Zora Arkus-Duntov – The Man Who Saved the Corvette… and Then Made it Great

Zora Arkus-Duntov – engineer, race car driver, and the man responsible for the Corvette we know today. 

The year is 1955. The Corvette is a failure, losing money for GM. They decide to either cancel it or convert it to a sporty 2+2 car. Hearing rumors of a four-seat Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet decides to remake the Corvette. In 1958 they launch a sporty trim level for the new Bel Air. And the Corvette is reduced to a V-8 sports trim package for coupes and convertibles.

That was the reality facing the Corvette. And if the idea of a Bel Air Corvette terrifies you, there’s one person to thank – Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Zora Arkus-Duntov didn’t create the Corvette, but he saved it. His vision fostered it into the car we know today. Born in 1909 to a wealthy Russian family living in Belgium, young Zora was fascinated by anything with an engine. He studied mechanical engineering and competed in road racing. After emigrating to the U.S. he manufactured overhead-valve heads for Ford V-8s. He raced in the Indy 500 and at Le Mans for both Allard and the Porsche. Helping to tame the 550 Spyder, he finished 14th overall in 1954 and 13th in 1955.

But the Corvette captured his attention. Convincing Chevrolet to hire him, Arkus-Duntov championed the small-block V-8 and fuel injection. He felt the way to win young buyers was to win at the track. In the 1950s, both sports cars and the hot rod culture emerged into the mainstream. Buyers wanted sportier cars with more power, and Arkus-Duntov knew the Corvette was the halo car Chevrolet needed.

Arkus-Duntov’s made an immediate impact. Sports Car Illustrated hailed the 1956 Corvette in their review, comparing it favorably to the Jaguars and Austin-Healeys of the day. Arkus-Duntov kickstarted Chevrolet’s racing program. He personally set speed records at Pike’s Peak and Daytona. He led the development of fuel injection for the small-block V-8. Under his leadership, the Corvette’s performance improved each year.

For the C2 Arkus-Duntov championed stiffer frames, an independent rear suspension, and disc brakes. Engines grew in displacement and power. The Corvette won at the track. More importantly for GM, it also earned a profit. GM named Zora Arkus-Duntov the Corvette’s chief engineer in 1967. But he unofficially held the title for more than ten years.

Arkus-Duntov wanted to move the Corvette C3’s transmission rearward. This would improve weight distribution, handling and performance. He envisioned a mid-engine, all-wheel drive Corvette to follow the C3. But those things never happened under his leadership. GM management believed Corvette buyers didn’t want those things. Besides, they were too expensive. Arkus-Duntov continued to push for changes and improvements until his retirement in 1975. The Corvette C3 soldiered on for another seven years. Dying in 1996, he never saw a mid-engine Corvette come to fruition.

But Zora Arkus-Duntov’s legacy is not just about the Corvettes built under his leadership. It’s more than the records he set or ideas he engineered. The most enduring aspect is the culture he created. He built a small team of people who are passionate about the Corvette. A team that scrounges resources, on that learned to beg, borrow, and outright steal from GM to keep the Corvette going. Before joining GM, Zora Arkus-Duntov survived the Russian Revolution. He helped his family escape Nazi Germany. Fighting in the French Air Force before escaping to the US via Spain and Portugal. When he joined Chevrolet, he imbued the Corvette team with that spirit.

There is talk of a special edition Corvette named the Zora. But in reality, all Corvettes from 1955 onward are Zora Corvettes. His DNA lives on in every car since that time. Right down to the mid-engine C8.

Photos: General Motors