Ken Lingenfelter, owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and curator of the famed Lingenfelter Collection, has been invited to exhibit his 1981 Chevrolet Corvette Greenwood GTO at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, March 13 – 16, Amelia Island, Fla. It will be situated on the grounds at the west end of the main field by the pond.
This year’s Concours d’Elegance will honor John Greenwood, an American race driver who exclusively drove Chevrolet Corvettes during several significant races in the 1970s, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Together with his brother Burt Greenwood, John also owned Greenwood Corvettes, an automotive performance tuning and racing company specializing in the Corvette marque. Greenwood passed away this year at the age of 71.
‘It’s a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to display this magnificent and historically significant automobile in John Greenwood’s honor. It is one of only four ever built,” Lingenfelter said. “The man’s dedication to the Corvette is undeniable and the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is an ideal venue to allow automotive connoisseurs to view this rare vehicle.”
The only four-speed manual transmission Greenwood GTO in existence, the vehicle’s body style was built for stability and better down force characteristic than previous GTOs, which had the more radical Daytona body style. The stunning black 450-plus hp GTO features a red leather interior, power seats and power windows. It underwent a ground up restoration in 2004 by Naber’s Motors and Ayers Paint & Body, Houston, Texas. The custom brakes, BBS wheels and tires are to original specs, and it features an original balanced and blueprinted L82 engine with turbo.
The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, now in its second decade, is among the most prestigious automotive events in the world. Always held the second full weekend in March, “The Amelia” draws more than 250 valuable vehicles from collections around the world to The Golf Club of Amelia Island and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island for a celebration of the automobile. Since 1996, the show’s Foundation has raised more than $2.5 million for deserving charities. For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org.