Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Year:
1969
Manufacturer:
Chevrolet Division of General Motors, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Number Produced:
22,129 coupes
Specifications:
350 cu in / 5,735 cc V8 engine
360 bhp
101.6 mm bore x 88.4 mm stroke
Top speed approx. 233 km/h / 145 mph
Description:
The first-generation Chevrolet Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year after appearing as a show car at General Motors’ 1953 Motorama display in New York. Public interest was strong enough for Chevrolet to put the Corvette into production, launching what would become one of America’s most recognisable sports cars.
This example is a third-generation Corvette, known as the C3. Introduced for the 1968 model year and produced until 1982, the C3 was heavily inspired by the Mako Shark II concept car, with its long bonnet, flowing guards, hidden headlights, and dramatic low-slung profile.
For 1969, the Corvette brought back the Stingray name, now written as one word rather than the earlier C2 “Sting Ray” spelling. The 1969 model also continued the removable T-top roof panels first introduced with the C3 coupe in 1968, giving the car an open-air feel while retaining the coupe body style.
With its powerful small-block V8, fibreglass body, and unmistakable shark-inspired styling, the 1969 Corvette Stingray remains one of the most iconic American performance cars of its era.
