Countdown to Monterey: 1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor

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1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor

For many collectors, the L71 powered 1967 Corvette convertible is the must-have Corvette to own. With 435 horses under the hood, the 1967 Corvette is considered the pinnacle of classic Chevy performance. But the discriminating buyers at Monterey won’t accept just any 1967 Corvette so Russo and Steel is obliging by offering this 1967 Corvette Convertible “Survivor” at its 10th Anniversary Monterey auction at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Monterey. Like the old saying goes, “It’s only original once!”.

The first positive performance improvement for Chevrolet’s Corvette was the introduction in 1955 of Chevrolet’s first V-8 engine, a 265 cubic-inch, short-stroke design. The second was the influence of a Soviet émigré in GM’s engineering department, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Duntov simply took the new V-8 and backed it with a three-speed manual transmission. That combination helped turn the Corvette from a two-seat curiosity into a genuine performer above and beyond anything to come out of an American manufacturer’s production facility in the history of the automobile.

With evaluation on the racetrack and the long-awaited independent rear suspension, the second-generation Corvette, or C2, was a completely new car in most respects, adding also a coupe variant to America’s Sports Car that had only been available in roadster and coupe form since its debut. Development continued over the next few years and engineers and designers alike realized that there was plenty more room to grow. The 1965 model year would introduce the ‘Mark IV’ 396 big-block 425 horsepower V-8 for the first time, while 1966 would see the introduction of Chevrolet’s 427ci big block engine with 390 and 425 horsepower options that pushed the performance envelope further. The best was yet to come, however; for in 1967, the L71 option 427/435hp engine with solid lifters and tri-power carburetion set the high-water mark for Corvette performance in cars that were not intended solely for racing purposes.

With just 17,800 original, documented miles from new, this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 horsepower L71 Convertible is comprehensively numbers-matching and wears 100% of its original, factory applied Marlboro Maroon lacquer finish over a black interior and matching convertible top. A true Survivor in every sense of the term, the car rolls on its original factory non-DOT-marked rubber, exhales through its original factory exhaust and retains its original belts, hoses and even its original spark plug wires after forty-three years.

It goes without saying that precious few legitimately unrestored, original paint top-of-the-heap L71-powered Chevrolet Corvettes exist; in fact, the number of Corvettes in the same Benchmark class of cars such as this one on offer today is presently limited to fewer than ten examples the world over. Apart from its rare and desirable tri-power, solid-lifter big-block V-8 engine, the car sports the desirable Muncie M21 close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, the optional 3.55:1 ratio rear axle with posi-traction limited slip differential, transistorized ignition, F41 Gymkhana heavy-duty suspension, a refinished auxiliary hardtop, the under-car ‘Off-Road’ exhausts, the rare AM/FM radio and the unusual and original 7.75×15″ white stripe tires.

The car has run the gamut of certifications and awards presentations from Bloomington Gold that include Gold and Gold Survivor Certification, Benchmark Certification, Hall of Fame and has been featured in Bloomington Gold’s Special Collection on two separate occasions. Additionally, it has been awarded multiple NCRS Top Flight Awards, has been NCRS Performance Verified and is a Triple Crown Award Winner.

Cars such as these are regularly kept as part of collections indefinitely and when they do sell, they do so privately; the opportunity here is a very unique one indeed to own what is undeniably one of the finest Survivor Corvettes extant from what is arguably the finest year for top-tier collectible Corvettes.

1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor 1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor 1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor
1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor 1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor 1967 Corvette 427/435 hp Survivor

This Corvette will cross the auction block during Russo and Steele’s Monterey auction on Saturday, August 14th sometime between 8:30-9:00 am. Click here for auction details or here for the car list.

Auction description courtesy of Russo and Steele


Source:
Russo and Steele

Related:
Countdown to Monterey: 1953 Corvette Roadster #199
Countdown to Monterey: 1967 L88 Corvette Convertible

 



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