Ultimate L88 Corvette Set to Cross the Auction Block

Lot R255 at Mecum’s Indy 2020 Auction, July 10-18, is the only 1967 L88 Corvette to retain its complete original L88 engine.

Here it is, folks. The great white buffalo of Corvettes. A veritable motherlode of C2 racer history. One of Bloomington Gold Great Hall’s 50 most significant Corvettes of all time. Mecum’s main attraction at their Indy 2020 auction. The ultimate 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible.

One of 288 L88 Corvettes produced between 1967 and 1969, this particular L88 Convertible was not only the last 1967 L88 to leave the factory, but it’s also the “only 1967 L88 Corvette to retain its complete original engine, consisting of the original engine block, heads, crankshaft, rods, pistons, lifters, and valve train.” That said, if you win this auction, the sellers are including a “freshly rebuilt, period-correct L88 engine” should you wish to drive the vehicle and preserve the original engine.

And if that wasn’t crazy enough by itself, this L88, Serial number 21550, is also “the most successful L88 Corvette race car of all time during its eight-year racing career with its original owner. At the Daytona 24 Hour Endurance race of 1970, Cliff Gottlob’s privateer racing team stunned the field by finishing second in GT Class and 11th overall. Furthermore, L88 21550 was piloted to nearly 300 podium finishes, including more than 150 outright wins, and during that time, it took home a record-setting 52 consecutive victories.”

Furthermore, this is also one of the most well-documented Corvettes of all time. And with purchase, the new owner gets the “original tank sticker, window sticker, order form, shipper copy, dealer invoice, factory inspection form, factory ID card, vintage photos, and complete ownership history.”

Speaking of which, here’s a full list of everyone who has owned this L88:

• Cliff Gottlob (1967-1978)
• Jim Krughoff and David Burroughs (1978-1997)
• Bill McDonagh (1997-2013)
• Dana Mecum (2013-Present)

By the mid-1960s, Gottlob was dead-set on road racing and needed a car. On June 5, 1967, his close friend and Chevrolet executive Ralph Miller arranged a discounted price on 1967 Corvette L88 convertible, and the order was executed with plans for delivery to be taken at the Corvette factory. On July 3, Chevrolet called and said his car was ready, but Gottlob had a full docket of drag-racing contract work and needed to earn the money to pay for the L88, so he pushed back taking delivery of the car. In August, Chevrolet called again. Furious that a 1967 Corvette was sitting among a parking lot of new third-generation models, Gottlob’s L88 was preventing accountants from clearing the books on the previous year’s car and was notably the last midyear Corvette to leave the factory.

Ultimate L88 Highlights

Courtesy of Mecum

• The Ultimate L88 Corvette
• Bloomington Gold Great Hall Inductee
• The last 1967 Corvette to leave the factory
• The only 1967 L88 Corvette to retain its complete original L88 engine
• Documented with the original tank sticker, window sticker, order form, shipper copy, dealer invoice, factory inspection form and factory ID card
• Purchased new by Cliff Gottlob of Arkansas City, Kansas
• Driven by Cliff Gottlob and Dave Dooley to 2nd in GT Class and 11th overall at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1970
• Driven to nearly 400 podium finishes and more than 150 outright wins during its 8-year racing career with the original owner Cliff Gottlob, during that time the car took home 52 consecutive victories
• Gottlob kept the car until 1978 when he sold it to David Burroughs and Jim Krughoff
• Burroughs and Krughoff sold to car to Bill McDonagh in 1997
• McDonagh sold the car to Dana Mecum in 2013
• A freshly rebuilt, period-correct L88 engine is included if the new owner chooses to preserve the original engine
• According to David Burroughs, ‘not one minute of ownership, one piece of paper, or one alteration is unaccounted for.’

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Full details and a LOT more pictures are available right HERE on Mecum’s website.

Photos: Mecum

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