Barrett-Jackson will auction several rare vintage American racecars during its nine-day 45th Anniversary Auction, January 23-31, 2016, at WestWorld of Scottsdale in Arizona. Among them will be the 1959 Corvette known as the “Purple People Eater” (above) the famous 1957 Chevrolet 150 #47 “Black Widow” and the 1963 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty “Swiss Cheese.”
“We’re excited to have several famous American racecars from the golden era of motorsports cross our block in Scottsdale,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Each of these pieces of history played an important part in our country’s racing heritage and will be an enviable part of any collection.”
A 1959 Chevrolet Corvette, the “Purple People Eater” won the 1959 SCCA B Production National Championship. It started life as a white body/black interior car with a 290 horsepower, fuel-injected 283cid V8 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. Destined for glory, it was named for its non-factory color, which Chicagoland dealer Nickey Chevrolet’s body shop applied to make it stand out during races. The “Purple People Eater” is presently part of the Chip Miller Collection.
The 1957 Chevy150 “Black Widow” is one of six original factory-backed NASCAR vehicles. It was awarded the win at the Virginia 500 at Martinsville in 1957 after another racecar crashed and injured several spectators. Featuring a frame-off, state-of-the-art restoration, the Chevy features a 283 fuel-injected engine and period-correct components, including six-lug wheels, Fenton headers and exhaust, high-performance Hydrovac brake system, 20-gallon gas tank and a special HD 3.90 rear end.
The 1963 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty “Swiss Cheese,” earned its nickname when approximately 130 holes were drilled in it to eliminate the boxed rails in an effort to lighten the frame. This particular racecar was ordered and designated as a Pontiac company car for engineering purposes and became the final car built under the Pontiac Super Duty program in 1963. It is outfitted with a 421 Super Duty engine and top of the line parts. Only 14 “Swiss Cheese” 421 Catalinas were built before the AMA ban in January 1963.
Also on the docket is a 1948 Kurtis Kraft KK2000 Race Car first raced in the 1949 Indianapolis 500 by Sam Hanks. The engine is the original Horning GMC 270ci with 12-port iron head with the original roller cam developed by Chet Herbert. The fuel injection was developed by Stu Hilborn and the chassis and body is by Frank Kurtis. For further information please visit www.barrett-jackson.com.
