C3 Corvette Wagon Built by Former GM, Hot Wheels Designer up for Sale

Designed to be a true prototype, this cool Corvette wagon is seeking a new owner that can restore it to its former glory.

Many have built custom Corvettes over the years, but few have the distinction of being penned by an actual General Motors designer. That, however, is the case with this rather famous C3 Corvette wagon, or hatchback coupe as it was otherwise known. Designed by GM’s Harry Bradley, who later went on to design 11 of the 16 total first edition Hot Wheels models and teach at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California for 35 years, it’s truly a special vehicle with historical prominence, and now it’s been listed for sale on Craigslist in the Bay Area.

Bradley designed the car when it was new back in 1973, and spent three years and $25,000 putting it all together with the idea of creating something that was essentially OEM. “This Corvette Hatchback Coupe was designed and constructed to give the owner a vehicle that was as close to a factory prototype as possible,” Bradley said. “The intent was to develop a quality specialty vehicle, not another Corvette custom car.”

The result is certainly that, as this Corvette wagon looks like something that could have actually rolled off a GM assembly line. The rear roof portion is perfectly crafted, with custom glass from California Glass Bending and handmade brass moldings. Bradley constructed a steel roll cage underneath the new top, which adds structural rigidity and allows the roof panels to be removed like a stock C3.

The rest of the car sports a laundry list of custom modifications, too. They include a narrowed 1971 Ford Thunderbird taillight, modified subframe, six GM headlights, a Mercedes power antenna, and a heavily modified body designed to smooth out GM’s original design while still maintaining its basic shape. The side pipes are visually interesting but not functional, as Bradley didn’t want to burn his leg getting in and out of the car, while the rear floor is perfectly flat and remarkably functional.

The custom exterior was capped off with a pearl-ice-blue acrylic lacquer paint job, while the inside was refinished with a less audacious black vinyl and cloth treatment that was rather subdued given the era this car was built in. The drivetrain consists of a stock 350 V8 and four-speed manual transmission, which sends power to a set of custom-built Cragar wheels.

Unfortunately, the one-off Corvette wagon was in an accident back in 1997 and needs a total restoration, but on the bright side, it’s completely road legal. With an asking price of just under $20k, it seems like a pretty good deal too, given the car’s ties and uniqueness. With any luck, someone with a keen interest in Corvette history will scoop it up and bring it back to its former glory.

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Photos:Craigslist

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