The Grand Sport ‘Vettes’

In racing, we sometimes get to cheer wins that come first-time-out. At the other end of the scale lies the sad saga of the Grand Sport Corvettes, racers ­conceived amid dreams of competing at Le Mans. It took nearly 40 years for that story to find a happy ending.

Today, the Corvette seems safely enshrined as an American icon, complete with its own museum, and at last, proud owner of a class victory at Le Mans, in 2001. It’s hard to remember the early days, when Chevrolet’s jaunty 2-seater often had to fight shortsighted corporate spoilsports for its very right to live in General Motors’ insipid sedan world. The ­opposition was even fiercer whenever enthusiasts within the giant company tried to show their car’s prowess on the race track.