The 1967 Corvette wasn’t supposed to be! The ‘65 - ‘66 Mako Shark II show
cars were such a success that Chevrolet decided that the next generation
Corvette would be based on the Mako Shark styling. However, making a swoopy sexy
showcar a street-worthy vehicle was more challenging than they realized. The
Mako Shark inspired Corvette was supposed to be released in 1967. The story was
that the big bulging front fenders of the Mako were nearly impossible to see
over and required considerable reworking. This was all behind the scenes stuff
that the public didn’t know about.
When the ‘67 Corvette was shown to
the press in the Summer of ‘66, everyone was wowed at the overall look of the
car. It seemed “finished and complete.” The ‘67 Corvette is as distinctive as
the ‘63 split-window coupe. Small details such as the front fender louvered
vents, center backup light, and the gorgeous big-block hood gave the car a
tough-guy look.
Under the fiberglass the car was nearly identical to the
‘66 model with the biggest news being the availability of the L-71 427/435
engine and L-88 racing engine package. The L-71 had 3 vauum operated 2-barrel
carbs and solid lifters. This was right on par with the Chrysler 426 hemi, but
it wasn’t as heavy.
The L-88 was a 500 + horsepower engine that
Chevrolet deliberately rated at 430 hp, just 5 hp less than the solid-lifter 427
with 3x2 bbl Holley carbs. Chevy didn’t want unknowing buyers checking off the
“biggest” Corvette and accidentally getting the road racer L-88, which was not a
street-user-friendly car.
A pristine ‘67 427/435 Corvette is one of the
most valuable Corvettes ever made.
