1968 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster
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Vehicle Description

1968 Chevrolet Corvette $49,950

*1968 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster*This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster is a beautiful example finished in an outstanding period shade of Bronze. Sold new at Falls Chevrolet in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin on January 29th 1968, this is a very early example of the C3 design and is reported to have been under the care of just three owners since new. Showing 56,974 miles on the odometer, when this car was sold through Barrett Jackson in 2020, the mileage at that time was claimed to be original and looking at the car, there is no reason to dispute that. One of the main differences you will spot on this Corvette that is rarely seen on other C3s is the addition of the Bright Metal wheel covers- looking like turbines, these one year only wheel covers were frequently swapped out for the more conventional Rallye wheels but seeing them in place on this car adds to the period correct vintage look. Although these Corvettes are designed to look like they have a conventional trunk, the truth is there is no exterior opening and instead, everything needs to fit into the compartment behind the seats. To get around the difficulty of fitting larger bags in there, many people in that period would install chrome luggage racks on the rear like you see on this car.On the inside, Dark Orange leather upholstery encases the seats, and the carpets, door panels, dash and center console are all colored to match. The combination of this interior, paired with the shining copper on the exterior is fantastic and not a combination you will see often. In addition to the leather upholstery, this car was optioned with courtesy lamps and an AM/FM radio from the factory- both of which remain in place, and helping check even more boxes for originality on this Corvette.In this era, Chevrolet offered numerous engine options for the Corvette- from the base 327ci V8, all the way up to the fire breathing, competition only 427ci L88, you were spoiled for choice when speccing your new sports car. This example is fitted with one of the most sought after setups- a 427ci V8 with tri-power triple two-barrel carburetors sitting on top. From the factory this was rated at 400 horsepower and was one of the fastest cars on sale at the time. It has been reported that at 54,890 miles, the engine was rebuilt by the previous owner to get it running as smoothly as possible. In 1969, famed racing driver Denny Hulme drove a 427ci tri-power Corvette for Sports Car Graphic magazine and stated it might be just too quick for the roads in America.- and that is coming from a guy who raced a GT40 at LeMans and won the Can-AM championship the year before in a McLaren. This example pairs this powerhouse with a 3-speed Hydra-Matic gearbox that makes for smooth shifting and means this car is the perfect cruiser or road trip car.Given that more than 55 years have passed since this car was delivered to its first owner, it is outstanding how original it has stayed. So many of these cars ended up in the hands of owners who wanted more power, or different wheels or, would have preferred it in a different color and had the car repainted- this is an honest, no nonsense example of what can surely be considered one of America's greatest sports cars.By the mid-1960s, Chevrolet had proved that their Corvette was plenty worthy of the title America's Sportscar. The Sting Ray was more than just a car that could go fast in a straight line but was also able to keep up on the track with the more high-tech and expensive European cars of the time. As the Sting Ray was entering its fourth model year in 1967, GM knew it was time to revamp the car again. What they debuted for 1968 became the longest running Corvette design in the model's history and ushered in many changes that have been seen in through the Corvette range ever since. The new design featured a long, low hoodline with the pontoon fenders flanking the driver's view out the windshield. For this redesign, they also changed the previous Sting Ray name to a singl