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Some of the earliest American assaults at LeMans was by the legendary sportsman, Briggs Cunningham. Tony Settember and Jack Tuner followed, and in 1967, Dick Guldstrand's Dana Chevrolet contested the race, co-drive by Bob Bondurant.
In 1957 the AMA racing ban went into effect, effectively disallowing any factory support for General Motors racing programs. Though there would be no direct support, some manufacturers found ways around the rules, to aid in victories for vehicles that bore their name. For Chevrolet, their Corvette had been the brainchild of Zora Arkus-Duntov, a four-time LeMans participant and twice class winner.
This example is a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, built to contest LeMans with a not-so-secret support from Chevrolet. GM's European promotions director, Bob Lutz, and Henri Greder approached Swiss racing patron Georges Filipinetti with the idea of entering a two-car Corvette team at LeMans. A short time later, two L88 Corvette coupes were sent to Filipinetti, fully race prepared for the 24 Hours under Zora Arkus-Duntov's supervision. This car, chassis number 194378S410300, was for Greder and Jean-Claude Killy. The other was for Sylvain Garant and Jean-Michel Giorgi. The L88 engine was believed to be capable of an astonishing 550 horsepower. In the front was a coil springs suspension with the rear retaining the Corvette's standard transverse leaf springs independent setup. They were given a 2.56 rear end gears to take advantage of the 427 cubic-inch engine. Top speed down the Mulsanne straight was clocked at 191 mph. The Achilles heal of the car were the brakes, which were not suitable to cope with the high speeds and massive amounts of power.
Just prior to the race, GM vetoed Killy and Umberto Maglioli stepped in to fill the void. The Corvettes dominated the Porsche competition and led the GT category until the 6th hour, despite the braking problem. Another problem presented itself, one that would be detrimental to the Corvette racing effort. A carburetion problem melted a piston, causing Garant to wipe out the other Corvette in the Dunlop curves in the 14th hour.
Greder's L88 Corvette returned in 1969, now driven by Reine Wisel and co-driven by Ronnie Peterson. It had an M22 'Rock Crusher' gearbox, which endured 16 hours of aggressive downshifting, to use engine braking to relieve the brakes' shortcomings. This excessive use was too much, and the car was forced to retire while leading the GT category.
The Greder Corvette continued to race at other venues. it was supplied with the latest high performance parts from Chevrolet Engineering's back door. In total, Greder and his co-driver Vigneron captured seven of the eleven events.
The car was later sold to Jean-Claude Aubriet and entered by Aubriet's 'Ecurie Leopard' a further four times at Le Mans from 1970-73, finishing as high as 18th overall and 2nd in class. The car would be used to contest an active schedule of other racings, including the Tour de France in 1970 and 1971.
This L88 Corvette raced at LeMans six years in a row, along with numerous other races with many podium finishes along the way.
In 1989 it was sold to Bob Rubin, then to Marc de Peescara. The present owner acquired it in 2000. It was professional prepared in preparation for vintage racing. It made its debut performance at the 2001 Monterey Historics. It received an invitation to the 2004 Le Mans Classic, but the teams schedule precluded it from attending. Along with historic racing, it has been put on display several times at important events.
It is currently powered by a 1970's vintage 454 in the guise of the classic L88. It still has the coil spring front suspension as fitted by Zora. It has been given a lightened flywheel, carbon fiber clutch, M22 'Rock Crusher' close ratio gearbox and J56 heavy duty brakes.
In 2009, this LeMans racing Corvette was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $500,000 - $700,000. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the lot had been sold for the sum of $572,000, including buyer's premium.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009
In 1957 the AMA racing ban went into effect, effectively disallowing any factory support for General Motors racing programs. Though there would be no direct support, some manufacturers found ways around the rules, to aid in victories for vehicles that bore their name. For Chevrolet, their Corvette had been the brainchild of Zora Arkus-Duntov, a four-time LeMans participant and twice class winner.
This example is a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, built to contest LeMans with a not-so-secret support from Chevrolet. GM's European promotions director, Bob Lutz, and Henri Greder approached Swiss racing patron Georges Filipinetti with the idea of entering a two-car Corvette team at LeMans. A short time later, two L88 Corvette coupes were sent to Filipinetti, fully race prepared for the 24 Hours under Zora Arkus-Duntov's supervision. This car, chassis number 194378S410300, was for Greder and Jean-Claude Killy. The other was for Sylvain Garant and Jean-Michel Giorgi. The L88 engine was believed to be capable of an astonishing 550 horsepower. In the front was a coil springs suspension with the rear retaining the Corvette's standard transverse leaf springs independent setup. They were given a 2.56 rear end gears to take advantage of the 427 cubic-inch engine. Top speed down the Mulsanne straight was clocked at 191 mph. The Achilles heal of the car were the brakes, which were not suitable to cope with the high speeds and massive amounts of power.
Just prior to the race, GM vetoed Killy and Umberto Maglioli stepped in to fill the void. The Corvettes dominated the Porsche competition and led the GT category until the 6th hour, despite the braking problem. Another problem presented itself, one that would be detrimental to the Corvette racing effort. A carburetion problem melted a piston, causing Garant to wipe out the other Corvette in the Dunlop curves in the 14th hour.
Greder's L88 Corvette returned in 1969, now driven by Reine Wisel and co-driven by Ronnie Peterson. It had an M22 'Rock Crusher' gearbox, which endured 16 hours of aggressive downshifting, to use engine braking to relieve the brakes' shortcomings. This excessive use was too much, and the car was forced to retire while leading the GT category.
The Greder Corvette continued to race at other venues. it was supplied with the latest high performance parts from Chevrolet Engineering's back door. In total, Greder and his co-driver Vigneron captured seven of the eleven events.
The car was later sold to Jean-Claude Aubriet and entered by Aubriet's 'Ecurie Leopard' a further four times at Le Mans from 1970-73, finishing as high as 18th overall and 2nd in class. The car would be used to contest an active schedule of other racings, including the Tour de France in 1970 and 1971.
This L88 Corvette raced at LeMans six years in a row, along with numerous other races with many podium finishes along the way.
In 1989 it was sold to Bob Rubin, then to Marc de Peescara. The present owner acquired it in 2000. It was professional prepared in preparation for vintage racing. It made its debut performance at the 2001 Monterey Historics. It received an invitation to the 2004 Le Mans Classic, but the teams schedule precluded it from attending. Along with historic racing, it has been put on display several times at important events.
It is currently powered by a 1970's vintage 454 in the guise of the classic L88. It still has the coil spring front suspension as fitted by Zora. It has been given a lightened flywheel, carbon fiber clutch, M22 'Rock Crusher' close ratio gearbox and J56 heavy duty brakes.
In 2009, this LeMans racing Corvette was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $500,000 - $700,000. As the gavel fell for the third and final time, the lot had been sold for the sum of $572,000, including buyer's premium.By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009
2009 Sports & Classics of Monterey
Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $500,000-USD $700,000
Sale Price :
USD $572,000
1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Auction Sales
Recent Sales of the Chevrolet Corvette C3
(Data based on Model Year 1968 sales)
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE Chassis#: 194678S418369 Sold for USD$220,000 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427/390 CONVERTIBLE Chassis#: 194678S407410 Sold for USD$42,900 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Chassis#: 194678s402440 Sold for USD$37,400 2024 Mecum : Houston | |
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427/390 Chassis#: 194378S416367 Sold for USD$66,000 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ | |
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 327/350 CONVERTIBLE Chassis#: 194678S418063 Sold for USD$33,000 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s417787 Sold for USD$143,000 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Chassis#: 194678s404517 Sold for USD$13,750 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s415519 Sold for USD$58,300 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s427015 Sold for USD$55,000 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s421291 Sold for USD$69,300 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L89 Convertible Chassis#: 194678s404485 Sold for USD$209,000 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s424003 Sold for USD$22,000 2023 Mecum : Kansas City | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s412994 Sold for USD$26,400 2023 Mecum : Kansas City | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Chassis#: 194678s407154 Sold for USD$96,250 2023 Mecum : Kansas City | |
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427/435 Chassis#: 194378S416071 Sold for USD$80,300 2023 Barrett-Jackson : New Orleans | |
1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CUSTOM CONVERTIBLE Chassis#: 194678S427700 Sold for USD$22,000 2023 Barrett-Jackson : New Orleans | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Greenwood Convertible Chassis#: 194678s425524 Sold for USD$22,000 2023 Mecum : Dallas | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe Chassis#: 194378s416903 Sold for USD$38,500 2023 Mecum : Dallas | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Chassis#: 194678s417936 Sold for USD$33,000 2023 Mecum : Dallas | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Clone Sold for USD$47,040 2023 Worldwide Auctioneers : The Auburn Auction |
Chevrolet Corvette C3s That Failed To Sell At Auction
1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s421874 | 2024 Mecum : Glendale | $40,000 | $100,000 | $125,000 |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s424748 | 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | $80,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s421874 | 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | $60,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 194378s420658 | 2024 Mecum : Kissimmee | $20,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s414050 | 2023 Mecum : Dallas | $50,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s413417 | 2023 Mecum : Dallas | $70,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 194378s420236 | 2023 Mecum : Indy | $85,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 194378s421291 | 2023 Mecum : Indy | $50,000 | $80,000 | $100,000 |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s420359 | 2023 Mecum : Indy | $115,000 | $145,000 | $175,000 |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s418965 | 2023 Mecum : Houston | $44,000 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 194678s413417 | 2023 Mecum : Houston | $71,500 | ||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Pro Street | 2023 Mecum : Glendale | $37,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2023 Mecum : Glendale | $27,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible with Hardtop Sunray-DX Racer | 194678S402351 | 2023 Bonhams : Amelia Island Auction | $400,000 | $600,000 | |
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2023 Mecum : Kissimmee | $25,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2022 Mecum : Kansas City | $66,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Kansas City | ||||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2022 Mecum : Chicago | $30,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Chicago | $30,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette | 2022 Fall Carlisle Auction | ||||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette | 2022 Fall Carlisle Auction | ||||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2022 Mecum : Harrisburg | $16,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Harrisburg | $35,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Orlando | ||||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2022 Mecum Indy | $50,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette | 2022 Carlisle Auctions : Spring Carlisle | ||||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L89 Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Kissimmee | $110,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2022 Mecum : Kissimmee | $39,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible | 2021 Mecum : Chicago | $47,000 | |||
1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe | 2021 Mecum : Chicago | $26,000 |
Vehicles With Comparable Market Values
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1956 OLDSMOBILE 98 STARFIRE CONVERTIBLE Chassis#:569W2919 Sold for $56,100 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
1970 CHEVROLET C10 CUSTOM PICKUP Chassis#:CS1401114667 Sold for $56,100 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Palm Beach | |
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1974 LAVERDA 750 SFC Chassis#:LAV.C1 *16732* Sold for $56,000 2024 Gooding : Amelia Island Concours | |
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2008 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT CONVERTIBLE Chassis#:SCBDR33W78C054224 Sold for $56,100 2024 Barrett-Jackson : Scottsdale AZ | |
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1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3
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