Autoblog

1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Roadster – Lot 270 Unsold at $1,550,000

This car bears the distinction of being the First RPO L88 Corvette ever built. It has an estimated 600 hp coming out of its massive aluminum-head 427 cu. in. V8, that is theoretically managed by an M22 "Rock Crusher" heavy-duty four-speed. As required with the purchase of the L88, it also features desirable go-fast, turn-fast, stop-fast options like the G81 Positraction differential, F41 heavy-duty suspension, and J56 four-wheel heavy-duty disc brakes. That adds up to one very special Corvette Roadster.

And to make it even better, this particular L88 was ordered by Tony DeLorenzo, Jr., the son of Anthony G. DeLorenzo. Senior was GM's vice-president in charge of public relations from 1957 to 1979. Tony had been racing Corvairs in SCCA while Zora Duntov and Roger Penske were developing the L88 in 1966. Tony closely followed the success of those Penske L88 prototype cars and for the 1967 SCCA season he got sponsorship to run an L88 of his own from Hanley Dawson Chevrolet in Detroit, Michigan.

As soon as the car got to him he repainted the original red stinger blue for personal reasons, and the car went straight to the race shop. It was never driven on the street, instead heading straight to the track. There it was campaigned pretty successfully by Tony and subsequent owners for a number of years before "retiring" in 1982. At that point it immediately underwent a complete restoration that earned it Bloomington Gold honors, Top Flight NCRS honors at multiple events, and was featured as part of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection. At the RM Auction it didn't find a new home when the top bid of $1,550,000 failed to reach the reserve.

[Source: RM Auctions]