Callaway Cars held their first annual open house on the second weekend of October at the company’s headquarters located in bucolic Old Lyme Connecticut. Saturday was a spectacular, New England autumn day, bright, sunny, and warmer than normal, just right to showcase some of the rarest automotive creations that were ever made. This was also a chance to take in the essence of an organization, which grew from a one man business that was conducted in a garage in his home, to a well respected engineering and production company with three locations worldwide. I knew I would feel a little out of place, milling about between the owners of these rare cars and the cars themselves, until I came across one of the earliest Callaway Scirocco.

This 1982 Volkswagen Scirocco was not a show car by any means. The Black finish doesn’t shine as brightly as it did when it was new, the front and rear bumpers have taken on a silver gray hue from years of sitting outside, and the interior took on an aged, and weathered look, with the many wrinkles and cracks that are easily covered up on an aging Hollywood starlets face, but are proudly worn as a badge of honor on this car. You see, this car still has the Callaway Turbo window decal still in place, along with the set of Centro Wheels that were standard equipment with the package, and while it may not be a concourse winner any time in the future, it is a historical tribute to the Callaway name. And there it sat, among all those beautiful Stock, and Callaway modified Corvettes, commanding attention, almost as if the car was saying “Hell yea, I belong here too”. And it did.

The car is owned by John Kulp from Malvern Pennsylvania. While the car probably doesn’t produce anywhere near the 117 HP it once produced when it left the Callaway location all those years ago, it will get out of its own way. The car traversed to Old Lyme from PA, and according to John, it was comfortable, quick, and economical, just the way he imagined it would be all those many years ago when the car of his dreams was introduced in the early 80’s. John always wanted a Callaway equipped Scirocco, but could never afford one. That all changed when this car popped up on an Ebay Auction from a Connecticut Saab dealer, and soon enough, he was the owner of a well worn, but still hugely relevant VW Scirocco by Callaway.

To coin a phrase from Hemmings, this is a “Drivable Dream”. There is over 80,000 miles showing on the odometer, and it needs a great deal of work to become show worthy. The biggest problem John discovered is how pervasive the rust problem is. While the car s relatively rust free from the “B” pillar forward, almost everything back has the dreaded tin worm. One problem can be traced to the aftermarket electric sunroof installed by the original dealer, in which the drain holes never seemed to work correctly, collecting water within the roof panel, and support structure. The other problem was neglect, as if the car was parked in the mud, because the rear chassis and lower body is almost nonexistent. The one good thing about owning a unique vehicle based on a corresponding production one is that there are plenty of cheap, spare parts to replace components such as doors, fenders, and chassis parts, and this type of surgery is slated in the future for John’s car.

I asked John how he felt being the only participant to bring an early Callaway Scirocco into an event dominated by so many factory and modified Corvettes, and he said it was what he expected, except that instead of feeling like an outcast, he was totally embraced into the Callaway Family. So, as I bid farewell to John Kulp, and took the last set of images of his newly found pride and joy, maybe I shouldn’t feel out of place in which there is such a gathering of historical and ground breaking cars. And from that point, I didn’t.

According to the seller, the '83 Callaway Turbo 944 made 284 horsepower, nearly double the stock figure of 143, which gave it outrageous-for-its-time performance. In a car weighing 2,675 pounds (or about 200 pounds less than the current Boxster), that's going to be a lot of fun, and the seller points out that it ought to be legal for vintage racing. Only 20 of these little beasts were made, and the seller feels that makes it worth 45 American grand. Seriously cool car, heavy-duty price. What do you think?

[Craigslist Monterey, go here if the ad disappears]

Press Release:

CALLAWAY C16 SPEEDSTER
SET TO MAKE WORLD DEBUT AT 2007
PEBBLE BEACH CONCOURS d'ELEGANCE

Flagship Model in C16 Line Offers High-Speed Motoring in its Purest Form, Features Jet-Fighter Styling, 700HP Hand-Built Powerplant, Unrivaled Exclusivity

OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT (July 23, 2007) - Callaway Cars today announced it will unveil the C16 Speedster, the third and flagship model in the C16 lineup, on the concept lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, August 19, 2007.

The made-to-order C16 Speedster represents a pinnacle in American supercar design. The supercharged and intercooled 700 horsepower Callaway exotic produces class leading power, a topless cockpit with twin wind deflectors and extended headrests, exquisite bodywork and race-inspired chassis tuning. Much like its spiritual predecessors, the 1990 Callaway Speedster and 1998 C12 Speedster, the latest C16 Speedster offers a visceral open air driving experience unlike any other.

"This is Callaway Cars' most exquisite vehicle to date," said company founder Reeves Callaway. "The C16 Speedster marks our 20thanniversary with Corvette and 30th year in business, and having this statement of our passion for the automobile featured on the concept lawn at Pebble Beach is a high water mark for us."

The C16 Speedster was penned and modeled by Paul Deutschman, architect of the "Callaway look" and designer of the original 1990 Callaway Speedster. Every body panel has been redesigned to speak to style and aerodynamics, and a hand-tooled German leather interior adds exclusivity. Door sills, the steering wheel and dash area all carry signature Callaway badging. Each Speedster is tailored to the buyer's specifications, including interior and exterior colors and a personalized build plate.

Underneath the car's stunning bodywork lies the heart of a racecar. The Callaway supercharged, intercooled, 6.2L all-alloy hand-built powerplant produces 700hp and 660lb-ft of torque, propelling the Speedster from 0 to 60 in an estimated 3.2 seconds. Maximum velocity of the C16 Speedster is over 210 mph.

Overall handling and road feel is transmitted by a newly developed Callaway/Eibach Multi-Pro coil-over suspension system. This joint development effort produced an advanced spring/damper system, featuring 10-position compression and rebound adjustability, allowing the driver to customize settings for specific road conditions.

A unique element the Speedster shares with its C16 siblings - Coupe and Cabrio - are Callaway/Dymag Carbon wheels that weigh approximately 40-percent less than the lightest aluminum wheels, significantly reducing unsprung weight for improved acceleration, cornering and braking. These TUV- and DOT-tested wheels feature forged magnesium spiders surrounded by carbon fiber rims and measure 19" x 10" front and 20" x 13" rear. Residing behind the wheels is a Callaway / StopTech brake system, which utilizes 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers gripping 355mm x 32 mm rotors.

The Callaway C16 Speedster will be available for purchase in the Fall of 2007 and starts at $305,000 USD. Speedster No.1 of the series will be delivered to its new owner at Pebble Beach.

Those silly Callaways, always raising the bespoke Corvette bar. You've seen the orange C16 'Vette that debuted at the Montreal auto show. Now, its roofless sibling will show its junk in New York. Buyers will have a choice of 560 or 616 horsepower's worth of supercharged V8 sloth mitigation. The company says it's good for 200 mph with the top down, which means at least one Orange County real estate developer had better have gotten the super-duty hair plugs. – Mike Spinelli

Callaway C16 Convertible Tops 200. Who Needs a Face, Really? [Wired Autotopia]

Related:
Production Callaway C16 Debut at Montreal Auto Show [internal]

No, Wilde and Spinelli weren't canceled after last week, despite what happened with that chicken and the 10W-40. Which is good, because they've got a treat for us today when their hour of power airing live at 2:00 PM EST on Sirius Channel 108. The dynamic duo will be interviewing Reeves Callaway, the CEO and founder of Callaway Cars. So expect them to be all over Reeves for access to a media fleet Corvette-platformed C16 and a first-talk on any other toys he might be playing with back at either his Connecticut office or the highly precise German digs. If you've got questions for Reeves leave them in the comments and we'll make sure Spinn gets them before they go live.

Maxim Radio - 2:00 PM EST - Sirius Radio, Channel 108

Related:
Jalopnik on Sirius: We Might Make You Delirious [internal]

Six hundred and sixteen horses worth of Callaway Cars' C4 LeMans race car technology is now available with fine German leather. The first production version of the Callaway C16 platform debuted at Montreal's Palais des Congres for the 2007 Montreal Auto Show this week. (The pre-production version was announced at the LA Show last November.) The law of demand led the company to offer its C16, which clocks 200 mph, posts a 10-second quarter mile, and comes with a five-year/100,000 mile warranty backed up by your local Chevrolet dealership (all that and mileage ratings of 18 mpg city/28 mpg highway). All this orangey goodness starts at slightly under 120 large. Full release and specifications after the jump. – Mike Bumbeck

Press release:

FIRST PRODUCTION CALLAWAY C16 SUPERCAR MAKES WORLD DEBUT
AT 2007 MONTREAL AUTO SHOW

Penned by Canadian Designer Paul Deutschman, Callaway Cars' New 200 MPH Sports Car Takes Performance and Style to New Heights

OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT (January 3, 2007) - Callaway Cars today announced it will debut the first production model of its Callaway C16 sports car at the 2007 Montreal Auto Show. Incorporating Callaway's race-proven technologies, superlative craftsmanship and arresting style, the powerful supercharged 616bhp Callaway C16 will be showcased in the General Motors display, which opens January 19th at Montreal's Palais des Congres.

The 16th major engineering project from Callaway in the company's 30-year history, the C16 was drawn and modeled by noted Canadian designer Paul Deutschman. Montreal-based Deutschman Design, has an eighteen-year portfolio of Callaway projects that include the 254 mph Sledgehammer, Callaway's C4-based Le Mans race cars, its C7 carbon monocoque racecar, C12 sports cars and now the stunning Callaway C16. Much of the C16's body development was carried out in Montreal including 3D computer modeling, mold making, component production and prototype assembly.

A Callaway C16 pre-production prototype was displayed at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, resulting in great fanfare and a rush of customer orders. Based on the current Chevrolet Corvette platform, and carrying a high level of distinctiveness and style, the Callaway C16 offers a significant performance value. An MSRP of $119,865 for an automobile of this performance is a new benchmark in the category.

"The buyer looking for a Z06 level of performance is no longer limited to a manual gearbox, fixed-roof coupe," says company founder Reeves Callaway. "Buyers now have the choice of a targa-style coupe or a convertible with either a 6 speed paddle shift automatic or 6 speed manual gearbox. Our customer gets an individually built, uniquely styled automobile that does a 10-second quarter mile, delivers a top speed of over 200 mph, can be serviced at any Chevy dealer and comes with a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty."

The Callaway C16 represents a menu of all the components developed and engineered by Callaway Cars. This includes the exclusive Callaway/Magnuson supercharger, C16 bodywork, high-level interior, brakes, suspension, wheels and tires. The optional Callaway supercharged 6.0-liter LS2 V8 produces an impressive 616 bhp at 6,200 rpm and develops 582 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm. Excellent handling and ride are courtesy of a newly developed Callaway/Eibach Multi-Pro coil-over suspension system option.

Selecting the Deutschleder Interior Package option completely retools the C16 cockpit in exquisite German leather with brushed Alcantara accents. A Recaro Pole Position seat package including competition-style harnesses is also available. Door sill panels, steering wheel and passenger dash area carry signature Callaway badging. Clients may choose body color and interior appointments to individual taste. Each car is serialized and identified by its build plaque and personalized authenticity documentation.

The Callaway C16 is available exclusively through Callaway Cars' authorized dealer network in North America, Callaway Competition in Leingarten, Germany, and CorvetteTotal, Bonstetten, Switzerland.

MSRP for the 2007 Callaway C16 coupe starts at $119,865 USD.

All Callaway C16 components are available individually, for both new and currently owned Corvettes, through Callaway authorized retailers and installers.

Related:
Lingenfelter 402 C6 Corvette; 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Sledgehammer [internal]