Mecum Top Sale = 67 Corvette L88 Coupe
1. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe (Lot S122.1)
Sold for $2,695,000
Being the only Corvette L88 that has been finished in a Sunfire Yellow factory finish, this highly prized, multi-awarded, and exquisite 1967 L88 Coupe is exceedingly rare.
2021 Mecum Glendale Auction Results
2021 Mecum Glendale Records $42.3 Million in Sales with a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe achieving the top sale price of $2.7 million.
This year’s sales result was 14% above Mecum’s initial auction in Glendale- itself being a record-setting event as the highest-grossing inaugural event in Mecum’s history.
The auction saw 829 vehicles offered, with 712 selling, producing a strong sell-through rate of 86%. Topping the sales was an award-winning vehicle, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe (Lot S122.1) with an original iconic L88 engine.
HIGHLIGHTS
In Corvette’s almost 70-year history, there has never been another like the L88, an earthshaking machine of raw, unbridled power that redefined Corvette performance and amassed a winning record in FIA and SCCA production competition that went unchallenged for years afterwards. Developed by Zora Arkus-Duntov with Roger Penske through 1965 and 1966, the 427 CI L88 engine employed a reinforced cast-iron block carrying 4-bolt mains, a Tuftrided forged steel crank and connecting rods, and 12.5:1 forged aluminum pistons. The most radical solid-lifter camshaft ever fitted to a production Chevrolet engine actuated a hardened valvetrain in racing-developed high-flow aluminum heads, which breathed in fresh air through a cowl-induction-fed Holley 850 CFM 4-barrel carburetor on an open-plenum aluminum intake manifold. Chevrolet deceptively rated the L88’s output at just 430 HP at 5,200 RPM; when fully race-prepared and running on 103-octane fuel, it reliably churned out 560 HP at 6,400 RPM and almost 500 lb-ft of torque at 5,200.
More than just a fire-breathing, race-ready big-block engine, Regular Production Option L88 was a balanced, comprehensive package of required equipment that included F41 Special Suspension, J56 Heavy Duty disc brakes with J50 vacuum assist, Muncie’s M22 “Rock Crusher” 4-speed, G81 Positraction rear axle, K66 Transistor Ignition with mechanical advance, and radio and heater delete. A Harrison heavy-duty cross-flow aluminum radiator replaced the stock unit and dispensed with the radiator shroud to maximize high-speed cooling, a feature that caused overheating in regular traffic. Just as Arkus-Duntov intended, the L88 left no doubt that it was meant for serious competition. Only 20 L88s were built in that first year of production.
Among the most celebrated and highly prized examples of the exceedingly rare 1967 L88 is this stunning multiple-prize-winning coupe, the only known Corvette L88 factory finished in Sunfire Yellow paint. With its odometer showing just 348 miles since the completion of a meticulous, 10-year restoration, this especially rare L88 coupe’s engine and trim tag have both been affirmed by Al Grenning’s Classic Car Affirmation Service as factory original to the car. Well-known Corvette Master Judge and renowned 1967 expert Mark Donnally has personally inspected and confirmed the authenticity and originality of this very rare 1967 L88, which has amassed a veritable treasure chest of highly coveted Corvette honors. Its Bloomington Gold Certification was followed by participation in the L88 Explosion display at Bloomington Gold 2018. In addition to the NCRS Top Flight Award, the car has also achieved NCRS Performance Verification and that organization’s prized Duntov Mark of Excellence Award. It then made headlines at the 2018 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals by winning Concours Gold, the Celebrity Pick Award and Triple Diamond Certification, becoming the only 1967 L88 retaining its original engine to win both the Duntov and Triple Diamond awards. This extraordinary award-winning L88 is documented with the original owner’s manual, NCRS-validated tank sticker, original new car sales contract and the original title.
HIGHLIGHTS
In Corvette’s almost 70-year history, there has never been another like the L88, an earthshaking machine of raw, unbridled power that redefined Corvette performance and amassed a winning record in FIA and SCCA production competition that went unchallenged for years afterwards. Developed by Zora Arkus-Duntov with Roger Penske through 1965 and 1966, the 427 CI L88 engine employed a reinforced cast-iron block carrying 4-bolt mains, a Tuftrided forged steel crank and connecting rods, and 12.5:1 forged aluminum pistons. The most radical solid-lifter camshaft ever fitted to a production Chevrolet engine actuated a hardened valvetrain in racing-developed high-flow aluminum heads, which breathed in fresh air through a cowl-induction-fed Holley 850 CFM 4-barrel carburetor on an open-plenum aluminum intake manifold. Chevrolet deceptively rated the L88’s output at just 430 HP at 5,200 RPM; when fully race-prepared and running on 103-octane fuel, it reliably churned out 560 HP at 6,400 RPM and almost 500 lb-ft of torque at 5,200.
More than just a fire-breathing, race-ready big-block engine, Regular Production Option L88 was a balanced, comprehensive package of required equipment that included F41 Special Suspension, J56 Heavy Duty disc brakes with J50 vacuum assist, Muncie’s M22 “Rock Crusher” 4-speed, G81 Positraction rear axle, K66 Transistor Ignition with mechanical advance, and radio and heater delete. A Harrison heavy-duty cross-flow aluminum radiator replaced the stock unit and dispensed with the radiator shroud to maximize high-speed cooling, a feature that caused overheating in regular traffic. Just as Arkus-Duntov intended, the L88 left no doubt that it was meant for serious competition. Only 20 L88s were built in that first year of production.
Among the most celebrated and highly prized examples of the exceedingly rare 1967 L88 is this stunning multiple-prize-winning coupe, the only known Corvette L88 factory finished in Sunfire Yellow paint. With its odometer showing just 348 miles since the completion of a meticulous, 10-year restoration, this especially rare L88 coupe’s engine and trim tag have both been affirmed by Al Grenning’s Classic Car Affirmation Service as factory original to the car. Well-known Corvette Master Judge and renowned 1967 expert Mark Donnally has personally inspected and confirmed the authenticity and originality of this very rare 1967 L88, which has amassed a veritable treasure chest of highly coveted Corvette honors. Its Bloomington Gold Certification was followed by participation in the L88 Explosion display at Bloomington Gold 2018. In addition to the NCRS Top Flight Award, the car has also achieved NCRS Performance Verification and that organization’s prized Duntov Mark of Excellence Award. It then made headlines at the 2018 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals by winning Concours Gold, the Celebrity Pick Award and Triple Diamond Certification, becoming the only 1967 L88 retaining its original engine to win both the Duntov and Triple Diamond awards. This extraordinary award-winning L88 is documented with the original owner’s manual, NCRS-validated tank sticker, original new car sales contract and the original title.