It is hard to believe but we have already reached the end of the second week of our countdown of the Best Corvettes from each decade and it is time to reveal our greatest Corvette of the 1960s. As most of you have probably guessed, especially with the ’63 out of the way at #2, Corvette Blogger’s greatest of the 60s is the 1967 version.
The 1967 Corvette isn’t just the best of the ’60s, but it would certainly be in the running for greatest Corvette of time. The culmination of all C2 improvements along with a new “stinger” hood (only available in conjunction with big-block power) and an array of diverse powerplants made the 1967 Corvette a highwater mark in terms of sophistication, power, speed, and style.
The final version of midyear Corvette saw the dawn of the legendary L88 427. Just 20 of these monsters left the factory but they left an impression on all who were lucky to be in the presence of one. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year, an L88 reached a staggering 170 MPH on the Mulsanne Straight though the car ultimately wouldn’t finish the race.
The L88 wasn’t the only 427 offered in ’67 either. Friendlier, less cost prohibitive (the L88 added almost 25% to the price of a Corvette) versions could also be had. These started with the 390 HP L36 and worked their way up to the 435 Horse L71 (and L71 with special aluminum heads, designated L89, which was even more uncommon than the L88 with production of just 16 units).
The L71 has remained the one to get through the years. It brought the highest factory rated horsepower that a Corvette would see until 2006 at an attainable price (close to one third the cost of the high-strung, temperamental L88 race motor). Because of these benefits, the L71 was made in far greater numbers than other top-tier engines with production of nearly 4,000 units. While you can expect to pay well over $1,000,000 for an L88, L71s can be had under $150,000 all day long and you are getting a much more useable car that you don’t have to be afraid to take out for an occasional spin. If 427 power doesn’t float your boat, the ’67 still offered small-block 327s in both 300 and 350 HP flavors.
There are a few other rare and fun options to look out for. First is the one-year only vinyl covered auxiliary hardtop, of which only 1,966 were made. 20 Corvettes in 1967 also received the M22 Heavy Duty Close Ratio 4-Speed transmission (it cost about $50 more than the M20 and M21 4-speeds which combined for another 20,172 units). The Powerglide automatic rounded out the transmission choices and was installed in 2,324 ’67 ‘Vettes. The N03 36 Gallon Fuel tank was extremely rare, only finding its way under the fiberglass of two ‘67s. Finally, we have one of the gnarliest options; RPO N14, commonly known as the Side Mount Exhaust System, or simply, side pipes. They were the best $131.65 you could spend when spec’ing your Sting Ray. A grand total of 4,209 discerning customers chose these, coolest of options.
So there you have it, a short overview of the grand finale of the C2 generation whose legend lives on to this day as our best ‘Vette of the ‘60s.
The 1950s
- The Best Corvettes of the 1950s: No.3 – The 1953 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1950s: No.2 – The 1959 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1950s: No.1 – The 1957 Corvette
The 1960s
- The Best Corvettes of the 1960s: No.3 – The 1965 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1960s: No.2 – The 1963 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1960s: No.1 – The 1967 Corvette
The 1970s
- The Best Corvettes of the 1970s: No.3 – The 1978 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1970s: No.2 – The 1970 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1970s: No.1 – The 1971 Corvette
The 1980s
- The Best Corvettes of the 1980s: No.3 – The 1982 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1980s: No.2 – The 1986 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1980s: No.1 – The 1984 Corvette
The 1990s
- The Best Corvettes of the 1990s: No.3 – The 1996 LT4 Corvette
- The Best Corvettes of the 1990s: No.2 – The 1999 Corvette FRC
- The Best Corvettes of the 1990s: No.1 – The C4 Corvette ZR-1
The 2000s
- The Best Corvettes of the 2000s: No.3 – The C5 Corvette Z06
- The Best Corvettes of the 2000s: No.2 – The C6 Corvette Z06
- The Best Corvettes of the 2000s: No.1 – 2009 Corvette ZR1
The 2010s
- The Best Corvettes of the 2010s: No.3 – The C7’s Z07 Ultimate Performance Package
- The Best Corvettes of the 2010s: No.2 – The C6’s Z07 Ultimate Performance Package
- The Best Corvettes of the 2010s: No.1 – The 2019 Corvette ZR1
Source:
Photo Credits: CorvetteImages.com
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Sorry to be a Details Critic- but the Vinyl Roof coverings for the Hardtop were installed on 1,966 units! Not 35 as stated in the article! Thinking that they transposed the figures only one line down in the Black Book to the number of C48 Radio & Heater Delete. No biggie! LOVE your choice as best of 60`s, as I own a `67 427 3×2`s 400hp with Fact. A/C !!
Good call, Wade. I thought that number was iffy. I should have double checked it, have to be 100% around here because our readership knows their stuff! Thanks for chiming in and have a great rest of your Thanksgiving!
One of the coolest cars ever made anywhere on earth. Never understood the appeal of whitewall tires on a big block vette – or any vette for that matter.
Not mentioned was the lamented dropping of the beautiful knock-off wheel option in favor of the earless turbine wheels. This as a result of absurd NHTSA style safety regulations claiming potential injury to pedestrians.
It brought about an era of ugly faux hubcaps until modular one piece wheels arrived in the late 1990’s.
I was able to drive a 1967 435 h.p. corvette that belonged to a friend. It was not very old at the time. To this day it is still one of the best times ever. What a kick ass car.
The ultimate Corvette to me: A Marina Blue L36 ’67 Coupe with black leather, 4-spd & a/c….
Great job Alex and a well written piece.
I purchased a new ’67 with a pretty rare combo. of options, i.e., Lynndale Blue convertible with Teal Blue interior, removable vinyl covered hardtop, 427 400 HP 3×2, 4 speed manual with Aluminum wheels and side mounted exhaust. Should have included power steering considering the weight of that big block engine. Obviously regret parting with it way too soon.
I suppose it depends on how you interpret “best”. The ’67 Corvette was pretty much a carry-over from the prior year and, as I understand it, only ended up as a 5th year of C2 production due to delays in finalizing the new C3 design. Relative to the prior year cosmetic changes were minor, the engine lineup was similar (except for the L88 and L89 options, neither of which saw many orders), and the list of available options was virtually the same — so all in all not a particularly notable or “milestone” model year.
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