Beautiful 1974 Corvette Convertible Has Us Salivating

There’s just something about this dark red convertible that catches our eye.

Here at Corvette Forum, we’re fascinated by “midyear” C3s. So much changed, so quickly. New urethane bumpers instead of chrome bumpers. Smog-choked small blocks instead of fire-breathing big blocks and free-revving 350s. And, most notably, the death of the convertible, which would eventually return 11 years later in 1986.

The 1973 to 1975 convertibles are especially eye-catching to us. They’re the only years that you could get a convertible with urethane bumpers (front only, in the case of the ’73). To our eyes, they’re very attractive cars. It’s a real shame they didn’t make more of them.

We found this beautiful 1974 offered up for sale on Hemmings. it’s a handsome color combo we haven’t seen before – Medium Red over a Deep Red interior, with a white convertible top. It looks great with the factory Rallye wheels. According to the auction listing, it was repainted in its original color three years ago.

Original Beauty

1974 was the first year for urethane bumpers front and rear. 1973 models were unique, featuring the standard split chrome bumper out back with the new urethane bumper up front. 1974 Corvette rear bumpers are split as well. If you look closely, there’s a noticeable vertical seam running down the middle. By 1975, the rear bumper would become a single molded part.

The cloth interior looks to be original, and appears to be in very good condition for its age. There’s some minor sun fading, which is to be expected of any convertible that’s approaching 50 years old. There’s also some minor staining on the driver’s seat. This Corvette convertible has factory air conditioning, which is said to work flawlessly.

The original 350 cubic inch small block V8 is said to start easily and run without smoke. It’s a healthy engine, if not a powerful one. From the factory, these were rated at just 195 horsepower. It’s important to remember that, during this period, performance cars had a lot working against them. The switch to unleaded fuel, the switch to SAE net horsepower ratings, and new emissions equipment severely dampened performance during the mid 1970s.

Still, this Corvette was a good performer for its day. If you didn’t car about originality, it wouldn’t take much to make respectable power by modern standards. As for us? We’d just leave it be, put the top down, shift into drive, and cruise.

Photos: Hemmings

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