Page 128 - Barrett-Jackson_Experience_Spring2021

RARE and READY NO RESERVE - LOT #1407

THIS 1967 CORVETTE IS ONE OF LESS THAN FIVE RED-ON-RED 435 CONVERTIBLES IN EXISTENCE

As the final expression of the legendary second- amazing throttle response. Performance of L71
generation Corvette Sting Ray, the 1967 models Corvettes was explosive (to put it mildly), described
are regarded by legions of today’s Corvette experts, in a contemporary road test report by Hot Rod
collectors and enthusiasts as the best of the breed Magazine editor Eric Dahlquist as provoking the
with clean, uncluttered styling and wide array of Corvette’s rear tires to erupt into billowing clouds
high-performance options. of smoke when the clutch was dropped at anything
Interestingly, while coveted by collectors today, sales above idle.
of the 1967 models were somewhat slow when they With a skilled driver and proper tuning, an L71
were new, due to high anticipation for the upcoming Corvette was routinely capable of knocking
“Shark” models, which were intended to go on sale off low-13-second quarter-mile timeslips with
for 1967 but were held back one model year to trap speeds of 105-107 miles per hour and top
allow full development. Aside from the rare, race- speeds capable of rewarding a brave driver with a
intended L88, optional Corvette engine choices for suspended driver’s license with certainty. Best of all,
1967 included the 350-horsepower RPO L79 327 V8 while the RPO L71 427 engine used a heavy iron
and a quartet of big-block V8 engines, all displacing cylinder block and heads, handling was not at all
427 cubic inches. compromised, by virtue of the low and set-back
engine placement within the Corvette chassis. Of
The RPO L71 427 unit was the top street offering
for 1967, factory-rated at 435 horsepower with a course, stopping power was strong, with Corvette
wild solid-lifter camshaft and “Tri-Power” intake equipped with standard 4-wheel disc brakes since
mounting triple Holley two-barrel carburetors for 1965, with optional power assistance. Priced at a

128 BARRETT-JACKSON EXPERIENCE SPRING 2021