Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 1966, Estados Unidos

Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 1966, Estados Unidos
Motor: 427/425HP
Exterior: Azul (Nassau Blue)
Interior: Azul
Fotografia

HIGHLIGHTS

Matching numbers L72 427/425 HP engine

Matching numbers drivetrain

4-speed transmission

Concours frame-off restoration

Documented by original Protect-O-Plate

Factory color code 976 Nassau Blue

Al Knoch interior and top

Power steering and brakes

Same owner since 1981

Side exit exhaust

Knock-off wheels

Goldline tires

Auxiliary hardtop

Owners manual

This very attractive 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible boasts a matching-numbers drivetrain headlined by the L72 427/425 HP big-block V-8 engine, the powerplant that launched the Corvette in a new direction in performance and redefined its image. Customer demand for a Corvette using big-block power rose to a crescendo as new entries like Pontiac’s GTO heralded the rise of the high-performance muscle car. De facto Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov was well aware of those developments, but he resolutely resisted pressure to adapt Chevrolet’s truck-based “W-head” engine, biding his time until he could receive approval to develop a production version of the notorious Mark II “mystery motor” that rocked the NASCAR circuit at the 1963 Daytona 500. The resulting Mark IV V-8 debuted at 396 CI in the 1965 Corvette, its factory rating of 425 HP eclipsing the most powerful fuel-injected 327 CI small-block by 50 HP. But Arkus-Duntov wasn’t finished; for 1966, he specified an increase in displacement to 427 CI. While the factory rating remained at 425 HP at 5,600 RPM, the L72’s power continued to build all the way up to its 6,500 RPM redline, evidently surpassing 450 HP. This 1966 Sting Ray convertible is in magnificent concours condition after a comprehensive frame-off restoration. A handsome beast from any angle, this 1966 Sting Ray convertible is especially attractive in its color combination of factory code-976 Nassau Blue complemented with a pristine matching blue interior by Al Knoch Interiors of Canutillo, Texas. Cared for by the same owner since 1981, the car shows all the great features that make up the quintessential big-block midyear Corvette: the L72 427/425 HP engine mated to a Muncie 4-speed manual transmission, power steering and power brakes, side exhaust, goldline tires on knock-off wheels and an auxiliary hardtop. Documentation includes the owner’s manual and the all-important Protect-O-Plate.