The 1957 sports racing Corvette that raced only once at the 12 Hours of Sebring was the Corvette SS.
Chevrolet built the Corvette SS as its first purpose-built racing car, rather than adapting a production Corvette. Its tubular steel space frame was inspired by the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and the full-specification car used a lightweight magnesium body. Zora Arkus-Duntov developed the project after Chevrolet management concluded that a dedicated racer was needed to challenge international competition.
At Sebring in 1957, the SS started from pole but retired after 23 laps. It suffered tire, ignition, overheating and suspension problems. Chevrolet then withdrew from racing after the Automobile Manufacturers Association adopted a ban on factory participation, ending the car's planned competition career. The later FIA displacement limit also would have restricted its usefulness in European events.
The SS is easy to confuse with the Corvette SR-2. The SR-2s were earlier racing Corvettes based more closely on production-car architecture; the SS was the purpose-built successor. The surviving car later entered the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum collection and became one of Chevrolet's most historically important racing prototypes.