Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
Introduced for the 1963 model year, the Sting Ray is arguably the most iconic Corvette ever designed. So much so, that the current generation Corvette was named after the C2. It was a drastic departure from the styling and performance of the C1, culminating in the ever-popular split-window coupe.
We checked out this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette and we’ll show you what it’s worth in this video:
The Sting Ray’s history is almost as interesting as the change in styling. The C2 was inspired by the Mitchell Sting Ray, a racing car created by William L. Mitchell, who replaced Harley Earl as General Motors’ head of styling in 1958. Mitchell understood the need to tie the Corvette with performance and speed, which is why he convinced Ed Cole, who was running Chevrolet at the time, to sell him the 1957 Corvette SS mule car for a total of $1.00. This was done to circumvent the company’s ban on racing.
Larry Shinoda worked on the design of the Sting Ray race car, pulling inspiration from its namesake. Shinoda was the person responsible for the split-window coupe. Although Mitchell loved the design, however Zora Arkus-Duntov was opposed to the split-window’s vision obscuring design, which lead to it being offered for only one year. Subsequently unmolested split-window examples – some owners of original ’63 coupes modified their cars to match the look of the ’64 and later models – have become fairly desirable for Corvette enthusiasts.
When the 1967 Corvette was introduced some minor styling elements had been changed, but compared to the previous year’s model the ’67 Corvette was almost a carbon copy. It retained the egg-crate grille, finished in Argent Silver, along with the hood from the ’66 Corvette. However, big block cars featured a large front-opening air scoop over the hood’s center bulge, rather than the older “power blister”.
Additionally, ’67 saw a wider “V” at the top of the Corvette badge on its nose. Other changes included five vertical louvers on the front fenders as well as repositioning the parking brake from under the dash to the center console. There were also larger vents in the interior of the car, as well as folding seat-back latches.
The rear of the car featured dual round taillights on each side, replacing the single taillights and optional reverse light. The two reverse lights were moved to the center of the rear, above the license plate. Chevrolet also offered, for one year only, finned aluminum wheels with a non-knock-off center.
The car on offer at Mecum’s Kansas City sale is a convertible with a four-speed manual transmission, costing the original owner $184.35 – an upgrade from the standard three-speed, although most 1967 Corvettes were sold with a four-speed – paired to the 427 cubic inch, 400 horsepower L68 engine, itself a $305.50 option. Sadly, this is not one of the 20 built for 1967 that were equipped with the M22 variant of the four-speed manual.
It’s finished in Marlboro Maroon with a black stinger on the hood, and a black interior. It features power steering, side exhausts, an AM/FM radio, and aftermarket wheels. Chevrolet built about 2,100 1967 Corvettes with the L68 engine and a little over 3,400 that were finished in Marlboro Maroon. It’s also equipped with power steering, which roughly 5,700 Corvettes had that year.
While the leather seat covers give the car a cleaner appearance than it would have without them, it still appears to be well kept. It may not be a concours’ show car, but it’s a driver that should have all the power its new owner wants.
What's it worth?
Based on recent sales, we estimate the 1967 Chevrolet Corvette being offered at Mecum’s Kansas City auction should be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $121,000 when it hits the block on Saturday.