This 1969 Chevy Corvette sports a colorful competition past, listed as being a frequent winner on SCCA circuits in the midwest. It’s also said to be one of the first Corvettes to run Trans Am, and has participated in numerous vintage racing series. The seller is retiring from vintage racing and wants it to find a good home; bidding opens at $27,000 here on eBay.
To me, competition cars are somewhat tricky to put a hard number on. The successes on the track often hold more significance for the driver than the rest of the general public, unless we’re talking about the 12 Hours at Sebring or an international series like LeMans. Still, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a vintage race car, especially one that appears to be as well-preserved as this Corvette.
The seller describes high points throughout its racing history, including: “1976 NE Ohio Regional Champion. Vintage raced for 20 years in VSCDA, CVAR and SVRA including the BRIC (Brian Redmond International Challenge) 4 times, SVRA Vintage Racing National Championship race at COTA 3 times, SVRA Brickyard Invitational at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” Obviously, this is a purpose-built race car and is still set up as such.
No details are offered on its engine setup, but the seller seems open to taking phone calls to discuss. He calls the opening bid a “screaming deal” and says there’s too much to talk about in the listing. The Corvette would look right at home at any number of vintage racing events held at Watkins Glen and Sebring, and hopefully this one goes onto another racing household and not just into a collection. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Scuderia for the find.
For someone that wants to go vintage racing this car would be great. It’s history would likely get you into almost any event you want. The price is low, engines don’t need to be exceedingly expensive. Even if you mainly wanted it for shows, it would be far more interesting and draw a bigger crowd than your typical restored late-60’s or early-70’s Corvette.
Steve R
Seconded. That car needs to be driven. Paint it black & it’d be what Vader would race. Luke, I am your driver… (Disclaimer: Not really much of a Star Wars fan but, come on, Darth Vader is probably the ultimate villain and in black this car would look very, um, villain-ish)
Run it as it looks. Painting, especially black, it will instantly wipe away much of what makes the car unique.
Steve R
Black, the new boring. Keep it as is, nicks, scrapes, dents, blood. Even drivers name on car. Keep tires aside. Do not use. Especially if a date is on them. Darth vader is make believe. The cars history is real. Plenty of boring altered Vettes out there for that. I know of one car raced and won one race, and contributed to a championship and was appraised at $10,000,000.
I hope you were joking, but I know a couple of people that have bought old 1970’s race cars that still had distinctive and serviceable paint jobs, strip away the decals and prime them grey or black.
Steve R
Oh, absolutely a rhetorical statement… unless the paint & graphics on an old racer are completely shot & need to go so the car can be saved there’s no excuse for eradicating the past. Rather than “paint it black” I should have written “if it were black”. Part of the fun of owning the car would be listening to old-timer stories… paint it & even if they do recognize the Vette they just might decide they don’t want to talk to ya…
Why would anybody purchased this car and paint it? that defeats the purpose of it being the car that it is.
I’m with Steve R, leave the livery, as is, and go racing! It’s a piece of SCCA history that deserves preserving and used for what it was intended for.
Not sure what the appeal is in vintage racing, seems like a great way to screw up a car that’s pretty much irreplaceable. Besides, would it be any less fun running a beater around the local 1/2 mile oval on a Saturday night? Certainly more affordable.
I was at the F1 race in Montreal in 2007. The opening act was a 10-lap race of rich guys going ball$ out in their vintage Ferrari’s. Looked like fun to me.
Would love to hear this car running.
I know this car. The owner has taken exceptional care since he brought it to CVAR. This car is well prepared, well maintained and dang fast. The history is well documented and is welcome in any vintage race. Alan is one of the good guys in vintage racing. His retirement is a true loss to all who vintage race.
I am curious as to if you can run it on the street or reinstall all necessary lights and such too make it legal for the street?
You should be able to run it as is without lights (in daytume only) with vintage plates/antique plates/extended use vintage plates….
Running that on the street would kick tail!!!!!!
No toucha da ka!
a quick search will turn up a ton on this car…..well known ….famous c-3 racer.lots of history here
I was at the CSPRRC in 74 and 75 as mentioned in the ad and remember this car. CSPRRC is Champion Park Plug Road Racing Championship which is what the SCCA national runoffs we’re called back then. I have some pictures but this car was not in any of them. In 74 the B Prod. class was won by a similar small block Corvette defeating a Group 44 V12 Jag and another which IIRC was a Huffaker car. Don’t recall the details but I have a picture of a blue Vette taking a victory lap. Driver Bill Kobe if IIRC.
This has Rick Hendrick written all over it.