1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible with Hardtop

The sixties T.V.  show ‘ Route 66 ‘ featured the Chevrolet Corvette as the ultimate gateway to freedom and adventure, helping it to become  the most popular  American sports cars in history. With origins in the 1950s and some eight generations to follow over sixty years of production, the basic concept has remained the same: a powerful motor car in a light fibreglass or composite body, suitably named after a small maneuverable warship.

Styling has always been dramatic, with carefully crafted lines, a well-appointed cockpit to die for and an engine compartment bursting with raw muscle. This second generation Sting Ray lives up to these criteria by the bucketful with shiny black paintwork and superb red leather trim. This particular motor car has both hard and soft tops and features side mounted exhausts, alloy spoked wheels and spinners.

Power comes from a 5359cc, 365hp. V8 engine,   driving through a four speed manual gearbox. Sitting in front of the deeply dished, wood rimmed steering wheel with a fascia full of instruments  and switches you are drawn into another world, much frowned on perhaps by the more  ecologically minded and then you turn the key and oops you have just started World war Three. Performance comes in smooth abundance; the Corvette being happy and unruffled at modest cruising speed yet has the ability to launch itself at the horizon with impunity.

APO342C was imported by the vendor in 2007. It comes with a large file of invoices, some for  detailed engine work, including fitting a new E/B carburettor, new cam kit, lifters and rods. There are also old MOT test certificates and various documentation, including a V5C registration certificate. Also with the Chevrolet are three covers and a storage stand for the hardtop, and two covers for that, together with two door mouldings, an original steering wheel, headlamp motors, switches and a wiring loom. The original Holley carburettor and air cleaner are present as is the brake master cylinder. For winter motoring, there is a pair of original sheepskin seat covers.

A wonderful opportunity to enjoy the aforesaid road to freedom and adventure, just watch for them Smokey Bears now.

Auction Date: 24 October 2019