Restored Alan Green 1966 Corvette HD427 Racer Was the Precursor to the L88

Before the mighty L88 debuted, GM sent this 1966 Corvette HD427 to a handful of teams for testing, with great success.

One could argue that any L88 Corvette is special, and, well, you certainly won’t be any argument from us. After all, we are talking about a machine created specifically to circumvent GM’s decision to end any participation in motorsports, a machine that was built in scant road-going quantities, only for homologation purposes. Today, any L88 Corvette is a rare, valuable and coveted collector’s item – just 216 were built from 1967-1969, after all – but this 1966 Corvette HD427 going up for grabs at Mecum’s Monterey auction – was actually one of a few cars that helped lead to its creation in the first place.

This particular 1966 Corvette is rather special for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that it’s one of a handful equipped with the HD427 from the factory. This unique engine was something of a precursor to the production L88 package, a big V8 fortified for track use with a host of upgrades including a tweaked cam, 12:1 compression ratio, and an improved oiling system. Nearly identical to the L88 that followed, there was one notable difference between the two – the HD427 had iron heads, while the L88 had aluminum units.

GM was eager to test its new creation, and as such, sent the HD427 to a few notable privateer racing teams for testing, including the outfit from Alan Green Chevrolet. There, famed driver Gary Gove and his mechanic, Bud Weiser, worked to make the C2 viable for track duty before unleashing it on the competition. The results of that effort were impressive, with Alan Green scoring three wins at at SCCA events in Spokane, followed by victories at Deer Park, Newton, Shelton, and Kent in the 1966 season.

Gove’s season was so successful that he found himself leading the points race in the Northeast Region, which earned him a bid in the championship event at Riverside Raceway. After the season was over, however, the 1966 Corvette was sold to Dale Samuelson, who continued its impressive run by scoring multiple SCCA Northeast championships.

Following the car’s retirement in the late 1970s, this 1966 Corvette racer has since been treated to a full-blown restoration that returned it to its original Alan Green livery, and it retains all of its prized mechanicals, too – including the HD427 engine, a Muncie M22 four-speed gearbox, and the large 36-gallon fuel tank. It’s an amazing piece of history, and that much is obvious given its relatively high $750,000-$800,000 auction estimate – a pretty healthy amount of money, albeit for a pretty special car.

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Photos: Mecum Auctions