1969 L88 Corvette Roadster Heading to Worldwide Auctioneers’ Texas Classic

Apr 20, 2017

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1969 L88 Corvette Roadster Heading to Worldwide Auctioneers' Texas Classic

If you have deep pockets, get ready to turn them inside out for this 1969 Corvette L88 that may be one of the best in existence.

The special Corvette will be one of the headliners at The Texas Classic Auction on Saturday, April 22.

Worldwide Auctioneers estimates the Corvette – one of just 116 L88s built for 1969 – will bring $650,000 to $750,000.

The car has covered less than 20,000 miles over the past 48 years and is a Bloomington Gold Survivor, Special Collection, and Hall of Fame recipient. The new owner will also get the original tank sticker, Protect-O-Plate, statement of origin, and bill of sale.

Of course, what makes any L88 so special is the monster powerplant lurking under the hood – a 427 V8 with a 12.5:1 compression ratio, a Holley 850 CFM four-barrel carburetor, a high-lift cam, and aluminum heads that produced an “official listing” of 430 horsepower but actually delivered more like 560+ horsepower. The engine was based on the one used in Roger Penske’s Sunoco Corvette that won the 1966 Daytona 24 Hours, by the way.

Ordering the L88 engine meant you also had to order the heavy duty Muncie M22 HD close ratio 4-speed manual transmission, heavy duty disc brake calipers, J50 power brakes, heavy duty suspension, a transistor ignition, and Positraction. Likewise, you also couldn’t order the car with a radio, heater, or air conditioner as Chevy meant for this beast to be used mainly on the track.

This particular L88 was originally bought by a serviceman named Richard Johnston Thomas, who ordered it from Barclay & Company Central Chevrolet in Seoul, South Korea on Oct. 27, 1968. He eventually took delivery of the car when he came home to the Atlanta area but quickly sold it about a year later, possibly because, like others, he found that the L88 wasn’t an easy daily driver. Ever since, though, the subsequent owners have continued to take exceptional care of the car, which still has its original paint, interior, and hard top.