Earlier this summer, I was visiting the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky and was pleasantly surprised to discover that Harley Earl’s SR-2 Sebring Racer was on display there. I was surprised by the comments people were making at the display how few seemed to know the history of this iconic race car and the significance of the role it played in the evolution of the Corvette. It led me to revisit a piece I’d written on the 1956 Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer for my book “Corvette Concept Cars: Developing America’s Favorite Sports Car” and to share of this car’s rich history here.
The Evolution of the Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer
The 1956 Corvette SR-2 Sebring Racer was one of the last Corvette concept cars developed under the leadership of (then) GM vice president of design, Harley J. Earl. Although far less recognizable than many of the Corvettes which followe it, the SR-2 was still a respected race car in its own right,and it was the precursor of the Corvette SS, a purpose-built race car originally envisioned by Earl, and later fully realized by Zora Arkus-Duntov. The future success of the SR-2 and the Corvette SS on (and off) the racetrack would catapult the first-generation Corvette onto the world automotive racing stage.
