One of a small handful ever built, this very cool 1982 Corvette Greenwood Daytona is still a bit unappreciated.
When the world of performance cars was in dire straights through parts of the 1970s and 1980s, a host of aftermarket companies and tuners came forward to try and give enthusiasts something to be excited about. That list includes John and Burt Greenwood, who created some pretty wild Corvettes during that era sporting body kits that truly set them apart from the masses. The Corvette Greenwood Daytona was perhaps the craziest of that bunch as a wide, elongated version of the C3 that wasn’t just built for looks – it was also designed to enhance high-speed aerodynamics, and one of these rare rides recently popped up for sale at eBay.
The Greenwood brothers built a total of five different Corvette models from 1975-1981, but none were as extreme as the Corvette Greenwood Daytona. Looking more like a Can Am racer than a street car, the Daytona is a rare and desirable ride today, as very few exist in total. But what sets it apart from the many, many other aftermarket body kits out there is the fact that it was actually designed to be functional, not just aesthetic.
All of the wild body parts we see here serve a purpose – the nose reduces drag, the air inlets cool the brakes, and the rear wing adds downforce. The Daytonas also featured enhanced performance via turbochargers, coilovers, and either a five-link rear suspension or the stock independent setup, beefier anti-roll bars, brake cooling fans, and BBS wheels. The cost for these goodies was steep, however – between $37,000 and $53,000 – roughly three times what a new C3 cost at the time.
As such, just five Daytonas were sold as turnkey offerings from Greenwood, while a handful of others were created by owners who purchased the body kit separately. This particular 1982 model falls in the latter category, and it has just under 24k miles on the clock. It was also restored recently and looks fantastic as a result, with power coming from GM’s 350 V8, which is mated to a 700R4 automatic gearbox.
It may not be an original Greenwood-built Daytona, but this C3 is undoubtedly rare, regardless. However, it didn’t attract much attention at auction its first go-round, proving once again that these cool footnotes in Corvette history remain a bit unappreciated among collectors.
Photos: eBay
Keyword: Super Rare and Restored C3 Corvette Greenwood Daytona Pops up for Sale