“Asteroid” Corvette Built by George Barris Up for Auction in 2014

Photos: Leonard Wiggins via Hemmings Motor News

Photos: Leonard Wiggins via Hemmings Motor News

Legendary auto customizer George Barris of Barris Kustom Industries is known for his trend-setting designs and work for the movie industries, and one of his creations, the “Asteroid” 1963 Corvette, will come up for auction early in 2014 at Barrett-Jackson‘s Scottsdale event, scheduled to be held January 12-19, 2014. 

barris2Hemmings Motor News says that the car was originally built for powerboat racer and airline equipment magnate Bob Nordskog of Nordskog Industries and was crafted from a ’63 Stingray that was delivered without paint – it was slated right from the get-go to be a Barris creation. 

Barris, to his credit, designed one of the most unique Kustom Corvettes you’ll ever lay eyes on. The nose was revised, headlamps hidden behind a reshaped custom grille, and a wicked header/sidepipe configuration was fabricated that popped right through the front fenders. A one-piece rear window was installed along with the metallic copper paint that inspired the Asteroid nickname. 

There’s also a 352-cube (350 crank with 327 block) V8 engine with a six-pack of Stromberg 97’s that pumps out 400 horsepower and 430 pound feet on an engine dyno. The car showed up on the cover of Jan and Dean’s Drag City LP along with appearances in Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding magazines.

barris3The restoration photos available at the Hemmings link show all of the incredible detail put into the car’s construction by Barris (we really dig the one-piece rear window, purist-speak aside) and we expect to see this machine go for a large sum.

The car was just restored by co-owners Lance Miller of Carlisle Events and Randy Koettel of Desert Autosport and showed up this past summer for Corvettes of Carlisle.

There is no reserve on the auction, and there are sure to be plenty of deep-pocket collectors at the first Barrett-Jackson show of the year. What do you think it will garner when it crosses the block in January?

About the author

Jason Reiss

Jason draws on over 15 years of experience in the automotive publishing industry, and collaborates with many of the industry's movers and shakers to create compelling technical articles and high-quality race coverage.
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