See the Classic Corvette that Vintage Collectors’ Dreams Are Made Of!
There’s probably nothing more exciting to car lovers than uncovering a treasured piece of automotive history, particularly when it’s represented by a truly rare gem of engineering prowess. And there are definitely only a few possible ‘buried treasure’ legends lingering in the minds of classic car fans that are more romantic and bittersweet than that of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L88, which was deemed by its creators to be of such a high performance caliber that consumers and collectors were actually actively discouraged from buying it. At the time, rather than see their super-limited proto-supercar going the way of the buffalo in private collections, Chevy understandably wanted as many of these miraculous wheeled rockets working their magic on racetracks as possible, proving the first-class workmanship and skill of the Chevrolet team far and wide.
Ultimately, only 216 L88s were produced between 1967 and 1969, under the watch of legendary Chevy design director Zora Arkus-Duntov. Seeing the potential that the Corvette presented, Duntov was instrumental in pushing GM more fully into the racing culture of the day, and in upgrading the ‘Vette’s performance capabilities to impressive new levels. Outfitted with an unprecedented performance package that saw it pushing more than 500 horsepower to just over 170 mph, the 1967 Corvette Stingray L88 option was the first pure-power Corvette designed specifically to make waves on the production racing circuit. When it emerged from the factory, however, it had to be made available to the public in one form or another in order to qualify for production car racing. Thus, every effort was made to keep the L88 from being widely advertised, and suddenly, one of the most celebrated hidden treasures of the auto world had been born and buried in almost no time at all.
Flashing forward to a time in which fans tend to only catch glimpses of the L88 in their daydreams, Rick Cole Auctions has now presented one of these beautiful rare beasts for sale to collectors. The original, unrestored 1969 L88 is expected to fetch at least half a million dollars, with estimates climbing as high as a remarkable three-quarters of a million dollars. It’s safe to say that few finer vintages exist to sate the palates of the world’s most ambitious Corvette collectors, and the emergence of this legendary vehicle is a definite cause for excitement for auto connoisseurs of all kinds. We can’t help but tip our hats to this remarkable piece of American automotive history!
Of course, the Corvette is still doing a pretty solid job holding down Chevy’s high-performance lineup, almost fifty years on from the original L88. Never one to shy away from innovating its way into the top tiers of a new era, the 2016 Corvette, which sports a futuristic new take on classic Stingray styling, stands proudly ready to carry the Chevrolet name into unimagined territory. So, don’t forget that when it’s time to seek out the perfect combination of classic, confident style and an uncompromising, progressive attitude, there’s never going to be anything quite like the Corvette. Of course, you can catch the details on Corvettes new and old today at Apple Chevrolet!
