Parked Since 2001: 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

First-year C3 Corvettes always seem to draw attention, even when they’ve been sitting for decades. This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe listed on craigslist looks like one of those projects that could easily get enthusiasts talking. Located in California, the car is described as a barn find and comes with a factory four-speed, T-top roof panels, air conditioning, and what the seller says is a complete setup waiting for the next owner to bring it back. The asking price is listed at $13,500, and according to the ad, this Corvette has been off the road since 2001. Thanks for the tip, Jack M.!

The seller states this is a two-owner car, with the current owner having owned it since 1973. That kind of long-term ownership history tends to matter with cars like these, especially on early C3s where originality and documentation often become part of the conversation. The listing also says the Corvette has remained in California during that time.

Power comes from a 350 V8 paired with the factory four-speed manual transmission. Beyond that, the ad keeps things fairly brief, noting the car is non-running after sitting for years. The seller describes it as “all there & complete,” though buyers will obviously want to inspect the car themselves and determine exactly what condition the various components are in after more than two decades parked.

The first-year 1968 models occupy an interesting place in Corvette history. Chevrolet completely redesigned the Corvette for 1968, introducing the dramatic “Stingray” body style that would define the C3 generation for years afterward. Features like removable T-top roof panels, hidden headlights, and the fighter jet-inspired cockpit helped separate these cars visually from the earlier mid-year Corvettes.

This particular car appears to check several enthusiast boxes simply from the listing itself. Factory four-speed cars usually attract more interest than automatics, and factory air conditioning is another detail some buyers like seeing on a project. The seller also mentions an FM radio, which feels like one of those period details people either preserve carefully or spend hours trying to source later.

What makes this Corvette interesting is that the ad doesn’t try to oversell it. There’s no claim that it’s ready to drive home, no promises about flawless condition, and no attempt to present it as a finished collector car. Instead, it’s described pretty honestly as a long-stored project that’s complete and waiting for someone to decide what comes next.

That probably opens the door to a few different types of buyers. Some may want to restore it closer to stock, while others might simply see it as an opportunity to build the kind of driver they’ve always wanted without starting from scratch. Either way, first-year C3 projects don’t usually stay cheap forever.