Greenwood Corvettes
The Corvette has certainly seen its fair share of racing success over the years, but few have had quite the impact that the Greenwood wide-body Corvettes did in the 1970s.
Greenwood Corvettes, named after its founder and chief designer John Greenwood, was a racing team and tuning company that specialized in transforming Corvettes into high-performance racing machines. John Greenwood was a racing driver who knew the ins and outs of the Corvette inside and out, and he saw the potential for the car to be a serious contender on the racing circuit.
Greenwood's first foray into the world of Corvette tuning came in the late 1960s when he began to experiment with adding turbochargers to the car's engine. These early experiments led to the creation of the iconic "Stars and Stripes" livery, which featured a bold red, white, and blue paint scheme and quickly became synonymous with the Greenwood brand.
.jpg "ZANTAFIO56, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons")
In the early 1970s, Greenwood turned his attention to the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) racing circuit, where he began competing in the GT class with his specially-tuned C3 Corvettes. The cars were an instant hit, winning races and setting lap records across the country.
But Greenwood wasn't content to rest on his laurels. He continued to innovate and push the limits of what the Corvette was capable of, experimenting with everything from lightweight body panels to massive turbochargers that could produce up to 1,000 horsepower. The result was a series of legendary Corvettes that were unlike anything else on the racing circuit.
Perhaps the most famous of these cars was the Greenwood Daytona, which made its debut in 1975. This car was a true masterpiece of engineering, featuring a radical aerodynamic body that allowed it to reach top speeds of 236 mph. The car was an instant sensation, winning races and capturing the imaginations of racing fans across the country.
.jpg "nakhon100, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons")
Greenwood Corvettes continued to dominate the SCCA circuit throughout the 1970s, with John Greenwood and his team taking home multiple championships and setting records that still stand to this day. Greenwood also built various street car kits of C3 Corvettes, like the 1975 Sportwagon Special, 1981 Corvette GTO, and 1982 Greenwood Daytona. But the company's success was short-lived, and by the early 1980s, changing regulations and a lack of funding had forced Greenwood to close his doors.
Despite its relatively short lifespan, Greenwood Corvettes left an indelible mark on the world of racing and automotive engineering. John Greenwood's innovative designs and unbridled passion for the Corvette helped to elevate the car from a stylish roadster to a true racing legend, and his legacy continues to inspire Corvette enthusiasts to this day.
