The human race was subtly reminded of its vulnerability with a visit from a flaming asteroid in Russia last week, courtesy of the Cosmos. The event has resulted in quite the amount of buzz, giving the world something to talk about besides the weather. But late powerboat racer Bob Nordskog was into asteroids before it was cool, having ordered a special C2 Corvette from the factory back in 1963.
The story begins with Nordskog receiving his new Corvette C2 unpainted. He then promptly shipped the vehicle to the legendary George Barris — creator of the original Batmobile, original Green Hornet, and others. The Sting Ray Corvette then underwent major body work, extending the nose, getting custom chrome headers, replacing the split window with a single piece, and growing the wheel wells. After the body work was completed, the Corvette was painted a brilliant metallic copper finish, while the interior was touched up with swathed pearl white artificial leather plus copper accents — to compliment the exterior. Lastly, a 13:1 compression, six carburetor 352 cubic-inch V8 engine was placed under the hood. And thus, the one-of-a-kind “Asteroid” was born.
Quickly, the Asteroid became a hit, winning the Long Beach Autorama and the Mickey Thompson Classic Car Shows in 1963, while gracing a handful of magazine covers. And now, it seems time for a comeback tour.
Currently undergoing a full restoration, the Asteroid Corvette will be displayed at the Corvettes at Carlisle event, taking place in Carlisle, Pennsylvania from August 23rd through the 25th during the summertime. Bring on the high-res photos.
No Comments yet