The ultimate C4

Known as “Mr. Corvette” for his landmark efforts to improve Chevrolet’s first sports car, Dick Guldstrand embodied a winning combination of traits. He was a clever engineer, ingenious designer, innovative car builder, tenacious driver, wry jokester, and a dapper gentleman by all accounts. Having grown up in southern California in the post-war era, he was drawn into the emerging motorsports and car culture of the time. “You’re either a hot rodder or a candy ass,” he often said. His career would ultimately span more than six decades.

Guldstrand's relationship with the Chevrolet Corvette began with a 1956 model he had acquired and proceeded to modify for competition. The car enjoyed some success gaining him a reputation as well as sponsorships. He went on to win three SCCA Pacific Coast sports car titles in a 1963 Sting Ray, which earned him the lifelong esteem of Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette’s founding father. This success landed him a job as Penske Racing’s first driver, hired after Roger Penske himself retired. Guldstrand helped to successfully launch Penske Racing with a victory in the team's first big race, the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona.

"Mr. Corvette" in his racing days

In the late 1960s, Guldstrand set up shop in Culver City, Calif., to continue working his alchemy on customers’ Corvettes, along with other GM cars. He gained renewed acclaim for developing the GS80 modification to the 1986 C4 Corvette, which turned it from a relatively anemic performer to a world beater. However, Dick wanted a car of his own. When the ZR-1 was released, Guldstrand saw an opportunity to bring back the Grand Sport he used to race with.

So, Guldstrand approached GM with a pitch for a radically restyled ZR-1. All he would need was 15 ZR-1s and a few million dollars. Instead he got one car and a blessing. In anticipation of the project's potential, the business moved to a larger facility in Burbank.

The Guldstrand GS90, at rear

His 'coachbuilt' Corvette was called the "GS90" and was essentially a reskinned ZR-1 Corvette with a 475 horsepower tuned ZR-1 engine from D.K. Motorsports and a Guldstrand- modified suspension. The only stock Corvette body parts were the windshield, side windows and rear view mirrors. Guldstrand also fitted the GS90 with thicker anti-roll bars and coil-over shocks replacing the stock mono-leaf spring setup. The car made its debut in 1994.

The GS90’s styling was the work of Steve Winter. Educated in England with degrees in automotive engineering and design, Winter’s first job out of school was with Porsche, where he helped create the 924. The GS90's bodywork was modern but recalled sports racers of the 1960's like the Grand Sport Corvette and Shelby Daytona coupe, not unlike its contemporary, the Dodge Viper. With classic front mid-engine proportions, characterized by a long "dash to axle ratio" and cab rearward layout, it certainly conveyed its intentions. Modern-retro styling was all the rage at the time and Guldstrand's car reflected that trend.

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe and roadster

Guldstrand was planning a Roadster, Speedster and lightweight versions of the GS90 to be sold through Chevrolet dealers, but GM cancelled the deal. The GS90 cost $134,500 over the price of a $72,208 ZR-1, for a total of $206,208! The economic downturn of the early 1990's didn't help, nor did the saturated specialty car market at the time. A $200K Corvette just didn't make sense to the bean counters in Detroit.  

As a result, only six GS90s (Coupes and Roadsters) were built and sold. In 1999, Guldstrand was inducted into the National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame. He passed away on Sept. 2, 2015, at his motorsports shop in Burbank, Calif. He was 87. He is remembered as a legend in the annals of the Chevrolet Corvette. A "Car guy" of the highest order.

The Guldstrand GS90 roadster

Sources:
Corvette Magazine
Hagerty
The National Corvette Museum

The Guldstrand GS90 coupe, front quarter view 

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe in profile

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe head on

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe in rear quarter view

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe overhead rear

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe in 3/4 view

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe rear quarter

The Guldstrand GS90, coupe in profile

The Guldstrand GS90 roadster

The Guldstrand GS90, roadster at rear

The Guldstrand GS90, roadster head on

The Guldstrand GS90, roadster at rear

The Guldstrand GS90, roadster overhead rear

The Guldstrand GS90, roadster from above