Among more than 200 examples of a Chevrolet Corvette crossing the block during Mecum’s huge collectible car Auction in Kissimmee, Florida, January 6 to 16, eight of which are special enough to be intended together as a “once-in-a-lifetime offer from Corvettes.”
They come from different senders and collections, but Mecum turned the spotlight on these Corvettes as a group because of the historical features that each of them have in meaning and value.
This 1957 super sport was Chevrolet’s show car in New York
The most prestigious of which is a competition legend, the 1963 Corvette Z06 “Gulf One”, which is the most successful production Corvette race supported by the C2 era factory, and one of only 14 regular production Corvettes dedicated specifically to the competition.
An award-winning exploit of the low-mileage Corvette Z06 from 1963
Two more Corvettes from 1963 also win acclaimed C2 samples, including a very original Z06 Split Window coupe that received the Bloomington Gold and Bloomington Gold and Survival Awards in 2013. The coupe was not restored with original paint, glass, interior and propulsion system, showing only 39,000 in practice. Mail and has been with its original owner for 43 years.
1963 Z06 / No3 has a 36 liter fuel tank
The other is the Z06 / No3 Coupe, one of 63 with a 36-liter No3 fuel tank and a 327/360 horsepower engine that matches the numbers. He receives the Bloomington Gold Medal and the NCRS Lead Flight Award.
The 1957 Corvette is a Big Brake Airbox version
A pair of Corvette’s 1957 roadsters are also getting the attention they deserve. One is the Chevrolet Super Sport Show car that first appeared in New York in January 1957 to showcase Rochester’s fuel injection. The second is an example of the “Big Brake Airbox”, one of 44 manufactured and run at SCCA events between 1957 and 1959.
The 1966 L88 Coupe was a NART development car
The 1966 Corvette Pilot Line L88 was Pedro Rodriguez / NART’s development car and the first race car built at the Corvette plant, resulting from a collaboration between GM’s Zora Arcos-Donatov and NART’s Luigi Chinti. Among its departures in 1966 was Sebring’s 12 hours as a field test car for aluminum cylinder heads.
The ‘Race Rat’ from 1960 has a 24 liter fuel tank
Another famous rider is the 1960 “Rat Rat” Corvette tanker, one of only 10 with the option of a 24-liter fuel tank, and which was the winner of the GT14 rank and achieved 16th overall in the 12 hours of Sebring in 1960.
The 1967 Corvette 427 is a survivor of 8,500 miles
The eighth wonder is a 1967 coupe 427/435 Corvette horsepower known as the “Vault Find” because it remains in original condition, not restored and displays only 8,533 miles on its odometer. The box office, owned by one of the newest family until 2017, retains its original window sticker, vehicle sender report, Protect-O-Plate, original radio tag, user manual and extensive handwritten maintenance logs.
Mecum’s Kissimmee auction at Osceola Heritage Park will include some 3,500 vehicles, as well as daily Road Art car bids, marking the start of a multi-year partnership between Mecum and MotorTrend Group, which will feature Mecum’s debut at MotorTrend + and MotorTrend TV.
For more information, visit the website Mecum website.
This article, written by Bob Golfen, was originally written Posted on ClassicCars.com, Co-editor of the Motor Authority.
Keyword: Historic Corvettes offered at Mecum auction in Florida