A street-legal 1965 Chevrolet Corvette with real SCCA and Trans Am pedigree is back in the spotlight, offered on Bring a Trailer after decades of racing, refurbishment, and vintage event appearances.
Originally delivered to Rosenthal Chevrolet in Arlington, Virginia, the coupe was transformed early in its life into a big block competition machine and campaigned through 1983 before spending years tucked away in North Carolina.
The car’s second act began in the 1990s, when it was rebuilt to SVRA specifications and fitted with a custom short stroke V8 — a Thomas Racing Engine build using a four-bolt main 350 block, Dart Iron Eagle heads, a Crane roller cam, and a Holley 780 carb atop an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake. Output was dyno verified at 500 horsepower and 446 lb ft of torque on 110 octane fuel.
Power runs through an M22 “Rock Crusher” four speed and a limited slip differential with its own cooler, a setup the seller says is capable of 150 mph at 7,500 rpm. The frame has been gusseted, the front end updated with C3 spindles, and the suspension tuned with cut front coils, a five-leaf rear spring, and adjustable shocks. Four-wheel discs with cooling ducts handle braking.
Visually, the Corvette wears blue paint with a yellow over the top stripe and #08 roundels, plus a front air dam, exposed hood locks, side pipe exhaust, and a Le Mans style center fuel filler. Acrylic windows, safety straps on the windshield, and American Racing Torq Thrust wheels wrapped in Goodyear Blue Streaks complete the period correct race look.
Inside, the cabin is pure competition: a full roll cage, Ultra Shield racing seat, RaceQuip harness, aluminum door panels, fire suppression system, removable safety net, and a Petersen remote oil sump in the passenger footwell. AutoMeter and Stewart Warner gauges monitor everything from oil pressure to coolant temperature, while a quick release steering wheel and four panel rearview mirror emphasize function over comfort.
Included with the sale are an NCRS shipping data report, SCCA logbook, historical photos, race results, and even a feature from Corvette Cars & Parts magazine. The car has competed in vintage events at Summit Point, Watkins Glen, and Amelia Island, and arrives with decades of documented history.
The seller’s video walk around (well worth watching, by the way) highlights the car’s condition — “a 7 out of 10,” with expected race car bumps and bruises — and demonstrates its ferocious soundtrack through the side pipes.
The car is described as street legal, carrying a Colorado title that lists it as a 1966 model despite a July 9, 1965 production date. The NCRS shipping data report confirms the car’s official production date, which places it firmly in the 1965 model year. But in the mid 1960s, titling practices were far from standardized. Many states didn’t title cars by model year — they titled them by the year the first owner walked into the DMV. If someone bought a leftover ’65 Corvette off the lot in early 1966, the DMV often wrote 1966 on the paperwork, even though the car was built and sold as a ’65.
That’s exactly what Bring a Trailer commenters pointed out:
“In that era, frequently vehicles were titled for the date you walked in the doors of your local DMV… A new owner can usually show up at the DMV with proper documentation and get it titled for the proper year if you so desire.”
At the end of the video and a test drive, the seller enthusiastically calls the experience “exhilarating” and “makes me not want to sell.”
Nevertheless, with five days left on the auction, bidding sits at $31,000, a number likely to climb given the car’s provenance, performance, and unmistakable presence — a true C2 warrior built for the track and still eager to run.
Source:
Bring a Trailer
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