There are few people who can truly appreciate the love and passion required to hand-build a custom hot rod. There are even fewer shops that possess the vision and talent to build such a car. The Roadster Shop of Mundelein, IL is one of those very special places that create artful masterpieces that stand among the best custom vehicles ever built. When The Roadster Shop owners Phil and Jeremy Gerber debuted their “C1RS” Corvette at the Goodguys 12th PPG Nationals, the car unanimously took home the prestigious title of “2009 Street Machine of the Year.”



The gorgeous 1962 Corvette was designed by The Roadster Shop and artist Eric Brockmeyer for owner Barry Blomquist. Blomquist’s “C1RS” Corvette is a striking blend of hand formed aluminum and carbon fiber. Although resembling a Corvette, there is practically no original sheet metal in this car. The “C1RS” also served as the launch platform for The Roadster Shop’s new C1 line of Corvette chassis. Mated with Detroit Speed & Engineering suspension components, Brembo 14.5” 6-piston brakes and one-off, custom spindle mount Forgeline wheels, the car’s ground hugging underpinnings served it well in the mandatory Autocross competition at the Goodguys PPG Nationals (Street Machine of the Year award criteria calls for all participants to log at least 3 laps on the Autocross course). With Phil Gerber doing the driving the ‘Vette posted the fastest lap of the event in 32.222 effortless seconds.



Under the hand-formed hood lies the heart of the beast – a 618 horsepower LS7 by Turnkey Engines producing 640ft lbs of torque. Custom stainless 2-inch primary headers emit a throaty roar and the Bowler T-56 transmission gets it flying in a hurry.



Aesthetically, the cars low, smooth lines give it spectacular curb appeal. Everything on the ’Vette has been changed, massaged, smoothed and redesigned by The Roadster Shop staying true to Brockmeyer’s original design. The entire front end is custom formed from sixty-thousandths sheet aluminum including all grills, grille surrounds, front bumper and grille bar. One-off headlights with billet trim rings, carbon fiber side louvers, a recessed cove and a completely restyled rear end would make even Zora Arkus Duntov envious.



Being a roadster, the car’s interior plays a dominant roll in its overall look and feel. The custom formed seats are adorned in Italian red leather with Alcantara suede accents. The aluminum dash is hand-sculpted to perfection housing Classic Instruments carbon fiber gauges. The waterfall center console was also made by hand and the F-1 inspired foot pedals would make former Ferrari team driver Michael Schumacher feel right at home.



The C1RS Corvette not only won the world’s biggest award for a performance Street Machine, it allowed The Roadster Shop team to realize their full potential. “We’ve had this car in our minds for a long time,” Jeremy Gerber smiled. “Our guys at the shop worked tirelessly over an entire year getting this car to Columbus. Barry Blomquist gave us the resources and opportunity to build our vision. We’re thankful to win this award for Barry and the Roadster Shop.”



Congratulations to Barry and the team at The Roadster Shop!