Corvettes in Argentina

My name is Roberto Luis, I’m 42. I live in Buenos Aires where I teach computer operation and since I was a child I love cars, racing cars, its history and performance.

I got interested in a long nose car while watching a Bill Bixby program titled The Magician. The fluid lines of the white Stingray clicked-on my Vette interest and from that moment I began to collect everything related with those cars. In 1993 I couldn’t believe the add in a newspaper offering a Corvette Stingray, and other one, and other... I saw 35 cars along one and a half years and finally, not without effort, I took posession of the beautiful monza red 70 coupe you are looking in this page.

Note the cobblestone pavement we have in some areas.

The California car, a 350/300 4 speed, was in decent condition, had the original engine (rebuilt) and all the parts were there. The wheels are non stock (True Ray) but nice. Today I drive the car regularly while I research its history and its full restoration. Sometimes dreams comes true, I enjoy the car and for me there is nothing compared to driving on the highway in a powerful Corvette Stingray.

The engine is original, with a few non-stock modificatons--for now.

Chevrolet and Ford are in the heart of Argentine car fans and our country has a racing tradition with legendary names as Fangio, Gonzalez, Galvez, Reutemann and others. Some events were connected with the history of the Chevrolet Corvette, the flag ship of a marque well known for decades. During the 40s and early 50s the most popular category in car racing, Turismo de Carretera (TC) was the cradle of Fangio and others, who drived across the pampas in old Chevrolet and Ford coupes. One of the most successful parts used by the engine builders were the Ardun heads, manufactured by Zora Arkus Duntov, for the 59AB engine. We all know now who is Duntov in the Corvette world.

Later in the fifties, the little white car appeared in the Motorama Show. Former president Peron, received in those days, as a present, a 53’ Corvette. The car was sold in an auction recently and is in private collector’s hands. The car is in exhibition in an old fuel station where there is a mini-museum near Buenos Aires.

In the photo on the left, you can see typical Buenos Aires offices, with the obelisco (a forteņos symbol) in the background.

The photo to the right shows my Vette with the Congress ahead of it.

In the sixties and seventies the Corvette dissapeared from the Argentine scene. People in my country remember from that period the car of Ruta 66, a TV series. Only a few users imported, when possible, some second and third generation cars, but it was almost nonexistent. Some magazines like Corsa published regularly the new achievments of Duntov like the Big Block motors, the L88, ZL1 and the like.

Finally in the present decade a new law made possible to import classic cars at least 20 years old. Many first generation (I know of a 61), but mostly Stingray cars were imported and many of them are today in the classic car racing events, shows and their owners are members of the many classic car clubs of Argentina. We hope to create in the future the first Corvette Club of Argentina with a potential of more than 50 cars.