This 1968 Corvette is a custom that is known as the "Roman Chariot".
It was handcrafted in the 1970s by renowned Cleveland, Ohio car builder Jerry Roman. The Roman Chariot became an obsession for Jerry Roman and his team.
Money was no object during the build. From 1971-1972 he invested $150,000 in the body, paint, and engine work. The chrome plating alone was over $60,000! More than 10,000 man hours were logged from a crew of 9 employees over a 6 month period. And between 2008-2010 the car received another $25,000 infusion for body work and a new paint job to bring it back to show condition.
The car of course has been honored with many, many awards, including: Best Custom Award from Cal Custom at the 21st Annual Autorama in Detroit, and Runner Up for the Ridler Award in 1972.
The grill openings were exaggerated similar to the headlight louvers which shield the Cibie driving lights. He had a Moon tank protruding out of the body just behind the nose. The top was chopped by 7 inches and smoked plexiglass was used for windows to accommodate the crazy new lines created. Over 60 custom pieces were bonded together to create the roof which includes side vents behind the windows.
Following the radical roof and nose design the door handles were removed and radical side pipe covers were added with matching body paint. To accentuate the wide flares of the Corvette, Jerry REALLY flared them out but to accommodate the huge McCreary drag tires.
The car is being offered for sale by R H Motor Car Group, and is listed in the Dupont Registry.
Price: $89,900. A bargain considering the cost of the original build and the numerous awards that make this car Corvette a true piece of Kustom Kar Kulture.
