This is the 1988 Corvette driven by John Lingenfelter to just shy of 255 MPH on October 26th, 1988—17 years before the Bugatti Veyron. Its achievement is still stunning even by today’s standards despite a quarter century of technological advancement. We remember reading the Car and Driver cover story detailing the record breaking event. This is the only one built; there were no other SledgeHammers. The final speed pass in the video below is shocking to watch. Find it here at Mecum Auctions where it is slated to cross the block in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2014.

The so-called Callaway Aerobody kit the car wears was designed specifically for the record attempt, and was said to lower drag and improve stability while also allowing better cooling for the twin turbo’s intercoolers. From 1989 onwards it became optional for commercially available Callaway Corvettes of lesser tune, which is to say all of them, as none came close to offering similar levels of power. Styling is of course a matter of taste, but we think it looks good in a functional and very 80’s way.

The Youtube video below tells the full story:

The cabin remains a mostly GM factory affair, retainingworking A/C, power windows/locks, and stereo system. A center console mountedplaque shows the car started life as number 51 of 400 -standard- Callaway TwinTurbo Corvettes. Its roll cage is wrapped in black leather and five point harnesseshave been added to what seem to be modified OEM Lear power seats. It looks likea great place to play INXS cassettes in air conditioned, 200 MPH+ comfort.

Starting with a NASCAR spec crate block with 4 bolt main bearing caps, Callaway then installed Mahle pistons, forged conrods, and Brodix aluminum heads. A specially ground cam enabled docile around town behavior while offering high flow in the upper rev range, and conjunction with twin Turbonetics TO4B snails the package pumped out an amazing 898 HP and 772 lb-ft of torque. Suspension was modified for high speed stability with relocated lower control arms and Koni shocks, while 17″ Dymag wheels were shod with bespoke Goodyears developed specifically for the attempt.

It-s hard to overstate the scope of this car’s impact on Corvette history and its emergence as the world-class supercar challenger it has become. Apart from capturing the imagination of our school aged brains like a boa constrictor, its 254.76 MPH run served as a goal post for ambitious automotive engineers all over the globe. The fact that it took Ferdinand Piech’s fiery will and untold billions of VW deutschmarks to even come close to its achievement a generation later attests to its greatness.