Historic 1967 COPO C2 Corvette is Centerpiece of RM Auctions Event

COPO Corvette was once owned by legendary GM designer Bill Mitchell and is part of Jim Mangione Collection of Corvettes.

Corvettes are usually classics immediately off the assembly line. Whether it’s the C1 era made to draw WWII vets away from the British roadsters they brought home, the C3 era that saw America’s sports car shift from pure muscle to personal luxury, or the C8 era ready to shake up the exotic scene, there’s no denying the history, coolness, and all-American spirit each generation embodies.

And yet, some Corvettes are more classic than others. Take for instance this example that we spotted in the DuPont Registry Daily: a 1967 COPO C2 in Ermine White that once belonged to legendary General Motors designer Bill Mitchell, who gifted it to his wife, Marian. It is set to be sold at an upcoming RM Auctions event happening Aug. 29 through Sept. 1 in Auburn, Indiana, and featuring cars from the Jim Mangione Collection.

Under the white hood with the red stripe of this special Corvette is its 427 cubic-inch V8, packing 400 horses. With the legendary Zora Arkus-Duntov’s blessing, Mitchell picked the car off the line in St. Louis, choosing it for its COPO transformation Then he shipped it to General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, for the final upgrades.

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As RM Sotheby’s notes, “Marian is said to have enjoyed the car for two years,” drawing looks from everyone in Detroit even after the first C3 ‘Vettes were already on the road.

Afterwards, Bill sold the special Corvette roadster to his neighbor, who sold it to another neighbor, who moved to Kentucky and sold it to a restorer, and, eventually, it wound up in the hands of famous collector Jim Mangione. That’s a lot of hands to have touched this unique Corvette, with one more lucky set waiting for it at the auction block.

Along its journey, the Corvette won many, many awards, including the first-ever Bloomington Gold Historic Award, given to the car during the 2001 edition in Bloomington, Indiana.

The car is among five Corvettes from the Jim Mangione Collection heading up to the block not far from where it won the award nearly 20 years ago. We hope it continues to draw eyes from far and wide wherever it goes for decades to come.

Photos: duPont Registry Daily via RM Auctions

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