While stock Corvettes merit quite a bit of recognition on looks and performance, it’s always interesting to see what others can do when given the chance to take a different approach. In a recent article, we went over the genesis and debut of the Bertone Mantide, a reinterpretation of the 2009 ZR1, and what it meant as a reflection of the Corvette’s versatility and adaptability.

So it is with great interest that we found another unique, Italian-made Corvette on Hemmings, predating the Mantide by a good fifty years and giving us a good look into what a few thousand dollars and a lot of spare time could get you back in the day.

Built by Scaglietti, this little red coupe owes its origins to the Gary Laughlin, a dealership magnate from Texas who was interested in seeing if anything could be done to improve his Corvette’s performance around the track. Through his good relationships to journalist Peter Coltrin and legendary Carroll Shelby, Laughlin was able to convince Ed Cole at General Motors to send three Corvette chassis to Scaglietti to be redone as they saw fit.

What came back was the best of both worlds: refined looks and striking presentation that only the Italians could offer, mixed with the severe power and get-up-and-go that came from a stout Chevy V8. The idea unfortunately blew up in everyone’s faces when Cole was reprimanded by his superiors, and the orders came down to drop any further development of the cars. Only one, equipped with fuel injection and four-speed transmission, reached completion, while the other two were only partially built.

The one we have here today is that finished product, seen in all its resplendent red glory and C1 trim. It’s priced at just a hair under $1,000,000, so it’s definitely going somewhere nice once it’s sold. Whether it’s Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, or Guy Fieri (groan), this is one Vette we hope will find a loving owner.