1961 Corvette Convertible: A Driving Work Of Art

An Alloway-built masterpiece at the intersection of modern driveability and classic Corvette style

- Taylor Kempkes

When you own a restored example of a Corvette built between 1954 and 1962, two things usually happen. One is that you develop a great passion for preserving such an iconic piece of American automotive history. And the other—if you actually drive the car—is you develop a strong appreciation for modern amenities such as electronic fuel injection to keep you going and disc brakes to bring you to a safe stop. As it turns out, this is exactly what happened to George and Kathy Lange.

The couple have owned a stock-restored Jewel Blue 1961 Corvette convertible for over 20 years now. They love the look and the originality of the car but when Kathy started to drive the ’61 on a more regular basis she quickly realized its inherent flaws when compared to most cars on the road today. That didn’t stop her from driving it, but eventually George said, “Let’s build you a more driveable version.” So that’s what they did.

For a split second George thought about modernizing the all-original car but couldn’t handle the idea of “ruining” such a perfectly restored C1. The solution then was to find a not so-perfect 1961 convertible Vette to start with. When George found a suitable candidate for modernization, he sent it over to the builder he trusted most: Bobby Alloway of Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop in Louisville, Tennessee.