1961 Mako Shark

The 1961 Mako Shark I Corvette was one of General Motors' most striking concept cars, blending radical design with high-performance engineering. Inspired by a mako shark caught off the coast of Florida by William L. "Bill" Mitchell—then Vice President of GM Styling, now the General Motors Design Center—the car embodied the sleek, aggressive, and aerodynamic qualities of the predator that inspired it.

Mitchell’s vision for the Mako Shark was to capture the essence of its namesake. Its iridescent blue upper body seamlessly faded into a silvery-white underside, mirroring the natural countershading of the real-life shark. This gradient wasn’t just for aesthetics; it emphasized the car’s streamlined, aggressive stance, making it look as if it were cutting through water—or, in this case, air. The body itself previewed what would become the iconic 1963 Corvette Sting Ray, particularly with its sharp nose, hidden headlamps, and dramatic side-exit exhaust pipes. Many of these design elements would go on to define Corvette styling for decades.

Beyond its striking appearance, the Mako Shark I served as a rolling testbed for advanced Corvette engineering. Over the years, it housed several experimental powertrains, including a supercharged engine featuring four side-draft carburetors, a fuel-injected engine, and a V8 engine with dual four-barrel carburetors. Its final and most notable powerplant was a 1969 427 cubic inch ZL-1 Chevrolet V8, a rare all-aluminum engine that boasted an aluminum block, heads, and intake manifold. Equipped with a single four-barrel carburetor, this powerhouse produced more than 425 horsepower, delivering raw performance worthy of its shark-like namesake.

The Mako Shark I was more than just a show car—it set the stage for future Corvettes, particularly influencing the second-generation C2 Corvette Sting Ray (1963-1967) and later concept vehicles like the Mako Shark II and Manta Ray. Today, it remains one of the most celebrated concept cars in GM history, preserved as a crucial piece of Corvette’s design evolution in the GM Heritage Collection. As a symbol of automotive innovation, the Mako Shark I continues to capture the imagination of car enthusiasts worldwide, proving that inspiration can come from the most unexpected places—even the depths of the ocean.