Photo: Mecum Auctions
Enjoying a very high profile in the Corvette enthusiasts community, the L88 Coupe is one of the most sought after Vettes ever made thanks to its timeless beauty, ultralow production run and serious firepower.
Fortunately for the discerning collector, this American muscle must-have is now up for auction sporting an extensive nut-and-bolt restoration job done by the Naber Brothers in 1998. When this Vette was built back in 1967, the punchy 427 cubic inch (7.0-liter) Chevrolet big block V8 powering it wasn't even listed in the sales brochure.
True enthusiasts of the American sports car will tell you that the RPO L88 was the ultimate creation of the famous engineer Zora Arkus Duntov. The most extreme and complex variations of the powerplant packed up to 660 horsepower. However, the production version of the engine that powers the Corvette featured is brutally simple and simply brutish.
Boasting a cast iron block, remote oiling system and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor, the L88's engine used special 12.5:1 pistons that pump the air-fuel mix through Winters Foundry cast aluminum heads. Deceptively rated by Chevrolet at 430 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, automotive folklore hints that this very special Corvette was capable of 560 horsepower rear-wheel horsepower at its 6,500 rpm redline. Anyway you put it, those were big numbers back in the day.
The L88 Coupe you can admire in the gallery below is just one of 20 units built in 1967 and sports impeccable code 976 Marina Blue exterior paint and a black stinger. Programmed to go under the hammer at Mecum's Seattle auction on June 13th-14th, 2014, the vehicle retains its original factory side exhaust and is equipped with an M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission, transistorized ignition system, power brakes and heavy-duty suspension.
Heck, the L88 was so ahead of its time it was delivered with a center console affixed label that stated in bright red print "Warning: Vehicle must operate on a fuel having a minimum of 103 research octane and 95 motor octane or serious engine damage may result.” So if you want a piece of the ultimate version second-generation Stingray, we recommend you prepare a suitcase full o' money cause it won't exchange hands for pennies.
True enthusiasts of the American sports car will tell you that the RPO L88 was the ultimate creation of the famous engineer Zora Arkus Duntov. The most extreme and complex variations of the powerplant packed up to 660 horsepower. However, the production version of the engine that powers the Corvette featured is brutally simple and simply brutish.
Boasting a cast iron block, remote oiling system and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor, the L88's engine used special 12.5:1 pistons that pump the air-fuel mix through Winters Foundry cast aluminum heads. Deceptively rated by Chevrolet at 430 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, automotive folklore hints that this very special Corvette was capable of 560 horsepower rear-wheel horsepower at its 6,500 rpm redline. Anyway you put it, those were big numbers back in the day.
The L88 Coupe you can admire in the gallery below is just one of 20 units built in 1967 and sports impeccable code 976 Marina Blue exterior paint and a black stinger. Programmed to go under the hammer at Mecum's Seattle auction on June 13th-14th, 2014, the vehicle retains its original factory side exhaust and is equipped with an M22 Rock Crusher four-speed transmission, transistorized ignition system, power brakes and heavy-duty suspension.
Heck, the L88 was so ahead of its time it was delivered with a center console affixed label that stated in bright red print "Warning: Vehicle must operate on a fuel having a minimum of 103 research octane and 95 motor octane or serious engine damage may result.” So if you want a piece of the ultimate version second-generation Stingray, we recommend you prepare a suitcase full o' money cause it won't exchange hands for pennies.
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