This abandoned Mako Shark car concept just got the ultimate makeover
Published on Jun 09, 2025 at 9:30 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jun 09, 2025 at 9:14 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
This stunning Corvette Mako Shark was rescued from a field and given a complete makeover – or mako-ver, if you’d prefer.
The original GM XP-755 concept car, also known as the Mako Shark, was built in the 1960s and was a real head turner.
A couple of years on, GM unveiled the Mako Shark II, which would go on to provide the inspiration for the exterior of the C3 Corvette.
However, the Mako Shark itself didn’t go into production, much to the dismay of many car lovers who had already fallen in love with the vehicle’s unique look.
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In response to that disappointment, customizers John Silva and Joel Rosen created a Mako Shark bodykit – named the Maco Shark, to avoid legal issues with GM – that was able to transform a C3 Corvette into a road-going Mako Shark.
And one of those was found abandoned and long forgotten in a field by a man named John, who just so happened to be a huge Mako Shark fan.
Realizing that this could be his chance to own his very own Mako Shark, John got in touch with the owner of the vehicle, who agreed to sell it on the condition that he would restore it.
While it’s always great to see an old car get a fitting restoration, like this Porsche 993 that spent four years submerged in water, or this 1987 BMW M6, which was abandoned for almost 30 years – there’s something particularly special when the car being restored is super-rare and unusual like this Mako Shark.
However, while John was more than happy to take on the project, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.
The car had spent around 15 years parked outside, exposed to the elements, and was, as John put it, ‘completely wrecked’.
Undeterred, John hunted for a donor car to help get the Mako Shark back on the road and eventually found a 1973 Corvette car, that also happened to be wrecked.
In all, it was a full ground-up restoration, with John telling the Ridiculous Rides YouTube channel that ‘there’s not a single component on the car that hasn’t been replaced’.
As well as getting the exterior and engine into shape, he overhauled the interior, opting to keep everything original to the model, except for the addition of some black leather seats from the 1980s.
Taking a look at the finished Mako Shark quickly reveals that all of the time, effort, and money John spent restoring and making over the Mako were absolutely worth it and he’s been left with a stunning ‘unicorn’ car to be proud of.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
