There have been many fabulous concept cars over the years, but few as iconic, or influential, as the 1965 Mako Shark II. Bill Mitchell (General Motors Vice President, Styling Section) unveiled the Mako Shark concept car at the New York Auto Show in April 1965. At the time, few could have guessed the car would go on to predict not just the shape of the third-generation ‘C3’ Corvette. It also introduced numerous innovations that would appear on other production cars for years to come. Code-named XP-830, the Mako Shark II caused an immediate sensation due to sci-fi styling, eye-catching color scheme and technical wizardry.
With styling and ‘fire frost’ paint scheme inspired by creatures of the deep, the Mako Shark II bore the same blue-fading-to-gray paint seen on the original Mako Shark concept car. With lower nose, dramatically curved front fenders and an extreme tuck-in along its flanks, the Mako Shark II was even more dramatic in appearance than the flamboyant original.
The Mako Shark I in the background - foreground dominated by the equally dramatic Mako Shark II wearing the same marine-inspired paint scheme.
Instead of a twin-bubble top, the Mako Shark II roof was nearly flat and flowed rearward to form a boat-tail that receded into a kamm-back rear. Louvers shielded the rear window (reducing visibility) while the louvered theme extending to front fender vents and indicators. Underneath the sleek new body resided the chassis from a Mako Shark I show car.
Note how the roof curves into a boat-tail while louvers allow a bare minimum of rear visibility.
Bill Mitchell's design brief for the XP-830 was as follows:
"a narrow, slim, center section and coupe body, a tapered tail, an all-of-a-piece blending of the upper and lower portions of the body through the center (avoiding the look of a roof added to a body), and prominent wheels with their protective fenders distinctly separate from the main body, yet grafted organically to it."
Mitchell allegedly had a real mako shark mounted on the wall in his office, and ordered his team to paint the car to match the distinctive, blue-gray upper surface that blended along the flanks into a white underbelly. When attempts to match the colors failed, legend has it the stylists took the shark off the wall one night and painted it to match their best efforts on the car. Bill Mitchell never noticed, so the story goes, and pronounced himself pleased with the results on first viewing the car.
Bill Mitchell poses with the Mako Shark II - note the shark-inspired paint scheme he specifically requested
Chevrolet created two Mako Shark II’s - only one of which was fully functional. The non-running show car sported futuristic details such as square section side pipes and a squared-off steering wheel. This was the car that debuted at the 1965 New York Auto Show. The second running show-car made its debut at the 1965 Paris Motor Show with conventional steering wheel and exhaust.
The second, drive-able Mako Shark II bristled with technology and innovation.
The working Mako Shark II played host to Chevrolet's new-for-1965, 396 cubic inch Mark IV big block V-8, mated to a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission (Chevrolet later changed the 396 for a larger 427 V-8)
The Mark IV 396 cubic inch (6.5 liter) V8 first debuted in 1965 and became an option on the C2 Stingray.
The Mako Shark II was a winner with car show crowds on both sides of the Atlantic. The cries of ‘Build it!’ echoed all the way to upper management of the GM Building in Detroit. They stopped long enough to listen, and decreed the Mako Shark II should go into production as the third-generation Corvette scheduled for 1967.
The Mako II's radical styling raised serious issues during testing. Despite its low nose and high tail, the car developed front end lift at high speed, necessitating small spoilers front and rear to make the car steadier at 70+ mph. Outward visibility from the driver's seat was another issue, as the car's sloping hood and tall front fenders hindered the road view from the low slung driving position.
Miss Teen America for 1960, actress and singer Connie Van Dyke poses with the Mako Shark II. Note the rear-hinged roof to allow easy entry and egress.
Despite being variable in pitch, even when fully open the slats gave only a partial rear visibility. In the end, common sense prevailed and the production car did away with the boat-tail styling, opting instead for a more conventional ‘sugar scoop’ arrangement with a removable, upright rear window nestled between buttresses that merged into the rear deck-lid.
Weeks from production, it was found the big-block V8 cars overheated in warm weather. Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov frantically had slits cut in the fiber-glass valance below the grille to allow more airflow to the radiator. It worked, up to a point, though big block Corvette’s continued having overheating problems until the last 454 V8 powered Stingray was sold in 1974.
At top is the Mako Shark II, on the bottom The 1968 Corvette Stingray clearly showing its lineage.
Visit the Corvette galleries
Despite Chevrolet’s challenges manufacturing a car based on a truly futuristic show car, other manufacturers quietly took note of the array of new features. Mako Shark II innovations would appear on rival-brand products for years to come, some examples listed below:
Access hatches, mounted alongside the hood permitted easy access to common service items - later seen on the 1970 Datsun 240Z.
variable-position rear spoiler that could add downforce at speed - employed on various Porsches, and the Bugatti Veyron.
instead of the seat moving forward to accommodate drivers of different dimensions, the steering wheel tilted down and telescoped rearward. Accelerator and brake pedals, along with the high beam dimmer switch, were mounted on a movable platform that adjusted to fit those of various inseams.
digital fuel gauge and speedometer - foreshadowing a big move to digital instruments in the 1980s
controls were recessed to maximize occupant safety in the event of an accident, a feature that would soon become standard across the entire automotive world by the 1970s
self-diagnosis: all six headlamps used fiber-optics wired to the instruments so the driver could see that all were operational. This feature appeared on the new 1967 Cadillac Eldorado (and 1968 Corvette)
The car's flip-forward front clip would appear on the C4 fourth-generation Corvette released in 1983.
Mako Shark designer Larry Shinoda poses with the clay model of yet another fabulous GM concept car - the Chevrolet Monza GT of 1963.
Though Bill Mitchell commissioned the car, and decreed its dimensions, color scheme and overall concept, it was the talented Larry Shinoda who came up with the shape. And Shinoda was then commissioned to turn the Mako Shark II into the new Corvette Stingray scheduled for release in 1967. Because of the difficulties getting everything sorted before production - the new C3 Stingray was held back until 1968. It was well worth the wait.
Shinoda’s 3rd generation Corvette Stingray bore a very close resemblance to the Mako Shark II, but it also had a character all its own. The shape lasted 14 years, and remains one of the truly great automotive styling exercises. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but for the author - the Mako Shark II-inspired C3 Stingray is one of the all time great designs and looks as good today as it did in 1968.
Visit the Mako Shark II gallery
Little red Corvette - inspired by the Mako Shark II.
About the author
Raph Tripp is the owner of a 1966 Thunderbird, is a passionate classic car enthusiast and writer, and founder of TunnelRam.net. If you wish to publish this article in part or in whole, please credit Raph Tripp and tunnelram.net . This is an original Tunnel Ram production ©2022 Tunnel Ram. All images remain the property of the original copyright holders.