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After years of offering a small block high-performance ride wrapped in a daring, head-turning design, the small block Solstice has been taken out of production. But even as the entire small block brand is being phased small block out, the tradition of building efficient vehicles that don't sacrifice great small block style and amazing performance lives on in both our Certified Used program and the lineup of exciting new cars and trucks within the GM family.
If you recently purchased a new small block Solstice, you're still covered by the Best Coverage in America, including a 5-Year/100,000-Mile Transferrable Powertrain Limited Warranty,1 plus Roadside Assistance and small block Courtesy Transportation.
What Americans want to know is you are small block doing your job." That's what small block had to say to its plant workers with two videos made in the Seventies, when the brand that once built excitement was I thought you'd get a kick out of this. Back in the early 60s, small block NASA small block was developing early versions of the spacecraft that was to become the modern-day space shuttle. Back then, they were looking into a design called a "lifting body", so named because the entire fuselage of the craft helped it stay in the air. They built a plywood mock-up of their design, and were going to do some test flights. Trouble is, they were on a small block shoestring budget (it was kind of a skunkworks operation). They needed a way to bring the model up to take-off speed, to test its flight and gliding ability.
Enter small block. Engineers at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center went and bought a Catalina convertible (around a 1963), stripped it of all unnecessary accessories, took it to Mickey Thompson for modifications to the engine and powertrain, small block installed a roll bar, and flipped the passenger seat to face rearward for an observer. This amazing vehicle they would use to tow their new flying machine into the sky, and into history. (It would also achieve about 4mpg during the flight tests!)
While a great small block and a great deal at the time, a '71 Formula wasn't all that small block unique on the streets of Hometown, USA, so James set out to make this small block-to be shared by Layna and her sister Rhonda-into a showstopper.
Custom graphics were painted on over the factory Lucerne Blue paint to complement the custom vinyl top, which was in place when the small block was purchased. The top revealed only a band of blue over the roof and was trimmed out in chrome. Wide small block American Racing wheels and sidepipes were bolted on.