Auction Results: Record Sale of 1969 Corvette L88 at St. Charles

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An L88 Corvette is used to shaking the world around it, but at the Mecum High Performance Auction in St. Charles, Illinois last weekend, an extremely low mile one owner 1969 Corvette L88 shook the auction world by selling for $446,250. Previous high of a 1969 L88 sold at an auction was set back in January 2006 at Barrett-Jackson for $334,800. The L88 engine was rated at 430 hp and featured an aluminum intake and heads, an 850 cfm dual feed Holley carb and mandatory options like an aluminum radiator, heavy duty brakes and the Muncie M-22 transmission. Power windows, power steering and radios were not included to discourage street use. The L88 added over $1,000 to the base price of a 1969 Corvette, which was $4,781. Only 116 L88 Corvettes were built in 1969. The Corvette that sold at St. Charles is one of the most highly documented, low mileage Corvettes in existence. Rare for any 1969 Corvette, much less an L88. The Corvette retains its original matching numbers engine, transmission, carburetor and interior. Only 2,248 miles are on the one-owner car.

1969 Corvette L88 1969 Corvette L88 1969 Corvette L88
Like many L88 Corvettes, this car was destined for the track. Purchased by Dennis Ahrens from Dick Wickstrom Chevrolet in Roselle, Illinois on December 12, 1969, the Corvette was prepped to be a drag racer, achieving a best time of 10.82 seconds in the quarter mile. Many of the Corvette’s original parts were set aside and saved during her racing days, only to be reunited later when the owner restored her back to factory specifications in 2005-06. Since restoration, the Corvette has received Bloomington Gold Certification, NCRS National Top Flight, Gold Spinner Award and the Triple Crown Award with all scores at 97, 98 or 99. The Corvette today sits on three of four original wheels and has the original spare tire. It is believed to be one of the last three L88’s ever produced and is the only known L88 with red exterior and tan interior. It is also one of only 25 delivered with a 4.56 positraction rear end. The Corvette is fully documented with the original window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, dealer sales invoice and order form, tax and license receipt and the owner’s manual. Topping of the impressive list of docs is the Illinois Title in the original owner’s name. We’ll have more results from the Mecum St. Charles auction over the coming days.
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1 COMMENT

  1. I have personally seen one better than this…a completely original silver convertible, driven for only 3 months and put in storage with less than 3,000 miles on the odometer. I mean no drag racing, engine changes, repairs, restoration, etc…etc…etc… It has been sitting under cover, in the same climate-controlled storage for the last 12 years without even being started. The owner evidently has no intention of selling, but when he does, I am sure this one will really top the charts. This is probably the finest example of a survivor L88, better than any of the 216 produced over those three years.

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