A Piece of Corvette “Hot Rod” History Resurfaces

It’s been said that every good thing must come to an end; that is, except for Corvettes, which explains why a ’57 Stocker model, once considered long gone, has resurfaced, according to a Hot Rod report.

The story of this ‘Vette began in 1970 when Hot Rod editor John Dianna and his friend Marv Ripes teamed up to build a racecar, as detailed by the auto mag.  Equipped with a small-block V8, a heavily modified transmission, and a paint job that, as Ripes recalls, fit the “psychedelic hippie” stuff of the period. The car went on to win the Ontario Super Nationals and a few other races, but it was later sold to a restoration shop after which it was forgotten.

The Hot Rod article goes on to report that a young editor came across the car in 1985 and tried to persuade Dianna to buy it back, but nothing ever came of the idea … until earlier this month when the car resurfaced at the 2014 Detroit Autorama — psychedelic paint job and all.

You just can’t keep a good ‘Vette down.

To read the full Hot Rod story about the John Dianna/Marv Ripes ’57 Stocker ‘Vette click here.