'57 vette anyone??

[mrvette]

Corvette SS at Sebring Race Day 1957 - YouTube

[Fasglas]

Neat vid. Thnx.

http://www.ohioconcours.com/2000/00-068.jpg

[Kerrmudgeon]

Cool film Gene, thanks for posting it. :thumbs:
Hard to believe they raced those old cars with no rollbars at all. Very scary indeed. :ohnoes:

[Fasglas]

Not much between the spectators and the racers, either...

:willy::willy::willy:

[mrvette]

Cool film Gene, thanks for posting it. :thumbs:
Hard to believe they raced those old cars with no rollbars at all. Very scary indeed. :ohnoes:

It is actually a series of vids......other episodes continue on......:seasix:

[mrvette]

Today at 10:51 AM
You will have noticed that the #4 Corvette was driven by my old dentist, Doctor Dick Thompson; and John Fitch drove the experimental Vette. I knew Fitch from my days at Sebring in the ‘60s, and he appeared on the concrete stage at Corvettes at Carlisle a few years ago when his #3 white ‘61 Vette was featured. After the announcer finished the introductions, I expected that the Corvette crowd would swamp the stage and have all manner of questions for John. Nope. He was totally ignored by the Vette crowd. I was astonished at the ignorance of all those Vette lovers, but apparently you have to race a modern Vette with a million horsepower to impress a Vette owner these days. I was the only one who approached John and re-introduced myself; we talked for quite a bit about the old days at Sebring and Marlboro (MD). I’m sorry that I didn’t stay longer because he died the other year; I think he was around 95. Frankly, Gene, a lot of your Corvette lovers are bunch of ignorant asses who don’t give a shit about their history.
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Jeez, I guess the Carlisle crowd is tough.....when I went there, I used to hang with Vette and Poncho guys, talked for hours on end, even met Duntov once, he popped out the back of the tent, on the way to the head, so we just acknowledged each other with a wave and a HUGE GRIN on my part.....been a while....:sadangel:

[Fasglas]

:iagree:

It's not limited to "Corvette lovers".

[mrvette]

:iagree:

It's not limited to "Corvette lovers".

I asked him if it was a VETTE meet or just another open Carlisle event.....not heard a reply.....


:waiting:

[Nemesis]

John Fitch on the pole. Man, that guy was a gem. Fighter pilot, paid F1 & sportscar driver, inventor, track manager, etc. Enough achievements for 3 lifetimes. How he isn't known as a great American is a mystery to me. I met him once when his Fitch Phoenix broke down in front of my paddock spot during a race weekend at Lime Rock. Super nice guy. :angel:

[ApexOversteer]

John Fitch on the pole. Man, that guy was a gem. Fighter pilot, paid F1 & sportscar driver, inventor, track manager, etc. Enough achievements for 3 lifetimes. How he isn't known as a great American is a mystery to me. I met him once when his Fitch Phoenix broke down in front of my paddock spot during a race weekend at Lime Rock. Super nice guy. :angel:

That's twice for the Fitch Phoenix on VetteBarn this month... I never did get that answer from Wathen1955...

1978 Phoenix. Wife and I bought it in 1984 with only 20k miles on the clock. Old lady had it and only drove it to the local store. I don't think it ever went faster than 35 mph. LOL

You mean the Fitch Phoenix? The Corvair rebody kit car? Crazy!

[Nemesis]

That's twice for the Fitch Phoenix on VetteBarn this month... I never did get that answer from Wathen1955...

Well, John built the car in '66 and as far as I know, was the only owner of the car until it was sold after his death in 2012. Pontiac made a Phoenix from 77 until 84. Thats probably what he was referring to.

[Fasglas]

The Fitch Phoenix to remain in Connecticut
Posted on June 4, 2014 | By John Burgeson

The Fitch Phoenix to remain in Connecticut - Connecticut Postings (http://blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/2014/06/04/the-fitch-phoenix-to-remain-in-connecticut/)

http://blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/files/2014/06/cp0528fitch-901.jpg

LAKEVILLE: Thanks to the concerted efforts of Wayne Carini (Velocity’s “Chasing Classic Cars”), journalist Don Klein, and the Fitch Family, the late John Fitch’s pride and joy – the one and only Fitch Phoenix — went to the Bonhams auction at the Greenwich Concours Sunday, June 1.

Given appropriate display space just feet from the auction stage, the Phoenix was the center of attention. After bidders went back and forth, at 2:42 p.m. the gavel came down on its sale to Mr. Charles Mallory of Greenwich.

A collector with eclectic tastes, Mr. Mallory was not there to simply add to his stable: “This was by far my most emotional purchase,” Mallory said shortly afterward. “I loved John, I love Lime Rock, I really feel the Phoenix belongs in Connecticut. I’m very happy for not just me, but everyone who understands what this is about.”

The Phoenix went for $230,000 (137,278 British pounds, 168,665 Euros).

The Phoenix, a two-seater sports cars based on the Chevrolet Corvair, was to be the first of a limited run of 500 and was designed and built by Fitch. With a total weight of 1,950 pounds even with a steel body, and with the Corvair engine modified with Weber carburetors to deliver 175 hp, the car was to deliver spirited performance for $8,760.

But the American automotive landscape change drastically in 1966 with the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which made the production of any car outside the realm of the major manufacturers simply financially untenable. Not another Phoenix was ever made.

From the late 60s onward, the Phoenix was Fitch’s favorite car to drive. Right up to the point not long before his passing in October of 2012, one could count on Fitch driving the car from his nearby home to Lime Rock Park, where his and the car’s presence were always eagerly anticipated.

Mr. Mallory has a standing invitation to bring the Phoenix to Lime Rock Park any time he wishes.
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http://assets.hemmings.com/story_image/254211-1000-0.jpg?rev=2

http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Little-Fitch-in-Phoenix1-626x291.jpeg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/203/fitchphoenixtargacoupe3.jpg

Mercedes-Benz remembers legendary race car driver John Fitch | GENERAL news | Motorsport.com (http://www.motorsport.com/general/news/mercedes-benz-remembers-legendary-race-car-driver-john-fitch/)