report de l'preuve? les deux engagements ne vont pas tre accept par l'ACO, ou bien ils vont tre retirs, pour une raison qui pourrait tre Filipinetti. La mconnaissance de la spcificit des 24 heures du Mans, malgr la connaissance qu'en a Zora Arkus Duntov, ou bien l'indisponibilit de ces quipes suite au report de l'preuve en septembre, n'ont pas fait que des malheureux, car il semble bien que les engagements Piggins se soient transforms en engagement Filipinetti sous l'action conjugu de Bob Lutz, le directeur de la promotion de GM pour l'Europe, et d'Henri Greder, en rupture de contrat avec Ford et qui est pass la concurrence. Le 7 litres de la Corvette L88 semblent adapt au circuit du Mans, avec pour preuve les deux victoires Ford de 66 et 67. Un moteur coupleux souhait et qui est aussi bien adapt la longue ligne droite. Deux autos vont arriver directement de Dtroit avec toutes les spcifications comptition, qui vont bien. Zora Arkus Duntov a bien videmment supervis la prparation de ces deux chassis, dont 194378-S-410300 qui est destin Henri Greder et Jean-Claude Killy. L'autre auto, la #4, chassis 8067, est prvue pour Sylvain Garant (qui dlaisse sa Ferrari 275GTB) et Jean-Michel Giorgi. Il semble que Filipinetti comptait disposer de trois autos puisqu'une demande a t faite pour Herbert Mller et Jean Guichet. Ce dernier sera finalement au volant d'une Alpine, tandis que Herbert Muller sera au dpart sur ma 250LM Filipinetti ! En cette anne 1968, la concurrence en GT est pauvre : une Iso-Rivolta moteur Chevrolet, quatre Porsche 911, deux Alpine A110 qui ne jouent pas dans la meme classe de cylindre et une Ferrari 275GTB engage sous la bannire de l'curie Filipinetti ! Les Corvette n'taient pas prsentes pour les essais d'avril et elles sont donc les curiosits du pesage. Par contre, la dernire minute GM a oppos son vto la participation de Jean-Claude Killy qui est requis par son employeur pour d'autres oprations d'image. Et c'est le vtran Umberto Maglioli qui paulera Greder. Equipe d'un pont long, les Corvette ont une trs bonne vitesse de pointe qui tangente les 300 km/h et qui va permettre aux essais d'tre sous la barrire des 4mn. En 3.59 :8 la #3 se retrouve au 26me rang entre une GT40 et une Alpine A220. La #4 est au 30me rang. Elles sont bien videmment les GT les plus rapides. Mais le talon d'achille de ces monstres sont les freins...pas facile freiner les quasi 1T5 de ces autos. Ainsi Henri Greder est oblig de commencer freiner 500 metres aveant le virage de Mulsanne ! Au dbut de course Greder va laisser les Porsche les plus rapides passer devant, il faut durer. Il laissera le volant Wissell aprs un relai de 4 heures, en 22me position et en tete de la catgorie. Elle roule de concert jusqu' 20 heures avec la petite Chevron B8 BMW 2 litres #43. Wissell commence se plaindre de la commande de boite...Et Greder lors de son 2me relais va confirmer l'impression. La Porsche d'Egretaud va prendre l'avantage alors que le soleil se cache l'horizon. A la 8me heure, la Corvette n'est plus que 27me avec seulement 5 autos derriere elle. Les premiers rapports de la boite sont hors d'usage et ne pouvant plus trop se ralentir sur la boite, les freins deviennent de plus en plus mous. Greder y croit encore un peu en bataillant un peu avec les Porsche de pointe mais peu avant 6 heures du matin et lors de son 196me tour, la boite rend l'ame dfinitivement. Elle tait 18me. Aprs les 24 Heures, Greder rachte la Corvette, la prpare dans son atelier d'Issy Les Moulineaux en utilisant des pices perfo qui lui sont envoyes par Zora Arkus Duntov. Il vient de crer le Greder Racing. En Juillet, Magny-Cours, il participe une preuve. Puis il prpare l'auto pour le Tour Auto. Au niveau cosmtique, l'auto se pare des couleurs du Greder Racing : blanche, capot noir mat et bandes latrales tricolores. Avec son coquipier Andr Vigneron, il se classent une brillante 2me place et gagnent la catgorie GT. Zora Arkus Duntov lui ayant promis une nouvelle Corvette (Ce sera le chassis 6401 du modle 69), il va vendre celle-ci Jean-Claude Aubriet de l'Ecurie Lopard. On la reverra au Mans en 1970. Abordons 1969 ou la Scuderia Filipinetti a engag deux Corvette qui ayant les cylindres les plus importante du plateau se voient attribuer les numros 1 & 2. Mais aucune Corvette aux essais prliminaires qui se droulent le 29 et 30 mars. Finalement en juin, c'est une seule Corvette qui se prsente au pesage. La Scuderia a modifi son engagement en engageant une Lola T70 Chevrolet pour Jo Bonnier et Masten Gregory. La Corvette, quipe du moteur 7 litres, est celle vue en 1968 avec le #3. C'est le chassis 194378-S-410300. Il a subi quelques amlioration: meilleure accessibilit au moteur et montage d'un systeme de mise l'air libre de l'orifice de remplissage du carburant. Pour l'quipage, c'est cette fois Reine Wissell qui va pauler Henri Greder, tandis que le jeune Ronnie Peterson est le pilote supplant. Les concurrentes de cet unique Corvette sont des Porsche 911 S ou T (il y en a 7) et la Ferrari 275GTB engage par la Scuderia Filipinetti pour Claude Haldi et Jacques Rey. Aux essais, il y a des ennuis de freins et comme en 1968, les pilotes vont beaucoup se servir de la boite pour ralentir la lourde auto. Elle se montre plus lente qu'en 1968, mais reste leader dans la catgorie GT. Greder ralise un 4.05:03 qui place l'auto en 27me position sur l'pi de ce qui sera le dernier dpart type le Mans. 1re GT elle laisse la Ferrari 20 et la meilleure des Porsche 22. C'est Henri Greder qui est charg de courir vers l'auto. Corvette's road to Le Mans, celebrated this June with much fanfare, has wound a circuitous trail around the strictures of the 1957 AMA racing ban, passing through back doors and dark alleys. Zora Arkus-Duntov, Corvette's spiritual father and protector of its concept, was a 4-time Le Mans participant and twice class winner. Zora's Corvettes kept coming back, quietly testing the Sarthe contest. The first, and best-known, foray involved Briggs Cunningham's 1960 assault, followed in 1962 by Tony Settember and Jack Turner and in 1967 by Dick Guldstrand's Dana Chevrolet entry co-driven by Bob Bondurant. By this time Chevrolet's racing activities were less than a deep dark secret, but still had to abide by the form, if not the substance, of the General's adherence to the AMA ban. The 1968 Corvette offered here is the survivor of one such not-so-secret effort. The central figure is Henri Greder. Greder nearly won the 1963 Tour de France in a factory entered 427 Ford Galaxie. This earned Greder a Ford of France ride in a 4.7 liter GT40 at Le Mans in 1966 and 1967. The performance of FoMoCo's 7-liter Mark IVs demonstrated the possibilities of a powerful, but lazy, 7-liter V8 at Le Mans and in preparation for the 1968 24 Heures du Mans GM's European promotions director (an up and coming Bob Lutz) and Greder approached Swiss racing patron Georges Filipinetti with the idea of entering a two-car Corvette team at Le Mans. Filipinetti accepted and two of the fabled L88 Corvette coupes shortly arrived from Detroit, fully race prepared for the 24 Hours under Zora Arkus-Duntov's supervision: one (S/N 410300) for Greder and skier Jean-Claude Killy and another for Sylvain Garant and Jean-Michel Giorgi. At the last minute GM vetoed Killy and Umberto Maglioli stepped into the breach. Le Mans 1968 was to be Maglioli's last race, ending a two-decade career that included a long relationship with Ferrari in both Grands Prix and sports cars, an exceptional Mille Miglia record with Lancia, Ferrari and Porsche and a win in the Carrera Panamericana. Zora, knowing the demands of 24 hours at speed at Le Mans, fitted very tall 2.56 rear end gears, giving a top speed down the Mulsanne straight of 191 mph and turned in a sub-4 minute lap in testing. The Corvettes were fast, but suffered from what the French called the ennuis de freins, its brakes not measuring up to the inertia of 1,5 tons accelerated to nearly 200 mph by the puissance of the Big Block L88. Greder recalls having to brake for the Mulsanne turn at the 500 meter mark. In the 1968 race Greder and Maglioli dominated the Porsche competition until the 6th hour when a carburetion problem melted a piston while leading the GT category. Garant destroyed the other Corvette in the Dunlop curves in the 14th hour. Returning in 1969, now with Reine Wisell as co-driver and Ronnie Petersen as backup, Greder's L88 Corvette's M22 Rock Crusher gearbox endured 16 hours of downshifting, to use engine braking to relieve the brakes' ennuis, before giving up, again while leading the GT category. Following Le Mans Greder placed 6th overall at Magny Cours then in September reprised the Tour de France, a 5,000km marathon over nine days including 11 events at 9 different tracks. The Corvette was prepared in Greder's shops in d'Issy-les-Moulineaux using boxes of high performance parts sent to France by Zora Arkus-Duntov. Despite encountering a constant engine misfire, and after replacing the carburetor, plugs, wires and even the gas tank didn't cure, Greder and his codriver Vigneron captured seven of the eleven events (Nrburgring, Rouen, Le Mans, Cap Frhel, Charade, Albi and le Tourmalet). At Clermont they finally swapped the distributor for one from a Camaro and the L88's power returned. Starting the race at Clermont Ferrand (then known as Charade) from the back of the field, Greder (I was very tired, and so happy to have the power back, he recalls) passed every car on the straight after the start, went straight across the next two corners, spun and backed into a utility pole. Restarting, again at the back of the field, the rejuvenated Corvette (its driver's enthusiasm unconstrained by the tachometer, which didn't work after the distributor swap) charged through the field, catching Gerard Larrousse's leading Porsche 911R at the start-finish line. Larrousse said he though I was out for good and was so startled when he saw me in his mirrors he almost went off, Greder remembers. For enthusiasts of racing history, there is a terrific photo of this moment in Maurice Louche's book Le Tour de France Automobile 1899-1986, p. 223. (Look above at picture named Greder catched Larousse). He won the race but it was too late to catch Larrousse in the overall standings. Greder and the Corvette finished second and won the GT category. Greder went on to prepare and race a Big Block Corvette at Le Mans six more times, on this car adding oil coolers for the transmission and differential, culminating in two class wins in 1973-1974, both co-driven by Marie-Claude Beaumont. The 1968-69 Greder car was sold to Jean-Claude Aubriet and entered by Aubriet's Ecurie Leopard a further four times at Le Mans from 1970-73, finishing as high as 18th overall and 2nd in class, as well as an active schedule of other races including the Tour de France in 1970 and 1971. In 1973 this old war wagon, still drawn by the same L88 horse as in 1968, was timed at 213 mph at Mulsanne. Six years at Le Mans, much less consecutive as in this case, is a record unequalled only by Corvette 69 #6401 in Le Mans history. Furthermore, the record of the Greder/Aubriet Corvette overwhelms the performance of more notorious Corvettes at Le Mans and opened the door for the enthusiastic reception later teams from the States like Greenwood, Callaway, Viper and GM have received from the A.C.O. and French race fans. The Greder Corvette was sold in 1989 to Bob Rubin, later to Marc de Peescara and then to its present owner. Still with its original Duntov-supplied L88 engine, with the coil spring front suspension developed by Zora, it is prepared for Historic racing, producing 500+ horsepower on the dyno, with a lightened flywheel, carbon fiber clutch, M22 Rock Crusher close ratio gearbox and J56 heavy duty brakes. In addition to FIA Historic Vehicle Identity its documentation includes the original A.C.O. papers from Le Mans. The Greder Corvette 410300 holds a unique place in Le Mans history, not only as one of the most successful, and well-traveled, Corvette race cars in the world but also as the survivor of one of Chevrolet's back door racing programs managed and executed under the direct control of Zora Arkus-Duntov. The dust of thousands of racing miles and some of Europe's most famous circuits is captured in its nooks and crannies. Its record of six consecutive competitive appearances at the 24 Heures du Mans, one of racing's top three events, surely will never be equaled, let alone surpassed. It is a champion, in spirit if not in name, whose history and thunderous L88 will alleviate even the most advanced symptoms of ennui. December 31, 2008. Sold on August 20, 2000 by Christies for 578,000 ChF, including fees. Mark H. McCORMACK, President de IMG (International Management Group (IMG), est un groupe de marketing et de management sportif qui gre entre autres clbrits Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Aleksandr Ovetchkine, Venus, Monica Seles et Serena Williams), propos de la stratgie de GM en sport automobile: La general Motors s'tait fait une rgle de ne jamais s'impliquer financirement dans une course automobile. Peter Estes, qui tait Directeur gnral de Chevrolet l'poque (Il devint plus tard Prsident de la GM), et l'agence de publicit de Chevrolet, Campbell-Ewald, travaillaient avec nous depuis prs de six mois mettre au point les derniers dtails d'un contrat trs complexe avec Jean-Claude Killy. Le coeur de l'accord, c'tait une srie tlvise ayant pour vedette notre champion, et que Chevrolet patronnerait, mais qui impliquait un certain nombre d'autres obligations, y compris celle pour Killy de conduire une Corvette dans la course d'endurance la plus clbre, les 24 heures du Mans. Killy avait commenc s'exciter sur cette ide lorsque j'entendis des bruits, en provenance de Dtroit, selon lesquels cela ne se passait pas bien chez Chevrolet. Le prsident de la GM avait laiss entendre qu'il n'tait absolument pas question que Killy s'installe au volant d'une Corvette au Mans, et que si ncessaire, Chevrolet rembourserait le ddit et annulerait le contrat. Peter Estes tait trs gn et offrit 6 missions de plus, promit d'honorer tous les autres engagements et mme de financer la course de Killy au Mans - condition qu'il ne conduise pas une Corvette, ni aucun autre produit de la GM. Killy participa la course cette anne l et accomplit son engagement vis--vis de Chevrolet, en conduisant une Porsche! (Source: Tout ce que vous n'apprendrez jamais a Harvard, page 172, Mark H McCORMACK, Ed. rivages/Les Echos). January 5, 2010. Palmares at 24 hours of Le Mans: 1968: Race car#3, Greder, Maglioli. Motor at 6th hour, 53 laps and 713,857 km. 26th time in 3'59''8 (202,204 km/h) 1969: Race car#1, Greder, Wisell. Gear box at 16th hour. 196 laps and 2639,924 km. 28th time in 4'05''3 (197,67 km/h). 1970: Race car#1, Aubriet, Bourdon avec Ecurie Leopard. Accident in 5th hour. 37 laps and 498,353 km. 37th time in 4'07''2 (196,15 km/h). 1971: Race car#1, Aubriet, Rouget. Gimbal at 16th hour (Transmission). 26th time in 4'09''5 (194,342 km/h). 1972: Race car#71, Aubriet, Depnic. Motor at 19th hour. 58th time in 4'48'4 (170,264 km/h). 1973: Race car#69, Aubriet, Depnic. 18th overall. 10th GTS out of 21 cars. 282 laps and 3858,524 km. 41th time in 4'24''8 (185,438 km/h). January 7, 2010. Sold in 2009 by RM Auctions at Sports & Classics of Monterey for $572,000 USD. March 16, 2010.
For Sale:	No
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