Callaway twin turbo Aerobody convertible - an exotic collectible Corvette classic

1991 Callaway B2K Aerobody convertible

The all new 1984 Corvette was a vast improvement over previous Corvettes. When Callaway Cars added their twin turbo system and Aerobody, the Callaway Corvette made a quantum leap into the rarified world of exotic cars.

Rough Trip
It was a dark and stormy night in June of 2008, and Jon Strachan of Scottsdale, Arizona found himself strapped into an airplane seat headed for Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Although lightening flashed all around, the airplane passed through the worst of the storm before reaching the airport and was able to land without difficulty.

Jon picked up his rental car and headed out on Interstate 44 for Tulsa which, unfortunately, meant driving right back into the storm. A trip that normally took 90 minutes took over 3 hours. He learned later that 3 tornadoes had touched down along the I-44 route between Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Car Auction
Jon endured the difficulties of travel in the Great Plains during the summer to cast his bid on a car that was coming up for sale at the Leake Auction the next day—not just any car, mind you, but a Callaway twin turbo B2K Aerobody convertible. You may remember from a previous article, which can be found here, that Jon is a lifelong Corvette enthusiast and is the proud owner of Callaway Twin Turbo Speedster #007.

Jon was not dissatisfied with the Speedster. In fact he loved driving it so much that he was faced with the collectible Corvette conundrum—you have a very rare Corvette with low mileage that you would like to keep that way, but you love driving it. Jon’s solution to this puzzle was to buy a Callaway twin turbo Aerobody convertible that he could drive and get his “turbo fix” without the guilt of running up the mileage on an extremely rare automobile.

While more plentiful than Speedsters (of which only 10 were made), Callaway B2K Aerobodies are not to be found on every used car lot. Jon had done his research and knew he wanted a convertible with a six-speed manual transmission and he wanted a 1991, the last year for the twin turbos and the year with the most power. When a car meeting his requirements came up for sale at the auction in Tulsa, Jon was ready to make his move.

Callaway Turbo Systems
Reeves Callaway, founder of Callaway Cars, began designing and building aftermarket turbo systems in 1977. Reeves and a team of five others produced systems for BMW, VW, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz in a garage next to his house. The systems were well engineered and received very positive reviews in car magazines.

In 1983 the success of Callaway turbo systems led to a formal arrangement with Alfa Romeo to manufacture a twin turbo system for the GTV-6, Alfa’s 2.5 liter sports coupe. The GTV-6 program proved to be a major stepping stone for Callaway. The system enhanced the performance of the Alfa, giving the brand more exposure in car magazines, while also enabling Callaway to become familiar with the testing, documentation and production standards required for production cars.

The biggest benefit of the Alfa program came when Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan and his staff, looking for ways to boost Corvette’s power, evaluated a twin turbo GTV-6 and came away impressed not only by the performance of the Alfa Romeo, but also by the design and the quality of the Callaway system. GM then approached Callaway about doing a twin turbo system for the Corvette. The rest, as they say, is history.

B2K Aerobody
Callaway Cars developed a hand-built twin turbo engine based on the 350 cu in Corvette engine and is the only organization to be authorized to develop an engine program outside of General Motors engineering staff. The Callaway twin turbo package was given its own GM option code—Regular Production Option B2K. Like other GM cars, the Callaway became known by its option code.

The twin turbo engine for 1987 was rated at 345 hp, a dramatic increase over the 235 hp of the standard Corvette. Callaway increased the horsepower to 382 in 1988; 390 in 1990; and to 403 in 1991. Starting late in the 1989 production year, Callaway offered a special aerodynamic body created by noted designer Paul Deutschman. The Aerobody gives the B2K a distinctive look and provides increased aerodynamic efficiency.

In addition to modifying new cars, Callaway also converted Corvettes that were already in private hands. According to Chevrolet records, 445 B2Ks were made, including 257 coupes and 188 convertibles. If the number of Callaway conversions are included, a total of 510 twin turbos were made between 1987 and 1991.

Auction Time
There were only 25 1991 Aerobody convertibles made and Jon had found the one he wanted. He arrived early at the auction site to personally inspect the car and, as he says, “It looked even better than it did in the photos.” Jon also spoke with the seller and learned more about the car—all of it positive. This was the one!

Jon took a seat in the front row on one side of the ring and waited for the bidding to reach the reserve. The bidding stalled short of the reserve and the auctioneer was speaking directly to the high bidder on the other side of the ring. The auctioneer told the high bidder that the owner wanted $3,000 more than the current bid. The bidder thought for a moment and agreed to give that amount. The auctioneer asked, “Anybody else?”

Jon raised his hand to bid, but could not attract the attention of either the auctioneer or the bidder’s assistant on his side of the ring. He started waving and shouting as did others around him as the auctioneer brought down the hammer and yelled, “Sold.”

Jon was dumbstruck—he had missed the car that he had traveled through thunderstorms and tornados to buy! He found the buyer and asked if he would like to sell it for a quick profit, but the buyer was not interested. With no options left, Jon gave the buyer his name, e-mail address and phone number in case he ever wanted to sell it. It was a long, sad trip back to Scottsdale.

All’s Well That Ends Well
In August of 2008, Jon received a cryptic e-mail from the buyer asking if he was still interested in the Callaway. As it turned out, when the buyer went to pick up the original wheels for the Callaway, he discovered that the seller had another car in his garage that the buyer wanted more than the B2K and he had to sell the Callaway to get it. Jon paid him about what he had planned to spend at the auction and is now the doubly proud owner of two Callaways.

The B2K had about 11,000 miles when Jon bought it and it has just turned over 15,000 miles. He is able to get his “turbo fix” by driving the B2K without running up the mileage on his Speedster. It seems to us to be a perfectly logical solution to Jon’s Callaway conundrum.
 

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Exotic Corvette - Callaway Twin Turbo Speedster

Exotic Corvette: Callaway C16 - a powerfully engineered work of art

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