Lot 125: Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

To say that the Sting Ray's arrival for 1963 caused a sensation would be a gross understatement of its impact on the North American sports car market. Designed by Art & Colour Studio chief Bill Mitchell, the new Corvette featured radical styling pioneered on Mitchell's successful Stingray sports-racer, while for the first time there was a Gran Turismo coup� in the range. Five years after the Sting Ray's arrival, a total re-style ushered in the 'Stingray' era, though the latter name was not officially applied to the model until 1969. Based on GM's 1965 Mako Shark II show car, the new-for-'68 Corvette coup� became a 'notch back' with removable rear window and detachable, two-piece 'T-top' (Targa) roof, while the roadster, or convertible, version could be ordered with optional hardtop. The previous generation's recessed pop-up headlights were retained, while the windshield wipers were now concealed beneath a vacuum-operated panel, the latter feature being inherited from the Mako Shark II. Beneath the skin the chassis remained fundamentally unchanged. Imported from Florida in 1988, this Stingray convertible will be familiar to viewers of Yorkshire Television's long-running Heartbeat series. Finished in red with black upholstery, it features four-speed manual transmission, chromed " sidewinder" style exhausts, chromed luggage rack radio and 15 radial tyres on Turbo Vec style alloys. With a 327 Cubic Inch V8 engine, allied to a manual transmission, this Corvette will be no slouch. By 1971 the chrome bumpers and details would be lost, to be replaced by deformable, body colour, extensions to the nose and tail. We are also advised, by the vendor, that this car has recently undergone approximately �1,000 worth of gearbox repairs.