Pair of unrestored 1967 Chevrolet Corvettes sells for $185,000 ...

Pair of 1967 Corvettes, which together sold for $185,000. Images courtesy Mecum Auctions.

Seeing a small-block-powered Corvette take top sale at an auction filled with big-block-powered versions may seem odd at first, but it?s yet another indication of how valued unrestored and original cars have become in the collector car world, as we saw at this past weekend?s Mecum auction at Bloomington Gold, where a pair of matching unrestored Rally Red small-block 1967 Corvettes took two of the sale?s top spots, combining to sell for $185,000.

Aside from its 350hp L79 327-cu.in. V-8, four-speed manual transmission, and optional air conditioning, the top seller 1967 Corvette coupe also boasted Bloomington Gold Benchmark certification, the original window sticker (showing the $5,507.45 asking price), dealer invoice, service receipts and ownership history, complete with period photographs. Originally delivered by El-Mor Chevrolet in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, it has reportedly accumulated just 32,280 miles. It hammered for an even $100,000.

Accompanying it across the auction block was a 1967 Corvette convertible equipped with the 300hp version of the 327, also mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Like the coupe, it wears Rally Red paint, and is described as original and unrestored, with 52,615 miles showing on the odometer. Fitted with a factory-installed side exhaust, the car was sold with both the vinyl soft top and an accessory hardtop. Though it didn?t come with Benchmark status, as did the coupe, its serial number (100007) identifies it as one of the 1967 model year early production pilot cars.

That isn?t to say that big-block Corvettes don?t still generate bids. Other top-ten Corvettes sold at last weekend?s auction included a 1967 convertible with the 427-cu.in., 390hp V-8, sold at $94,000; a 1965 convertible with the 396-cu.in., 425hp V-8, sold at $88,000; a 1966 convertible with the 427-cu.in., 425hp V-8, sold at $84,500; a 1966 coupe with the 427-cu.in., 425hp V-8, sold at $78,000; a 1966 coupe with the 427-cu.in., 425hp V-8, sold at $70,000; a 1958 with the fuel-injected 283-cu.in., 290hp V-8, sold at $70,000; a 1963 coupe with the 327-cu.in., 340hp V-8, sold at $70,000; and a 2009 GT1 Championship Edition with the 505hp LS7, sold at $66,000.

In addition, a number of big-block mid-year Corvettes bid up to six figures but didn?t sell. Another 1967 Corvette convertible, this one fitted with the 400hp 427 and an automatic transmission, bid up to $225,000; another 1967 convertible, with the tri-power 435hp 427, bid up to $110,000; as did yet another 1967 convertible, a 390hp 427 car considered a COPO car for its unique paint. Still another 1967 Corvette convertible, this one powered by the tri-power 427 and documented as astronaut Gus Grissom?s, bid up to $160,000.

For complete Bloomington Gold results, visit Mecum.com.

Source: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/07/05/pair-of-unrestored-1967-chevrolet-corvettes-sell-for-185000/

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