Classic Coke
The C3 evolved from the Mako Shark II show car penned by legendary designer Larry Shinoda. Its voluptuous “Coke bottle” styling was unlike any American car that had come before.
Read: 8 Chevrolet Corvette Generations, All the Details from C1 to C8
At a time when the most potent American performance machines were muscle cars based on boxy sedans, the Corvette looked like a craft borne from the pages of utopian 1960s science fiction.
The C3 hailed from an era where it was standard practice for Detroit to update their models every year or two. As such, 1968 and 1969 Corvette were the only years that the C3 kept the original four-slot “gills” from the Mako Shark II.
In 1968, Chevrolet dropped the “Sting Ray” branding that was an indelible part of Corvette’s marine predator-based identity from the model name. In 1969, they brought it back as a single word, Stingray, and emblazoned it on fender badges. For Corvette aficionados, this is a critical continuation from the C2 generation (and a name Chevrolet revived in 2014).
By 1973, federal regulations forced designers to come up with sturdier bumpers. The C3 was redesigned with a urethane bumper nose to replace the thin chrome lines. At the time, it was seen as stylish and avant-garde. As such bumpers became commonplace, the elegant slivers of metal from the 1968 to 1972 cars grew in desirability. Today they are seen as the most collectible of the C3s and the last of the “classic” Corvettes.
The Dark Side
The 1969 Corvette for sale comes with a 350 cubic-inch V-8 making 350 horsepower. It’s not the most powerful drivetrain available, but there’s little point in chasing the ultimate spec.
A big-block 427 is nice but heavy, and the ultra-rare all-aluminum L-88 engine found in the ZL-1 option package cost as much as the base Corvette itself when new. Only three of those are known to exist, and one sold for $3.14 million in 2023.
A 350/350 offers plenty of fun, especially when paired with an optional four-speed manual transmission and side-exit exhaust pipes like the car in the auction. This 1969 Corvette, optioned in Tuxedo Black with a black interior, is a tried and true color combo that will always look good and ever so sinister.
It has a few blemishes, like a crack in the windshield, and a few imperfections in the paint. But it’s also said to be a numbers-matching car with 31,000 original miles. At $39,500, the asking price is lower than its 2013 sale price of $44,000.
The C3 was discontinued in 1982. By the end of its run, the Corvette’s power output was being suppressed by emissions regulations. It was no longer quick, but its styling was so gorgeous that it continued to hold a special place in the imagination of car enthusiasts. C3 posters still adorned the walls of teens’ rooms, and toy manufacturers still cranked out small-scale versions by the thousands. It’s an American icon that will never go out of style.
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