Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey

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Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey


This unrestored 1969 Corvette L88 coupe will make you think it’s the ’60s again!

How many 46-year-old cars do you know that have just 2,576 miles showing on the odometer, and furthermore how many do you know that have the legendary 427/430 L88 engine lurking under their hood?

But that’s the story behind this impressive time-capsule of a Corvette that will be auctioned off at the Rick Cole Monterey Auction Aug. 13-15 at the Marriott Hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf.

Preliminary estimates are that what’s being billed as “the lowest-mile, totally unrestored and original L88 in existence” will fetch between $650,000 and $750,000.

The car started off as an unlikely candidate to reach this pinnacle as the original owner, Raymond Butler, a member of the Corvette Club of Michigan, used the car during the summer of 1969 in autocross, slalom, and drag racing and is responsible for putting most of the mileage on the odometer. During Butler’s ownership, another driver posted an 11.7-second ET. Interestingly, some rub marks are still at the rear of the car, caused by the slicks used at the drag races.

After that first summer, though, Butler soon stored the car and wound up selling it to fellow club member Dave Davies in 1972, but the new owner attracted so much attention from police on one trip that he parked the car and never drove it again. What a shame!

Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey


In 1975, Werner Meier became the third owner and only added nine miles to the clock, those coming at the L88 Earthquake in 1988 at the Bloomington Special Collection. He sold it in 2000 to Jim Mattison, founder of Pontiac Historical Services, who passed it on to a prominent California collection in 2006 before the current Consignor.

The list of honors for this car goes on and on, including being a member of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection in 1988 and Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame in 1998 and an invitee to the 2003 Bloomington Gold Special 50th Anniversary celebration. It also was an NCRS Top Flight Award Winner in 2005.

As one of just 116 L88s built in 1969 (only 20 were made in 1967 and 80 in 1968), this Corvette is even rarer since it is one of just 10 L88s that came with the 4.56 Positraction rear axle.

The only way to get a better L88 probably would be to climb into a time machine, hit the switch to go back to 1969, and visit a Chevy dealer.

The new owner will receive extensive documentation, including the original window sticker, GM Protect-O-Plate, warranty booklet, and the sticker from the gas tank, which has been carefully removed for preservation.

By the way, the factory’s 430-horsepower rating is a joke as the L88 actually made well over 500 horses in stock version. Since it was so powerful, Chevy discouraged L88 sales to non-professional racers and described it as an “off-road vehicle.” Indeed, while a four-speed manual and heavy-duty Turbo 400 automatic transmission were available, buyers could not get the frilly stuff like air conditioning, power steering and windows, and a radio.

Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey


Clearly, the options that were available (and were actually mandatory) – things like J56 heavy-duty brakes, F-41 special suspension, K66 transistorized ignition, and G80 Positraction differential – targeted serious racers.

All that power allowed the Corvette to climb past the 150-mph mark fresh out of the factory, and minor tweaks saw owners reach 11-second quarter-mile times.

Today, the L88 remains one of the most desirable and valuable high-performance autos around, with the legendary performance of L88 racers like Tony De Lorenzo, Don Yenko, and Dick Guldstrand adding to the aura of the vehicle.

As you might expect, this particular L88 is one for the historians to serve as a benchmark of originality, since it has 90 percent of the original exterior paint and a totally unrestored interior that even includes the warning sticker requiring the use of 103-octane fuel only.

Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey
Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey Original Low Mile 1969 Corvette L88 to be Offered in Monterey


The Rick Cole auction will be in Monterey from August 13-15, 2015 at the Marriott Hotel near Fisherman’s Wharf. This 1969 Corvette L88 Coupe is Lot #1150.


Source:
RickCole.com

Related:
ProTeam Corvette: 1968 L88 Corvette Has Documented Drag Racing History
[VIDEO] The L88 Corvette Racers Arrive at Amelia Island
1967 GT Class-Winning Corvette Returns to 2015 Sebring in Gallery of Legends Display

 



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