Description
July of 1969, Neil Armstrong just planted an American flag firmly on the crater ridden surface of the moon. And yet, without hyperbole, that is not the most American thing to happen in 1969. Instead, it was the launch of an all-new Chevrolet Corvette, the C3.
No, the irony of an almost entirely french name is not lost on us, but it’s true. In fact, the Corvette’s image embodies the American dream to such an extent, that whilst Armstrong took “a small step for man” - his NASA issued C3 Corvette sat waiting for him, back on earth. It’s hard to argue with a car that’s exciting enough for an Astronaut!
This example is slightly younger than Armstrong’s. Built at Chevrolet’s St. Louis plant on June 26th 1971. The car remains in its original specification, with the exterior finished in a dazzling Mille Miglia Red. It remained in the US until 2022, before being imported and subsequently registered in the UK.
As a 1971 model year car, there are slightly flared arch extensions, egg-crate grills and chrome bumpers that are subjectively cooler than the later colour coded variants. Quad pop up headlamps result in a sleek design evocative of its Stingray namesake. The 15” steel wheels are dressed up by chrome hub-caps and beauty rings and wrapped in a set of white lettered BF Goodrich tyres. No aspect of the exterior however, is more dramatic than the Stingray emblazoned side-pipes.
If you step carefully over the side pipes, you’ll find the interior is about as 1970s as it gets. Everything is red, and it’s the original specification too. Red vinyl adorns almost every tangible surface, and that that isn’t vinyl, is red carpet. It’s all in remarkable condition.
The centre console is dominated by the auxiliary gauges and the 4-speed manual shifter. It’s an uncommon site in a Corvette, with the overwhelming majority supplied as autos. For the 1971 model year, almost 90% of cars produced were automatics, so this is a pretty special beast.
Under the hood, of which the underside features the star spangled banner itself, is the beating heart of American motoring. It’s a small-block Chevy. In this application, that’s a 350ci or 5. 7-litre push-rod V8 that produces 270bhp and 350 lb-ft of torque, as proudly shown by the plaque mounted below the gear lever. The plaque also shares, in case you were wondering as you snatch third mid burnout, that the compression ratio is 8. 5:1, a nice if not a little niche touch.
The engine runs well, and the transmission shifts smoothly. It’s been well maintained and serviced regularly, with remedial work taking place to ensure there are no leaks from the rocker covers. There are a handful of upgrades like a performance alloy intake manifold and carbon-fibre style air cleaner, as well as some heavy-duty HT leads. The car also benefits from having been upgraded to servo-assisted power brakes, something that is vital for making a nearly 55 year old car more usable in a day to day environment.
There is no denying that every aspect of this ‘Vette is cool. It’s loud, it's brash and it's bright, and that is everything that a Corvette should be. Thankfully, you don’t need a pair of Lucchese boots on your feet to drive it, and even more excitingly it’s exempt from the perils of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
With less than 55, 000 miles on the clock, if you want to sample, just a little bit of what life must’ve been like to be flying high in early 1970s America. This is the car for you.
As with all our vehicles, a full digital folder is available on request containing more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.
