The car you see here is not just one of the 116 L88 Corvettes made in 1969. It was the one that took the L88 name and placed it on top of the charts as the fastest quarter-mile production vehicle of its time. Maybe a low 11 seconds car is not that impressive in 2022, but back then, it was the king of the drag strips. It was the Tesla Model S Plaid of its era in terms of performance. Remember, folks, we’re talking about production, stock vehicles here, as, for instance, a tuned 454 Pontiac GTO could threaten the L88’s supremacy.
There is something special about this vehicle. It is one of the 116 units made in 1969 by Chevrolet and left the assembly lines in November. It was delivered in February 1970 to Melton Motor Company in Belleville, Kansas. The dealership owner’s son took it to the drag strip, and he raced it in the AHRA (American Hot Rod Association), with class records in 1971 and 1972.
Since it was used only as a race car, they didn’t title it until 1982, when they sold it to the second owner. In 2010 it was refurbished by Kevin Mackay Corvette, and the car traded hands again in 2015, when its former racing livery was applied. That year, the car won the NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence Award. Finally, the fifth owner acquired it in 2018 and reverted the car to its original Riverside Gold color as part of the original factory specification.
The black interior boasts a black vinyl upholstery with Comfortweave seat inserts. The same color is applied to the door cards, the dashboard, and the center console. A five-dial center stack shows essential data for the water temperature, oil pressure, an ammeter, fuel level, and a clock. On the center console, next to the gearstick, a decal shows the gear pattern, and another one warns about the usage of exclusively 103 Octane gasoline. Also, in the L88 package, the carmaker installed air conditioning, power steering and brakes, and a radio. The odometer on this car shows just 14,500 miles (23,335 km), which are said to be real.
Under the hood, Chevrolet installed a 427 powerplant fitted with forged internals and special camshafts with high-lift and high-overlap. Unlike the L72 or the L89, the L88 was designed for off-road use (racing). It was officially rated at 430 hp (436 PS) and was fed by a four-barrel, 850 cfm Holley carburetor. The aluminum cylinder heads were a rare option. It didn’t necessarily increase the output but shaved a few dozens of pounds from the powerplant’s weight, thus resulting in better-balanced mass distribution and improved handling. Last but not least, the engine is numbers-matching on this car, and so are the rest of the drivetrain components.
The power went to the wheels via a four-speed M22 “rock crusher” manual gearbox. This vehicle came with a 3.70:1 Positraction rear end. Such a powerful car couldn’t be delivered with a regular braking package. It consists of disc brakes in all corners, with vented on the front. That might be usual for most 2022 cars, but remember, that was in 1969. The suspension on this gold L88 Corvette is also stiffened, with seven leaf springs at the back and higher-rate coil springs at the front.
With all that package, it’s not a real surprise that this vehicle gained a world record for its class and dominated for two seasons. Moreover, its history made it more valuable than many other L88s available in the past. Worth mentioning that in February 2021, a black 1968 L88 Corvette in museum quality traded hands for $610,000 and was sold by the same 1600Veloce seller. At the end of the day, it might be more expensive than a “Duntov Turbo,” but at least it is a numbers-matching L88 with number plates. The Riverside Gold Chevrolet Corvette auction will end on March 8 on Bring a Trailer.
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Keyword: This Golden Car Deserves Its Color More Than Any Other L88 Corvette From Its Era…