Long before the Corvette became America’s definitive sports car, Chevrolet had to prove that its fiberglass roadster deserved to survive. Racing became a crucial part of that transformation, and a tiny group of factory-built cars helped establish the formula.
Only six production Corvettes received the special SR equipment package in 1956. Nearly seven decades later, Mecum says just two of them are known to survive.
One of those cars is chassis E56S002823, a Polo White roadster with a red interior and an extraordinary competition history. It has also spent decades passing between owners before receiving a meticulous restoration.
Now, the exceptionally rare Corvette is looking for another caretaker. Mecum will offer the SR-1 at its Kissimmee 2027 auction, where it is scheduled to cross the block on January 15.
The SR-1 Helped Transform The Corvette
The Corvette’s early years weren’t particularly impressive from a performance standpoint, but engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov recognized that motorsport could change its reputation. Chevrolet’s competition efforts culminated in a strong showing at the 1956 12 Hours of Sebring, helping demonstrate what the Corvette could become.
Chevrolet subsequently produced six SR-optioned Corvettes on its regular St. Louis assembly line in June 1956. Mecum says each received 13 special SR-1 options, and the package ultimately helped establish the foundation for the racing-focused RPO 684 and 687 equipment offered between 1957 and 1962.
This One Actually Went Racing
The car being offered by Mecum was originally released to Dick Doane Chevrolet in East Dundee, Illinois, alongside four other SR-equipped Corvettes. Frank C. Carr purchased it new in 1956 and subsequently campaigned the car around Chicago.
Its competition history included the Lake Michigan Miglia, with period photographs documenting the Corvette in action. Mecum says the car was even pictured in a 1957 issue of Corvette News covering the event.
Power comes from a 265-cubic-inch V8 rated at 240 hp, connected to a three-speed manual transmission. The SR equipment transformed the Corvette with competition-focused components covering its suspension, brakes, and other mechanical systems.
It Nearly Disappeared Into History
After Carr, the Corvette was purchased by Ron Buck in June 1962. Buck was drafted into the U.S. Army the following month and could no longer afford the payments, leading his father to sell the car on his behalf that November.
Its history eventually became considerably murkier before collector Bill Herron owned the SR-1 by 1981. Jim Blakely acquired it in 1988, followed by current owner Larry Martin in 1998.
Martin commissioned respected first-generation Corvette specialists Dick Robinson and Jim Keegan to comprehensively restore the car between 1998 and 2000. Remarkably, the pair restored the only other known surviving SR-1 around the same period.
One Of Two Survivors
The restoration has since earned serious recognition. Mecum notes that the Corvette received Bloomington Gold certification in 2001 and an NCRS Top Flight award with a 97.9 score in 2011, while also appearing at Pebble Beach in 2008.
Its extensive documentation includes restoration photographs, correspondence from previous owners, and images signed by John Fitch and Dick Thompson, both connected with Chevrolet’s Sebring racing program.
Mecum hasn’t published an estimate for the January sale. With only two SR-1 Corvettes believed to remain of the six Chevrolet originally built, finding another one won’t exactly be a matter of merely waiting for the next auction.