Callaway Cars Inc. is an American specialty vehicle manufacturer and engineering company that designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance product packages for cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs. They specialize in Corvettes and other General Motors (GM) vehicles. New GM vehicles are delivered to Callaway facilities where special packages and components are installed. Then the vehicles are delivered to GM new car dealers where they are sold to retail customers, branded as Callaway. Callaway Cars is one of four core Callaway companies, including Callaway Engineering, Callaway Carbon and Callaway Competition.
History
In 1973 Reeves Callaway (full name Ely Reeves Callaway III), son of Callaway Golf founder Ely Callaway Jr., was not in a financial position to start the racing career he was aspiring to. Instead, he went to work as a driving instructor at Bob Bondurant's racing school. While using the newly launched BMW 320i as a school car, he became familiar with its intricacies and deficiencies, and later convinced BMW to let him take one of its cars to his garage in Old Lyme, Connecticut, to tune it for more power.
As a result, Callaway constructed and installed his first prototype turbocharger system and offered Car and Driver journalist Don Sherman the opportunity to drive the car resulting in a one-page article, giving the modified car great acclaim. Realizing its commercial potential, he told Sherman that he could make turbocharger kits available to the BMW community despite not having the necessary equipment to manufacture the components, including a drill press. In 1977, he founded Callaway Cars, Inc.
Over the years, Callaway developed turbocharger kits for BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. He also developed the HH IndyCar V8 engine and later produced twin turbo conversions of the Alfa Romeo GTV6 for Alfa Romeo USA—35 Twin Turbo GTV6 were produced, most of which still exist in 2023. This attracted the attention of GM engineering, which led Callaway to become famous in 1987 when they adapted the twin turbo conversion for the Corvette. Built under Regular Production Option (RPO) B2K, the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette was available through Chevrolet dealers as a factory option. Callaway sold 510 of them over a period of five years.
Callaway was also commissioned by Aston Martin to design new cylinder heads for the Aston Martin Virage 5.3 L V8 engine, which led to him managing the engine program for its AMR1 Group C racer.
Callaway Cars headquarters is in Old Lyme, Connecticut with West Coast facilities in Temecula, California, and European facilities in Leingarten, Germany. Its current projects are the Corvette Z06-based Callaway Corvette SC757, Stingray-based Callaway Corvette SC627, Callaway Tahoe/Suburban, Yukon/Yukon XL and Escalade/Escalade ESV SC480 and SC560, Callaway Camaro SC630 and SC750, and Cadillac-based Callaway CTS-V SC740.
Reeves Callaway died on July 11, 2023, at the age of 75.
Projects Callaway tend to refer to each project with a C, followed by a project number.
C1 (Callaway Turbo Systems) The Callaway Turbo Systems was the name of the development program and subsequent sale of the developed product, aftermarket turbocharger systems for BMW, VW, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The Callaway C1 VW turbo kit was contracted to Drake Engineering for the design. In exchange for the design, Drake Engineering concurrently sold the kit under their own name for the first two years of production; thereafter, Callaway retained exclusive rights. This was the first of the Callaway's projects, running from its company's foundation in 1977 to 1984.
C2 (Callaway HH Indy Car Engine) The Callaway HH Indy Car Engine was a project to build a racing engine for IndyCar specifications from semi-scratch as an eleven-months-long program between 1980 and 1981. It was intended to show Callaway's capability to design and implement a complex high-performance engine program.Callaway HH Indy Car Engine page at Callaway Cars The "HH" design engineer was a famed BMW and now freelance engine designer, Hans Hermann. The HH Indy Car engine V8 block was designed to fit two Hermann-designed, Drake Engineering water-cooled Volkswagen 16-valve cylinder heads.
C3 (Alfa Romeo Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6)
Callaway's success with turbocharger kits led to a commission from Alfa Romeo to produce a higher end version of its 2.5-liter GTV-6 coupé. Between thirty and thirty-six examples were built between 1983 and 1986, with the first prototype being sold and titled as a 1984 model, the subsequent four prototypes as 1985 models and the remainder (i.e. the "regular production") being sold as 1986 model year cars. In addition to numerous small component upgrades, the Callaway GTVs included a much revised suspension, improved brakes and a twin-turbocharger system, boosting performance to near-exotic levels. The C3 received a rear spoiler and a different hood with a large scoop.
The car's performance caught the attention of Dave McLellan, Chief Engineer of the Corvette, which would subsequently lead to the Callaway-Corvette association it would become famous for.
C4 (RPO B2K Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette)
The special edition Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette was available from 1987 to 1991 as Regular Production Option (RPO) B2K and could be ordered from select dealers in the US. Corvette orders with the B2K option selected were shipped to Callaway Cars in Old Lyme, Connecticut, for the Twin Turbo conversion directly from the Bowling Green assembly plant.
Once converted and tested, the Callaway Corvettes were then shipped to their ordering dealers for final delivery to their respective owners. Dealer repairs of the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were covered by the standard GM 12-month/12,000 mile warranty, with Callaway Cars, Inc. reimbursing dealers for time and materials on repairs to the added components. This was the only time GM allowed a factory-orderable non-GM performance enhancement on the Corvette.
The ultimate Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette is known as the Sledgehammer Corvette. Until 1999, the Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette held the World Street Legal speed record of . It is an emissions-compliant, street-legal vehicle with all the creature comforts, like air conditioning, radio, etc. that a customer would find in any production street Corvette. Built using production chassis 1988–051, it achieved its World Record Title in November 1988 at the Ohio Transportation Research Center (TRC). In addition to Callaway's engine performance improvements, the Sledgehammer Corvette used modified body panels to reduce drag and improve stability. This body modification, known as the Callaway AeroBody, was designed by Automotive Designer Paul Deutschman. The Callaway AeroBody was later available as an appearance enhancement option for Callaway Corvettes beginning in the 1989 model year.
On the performance side, the 1987 production version of the Callaway Twin Turbo B2K option provided and of torque, with a top speed of , at a price of just over $50K. In those days, this brought the Callaway Corvette into the performance category of Ferrari and Lamborghini, which cost in the range of $100–$175K. According to National Corvette Museum records, 188 Corvettes were built that model year, with the Callaway Twin Turbo (B2K) option on 167 cars.
As a footnote to 1987 production, one 1986 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette was built at the very start of production. This sole 1986 Callaway Corvette, was built using one of the fifty Malcolm Konner Commemorative Edition Corvette Coupes (RPO Code 4001ZA) built that year and counted under 1986 Callaway Corvette production.
For 1988, Callaway increased the stock performance of the Twin Turbo Corvette to yield and of torque. That year, 125 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were built, with 105 ordered with the RPO B2K option.
The 1989 Callaway Twin Turbo option provided the same power output as the 1988. However, after the World Record run of the Callaway Sledgehammer, the AeroBody became an option for the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette. A total of 51 (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were ordered that year with a total of 68 cars produced.
In 1990, GM finally introduced their ZR-1 Corvette, which obtained similar performance characteristics as the 1989 Callaway Twin-Turbo option. Although power was up to and of torque, 1990 saw the lowest number of (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes ordered: 59 were ordered, with only 58 actually built.
To counter the ZR-1, for the 1991 model year, Callaway was able to bring up the output of the B2K option up to and of torque. 1991 would be the last year of the L98 engine, which was the base engine of the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette. There were 62 ordered in this last year of Twin Turbo production. In total, 497 (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were ordered through the normal sales channels. However, before the Callaway Twin Turbo option went away, Callaway and Deutschman went to work to provide yet another more powerful and stunning car, the Callaway Speedster. A small amount of the final twin turbo cars and the Speedsters—including 10 Series 1 Speedsters with the L98 Twin Turbo—were designated 500 Series Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes. These unique cars came with OZ Racing wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, a "500 Series" dash plaque, a "500 Series" intercooler badge, a special car bra, a car cover, and floor mats.
Regarding the "production" of the Callaway Sledgehammer, Reeves Callaway built it using a production Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette (chassis 1988–051). The car was, in fact, a production car, with all options found in other Corvettes of the same model year.
C5 (Aston Martin Virage V8 and AMR-1 Group C Engine)
Aston Martin retained Callaway to help it re-engineer its then 30-year-old Tadek Marek-designed, two-valve V8 engine for the upcoming Aston Martin Virage. Callaway's brief was for four-valve cylinder heads, increased power, and single-configuration worldwide emissions compliance. The Virage road car debuted in 1989 and the project was successful enough that Aston chose to rely on Callaway to supply a race version of the road car engine for their 1989 Group C prototype, the AMR-1. It finished eleventh in its first and only appearance at Le Mans.
C7 (Callaway C7) The C7 is an ill-fated supercar built for GT1 category racing, developed between 1993 and 1996. Callaway attempted but failed to pre-qualify the C7 at the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was subsequently entered into the Daytona Rolex 24 Hour race, where it held the lead at the 12‑hour point. However, an electrical failure, which led to an oil system failure, prevented it from finishing its first real long-distance test.
C8 (SuperNatural Camaro) Approximately 55 SuperNatural Camaros were created and approximately 18 Callaway C8s. In order to be an official C8, the engine and bodykit had to be installed. Brembo brakes, various suspensions, and an upgraded interior were all available options. The first SuperNatural Camaro is a 1993 Indy pace car replica (one of the 633 wearing the same decals and such as the two actual cars that paced the race). The first production (and completed) C8 is a red 1994 convertible. The silver prototype used in many advertisements and marketing materials is not considered a production C8, but may be considered one of those 18.
For 2002, Callaway produced a limited run of Commemorative C8s, based on the 1998–2002 Camaro. Although only two were produced to this specification, one 1996 Callaway C8 was upgraded to the Commemorative body kit by the company. Although this brings the total number of C8s with this kit to three, Callaway only recognises the two originally built. Only the silver Commemorative C8 is a 2002 model; the other is Cayenne Red metallic and is a 1998. The most noticeable difference between a Callaway C8 and a Commemorative C8 is the different nose.
C9 (Callaway Impala SS)