First and Last Chevrolet Corvette L88 to be Auctioned

A pair of historically significant Corvettes will be offered at the ongoing Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida.

Offered as a single lot, the pair are the first and last production L88 Corvettes; the L88 option was a Corvette with a 7.0-liter (427 cubic-inch in the parlance of the day) V-8 engine, officially rated at 430 horsepower, Perhaps even more, the L88 was the brainchild of Corvette's chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, who wanted a more competitive Vette for racing. As such, the L88 featured high-performance hardware like aluminum heads, but no comfort features like radio or air conditioning

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Nevertheless, a small number of L88s found their way into the hands of the general public as road cars. Today, its rarity and muscular engine make it one of the most collectible Corvettes. One particularly well-made example sold for nearly $2.7 million at auction in 2021.

The two cars currently up for auction include the first L88, a 1967 convertible, one of only 20 L88s produced that year. It is also believed to be the only L88 convertible painted in Tuxedo Black. It was also raced when new by Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson, who finished second in the 1967 SCCA Runoffs at Daytona Beach.

Since L88 production spanned the C2 and C3 generations of Corvettes, the last L88 produced was a 1969 Fathom Green C3 coupe, built on December 4 of that year, the last day of L88 production.

According to the auction listing, both cars have been meticulously restored.

This is not the only historic muscle car duo to be offered at Mecum's Florida auction. The company is also offering a 1970 Dodge Challenger and Plymouth Barracuda "pilot car," believed to be one of the earliest Chrysler e-body convertibles built.