1969 Corvette L88 Coupe Is One of Just 116 Produced

This particular 1969 Corvette L88 is obviously rare, but it also has a very cool and unique history.

As Corvette fans are well aware already, the L88 moniker is something truly special, utilized on only the most hardcore, track-focused versions of GM’s legendary sports car over the years. Over three years of production, a mere 216 Corvettes were produced with the optional L88 package, and today, those cars are highly sought-after and incredibly valuable, with many selling in the millions. It’s unclear if that will be the case with this 1969 Corvette L88 coupe up for grabs at Bring a Trailer, but it’s certainly going to rake in serious money, regardless.

GM built a mere 116 1969 Corvette L88 models, and this is one of them, of course. But this particular car also has a pretty cool story after it was originally ordered by the son of the owner of Melton Motor Company in Belleville, Kansas. It sat at that dealership, used as a demo model before the son drag raced it with much success, earning AHRA class world records in 1971 and 1972. In fact, it stayed at the dealer and was never titled until 1982, at which point the car moved on to private hands for the first time.

The Corvette was refurbished in 2010 and went on to score a NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence Award in 2015, modified to its previous racing form, and then returned to original with a respray in the OEM color dubbed Riverside Gold a few years later. Quite the journey for any car, we’d say, but we’re glad to see the C3 looking precisely like it did the day it arrived at Melton Motor many, many years ago. Judges apparently agree, because it has racked up several awards since then, including MCACN Triple Diamond Certification, Bloomington Gold Certification, and a spot in the Bloomington Gold Collection.

This particular 1969 Corvette L88 was one of the last to leave the factory, and today, it looks no worse for wear. It features a few options including soft-ray tinted glass and a side-mounted exhaust system with ribbed aluminum covers, as well as the main attraction – its hi-po 427 cubic-inch V8, which is mated to an M22 “rock crusher” four-speed manual gearbox and a Positraction rear end with 3.70 gears.

With a boatload of documentation and historical photos, this C3 L88 is a truly special find, and bidding reflects that thus far, as it exceeded the $300k mark quite quickly. But then again, there’s no denying how special any L88 is, especially one with such an interesting and unique history like this example.

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Photos:Bring a Trailer